Aspiring entrepreneurs who are a little intimidated by those ‘slick Willie’ type of entrepreneurs who come at you strong, almost shouting, about how you can do it too, as they ooze confidence and bluster all over a stage may think that the world of entrepreneurship has no place for those with less bombastic approaches.

For the quiet, serious and methodical in life, the question of whether or not there is an entrepreneurial personality type, also evokes the question of whether or not you’re on the right path.

But you are.

In studying entrepreneurs all over the world, one trait is clear, the common denominator is not personality type – it’s doing the work. 

Entrepreneurial Personalities

When asked to name some entrepreneurs , many people pick from the same same dozen or so familiar people who are known to have started their own business.  The most famous people are seen on TV, and make news. 

And that’s not a coincidence.  People who make noise, make news, and some make themselves famous as part of their overall business strategy.  So outgoing people who happen to be entrepreneurs can become well known.

But the most famous people do not represent al entrepreneurs.

In the United States alone in 2016, the census bureau says there are 5.6 million employer firms, and that does not count the big Fortune 500 companies that were started by one person whose name you know.  Around the world, estimates say there are 600 million entrepreneurs.  That’s a lot of personalities.  And it is doubtful that every one of them is a Slick Willie Salesman.

An entrepreneur is anyone with an idea that they are willing to bring into the public marketplace. 

Using the definition from UNCTAD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development:

An entrepreneur is an individual who identifies opportunities in the marketplace, allocates resources, and creates value.

Entrepreneurship—the act of being an entrepreneur—implies the capacity and willingness to undertake conception, organization, and management of a productive new venture, accepting all attendant risks and seeking profit as a reward.

The definition applies to action, not personality.

The definition does not say an entrepreneur must be able able to talk to strangers.

Nor does it say the entrepreneur has to be funny and make jokes in an interview, or on stage.

The definition definitely does not imply the ability to get rich quick, make a million dollars in ten minutes and let others know about it.

Being an entrepreneur is about identifying a big idea…and running with it. Since you cannot copyright an idea, you have to write the book.  You have to bring your idea into fruition.

Entrepreneurs allocate resources – often your own.  If you’re shy or slow or both, you only need yourself to get your business going.  Allocate your own resources to researching your business idea, figuring out how to bring it to the marketplace, and defining the other tools and resources you may need to help you.

Working this way, you do not need to ensure that thousands of people ‘like’ you before you get started.

You need to create value.  Entrepreneurs create value.  And thousands or millions of people recognize that value if appeals to them and their needs.

If you have business ideas in your head and you are thinking about opportunities to bring a product or service to market that will help people.  You have to get it out there.  No one will know about it if it stays in your head.  The key is to bring it forward for people to see.  The validation comes from the market.

New products and services are introduced all the time.  When speaking about your business idea, people love to make comments like – ‘it’s been done before,’ or ‘no one is asking for that’ or ‘why would anyone buy that.’ 

But time and again the market defines what it wants – after the product or service has been introduced.

So many products that we take for granted today like corn flakes – which apparently was a cooking experiment by a guy named Kellogg – were just invented and placed in the market.  No one asked for the exact product, but the entrepreneur had an idea that could appeal to many others.

The definition of entrepreneurship does not include the need to laugh, smile or glad-hand (pretend to be nice).

You have to be a person – often exactly the type of person who is shy and slow – who is willing and able to turn the idea into a business, and willing and able to meet the risks – and more than willing to reap the rewards.

Options for promoting your venture

Even knowing this definition, an entrepreneur may struggle with the idea of bringing a product or service into the marketplace. At some point, the new venture must be presented to people in some forum.

When the product or service is developed, a shy entrepreneur can look for other methods for introducing the venture. For example, advertising, giving away free samples, writing promotional materials or creating a video.

When Help from Others is not Intimidating

If those activities fail to attract attention, you can partner with one or two kindred spirits, outsource to someone you pay to promote for you, or hire someone else with the skill to promote your product or service.

Each option has its own risks and rewards.  But those factors can be considered in any plan you move forward.

The key is go ahead and create your business even if you think you are too shy or too slow. The personality traits you need to start the business applies to you regardless of who you see on TV, and who you think might be a more classic example of an entrepreneur.

It’s the people who start the business who are entrepreneurs.  Willing and able to make it happen – that’s the key.

The common trait for entrepreneurs is getting the work done to bring the product or service to market.  Successful people get the job done.  You can work full-time, part-time, weekends, do all-nighters, take a month from work, take 15 minutes a day, update on the ride home – any time frame or time allotment that you can give yourself brings you one step closer to realizing your dream.

If you have business ideas in your head, you are already thinking like an entrepreneur.  The next step to being one is based on your ability to accomplish your own dream.

If you are shy, or slow or doubting your entrepreneurial personality traits, understand that entrepreneurship is for anyone who is willing and able to do the work.

You are an entrepreneur if you identify an opportunity in the marketplace, allocate resource to it, and create value, which is something the shy and slow can definitely do.