The two words ‘aspiring entrepreneur’ have their roots in Latin.

Aspire comes from aspirare – ad- ‘to’ + spirare ‘breathe’.  The root of the English word ‘aspire’ is to breath.  Yet we have come to associate aspire with ambition, dreaming and hoping for an accomplishment.

The idea of being aspirational often refers to the indefinite, those with their head in the clouds.  In fact, we even say lofty heights of buildings are aspiring into the sky. 

A word meaning breathing, the act we need for life, has ended up as a reference to lofty dreams that can be celebrated or ignored. From a root tied to actually staying alive, we have derived a hopeful sensibility to achieve something you desire. 

The word entrepreneur, comes from the French, entreprendre which means to undertake. The Latin root is prendere, which means to take. 

Would this mean the term ‘aspiring entrepreneur’ refers to a breathing taker – or the breather who seeks to undertake?

Two Words for One Intention

A friend of mine once told me he studied Latin to avoid needing a dictionary. When you look up words, you often find the Latin root, which if you know the definition, means you can define the word.

When it comes to the concept of an aspiring entrepreneur, the Latin root appears to betray a less serious qualifier on the action-oriented French intention ‘to undertake.’

Maybe aspiration alone is not enough.

Entrepreneurs also need ambition, drive and perseverance. 

The aspiring entrepreneur who ‘undertakes’ is more likely to transform dreams into actual action. A fact which brings the term ‘aspiring entrepreneur’ full circle.

The entrepreneur part of an aspiring entrepreneur undertakes to get things done.  The aspiration part is knowing you can make it happen.  The dreaming – breathing part of the definition is the vision needed to ensure a business idea gets into the global marketplace.

An aspiring entrepreneur, who stays aspiring, is the ‘almost’ entrepreneur who has not yet found a path to business success that will work. To get beyond aspiring that entrepreneur has to keep going until the correct road is identified. 

Follow Examples

In Wild Company, Mel and Patricia Ziegler’s awesome book about building the Banana Republic stores, they knew they wanted to have a business even if they did not have a specific idea which one.  They went out looking for a business that would work for them.

The titans of the early 20th century like Rockefeller capitalized on opportunities they saw growing around them in new technologies for steel and oil.

The titans of the 21st century like Jeff Bezos used the capabilities of technology and the reach of the Internet to build new businesses.

Are You Aspiring?

An entrepreneur who has yet to create a business must decide if activities reflect: Continuous aspiring?  Searching for visible opportunities?  Or preparing to create something new?

Begin first by considering where you have been.  What makes you believe you are an entrepreneur?  If it’s the idea that you want to have your own business, that you have a product or service you believe could be of value, or you know you want an independent professional life, then you are set.  You are already in the entrepreneurial space.

If you want to be an entrepreneur for the ‘bling’, the money, house, car and publicity, but you do not have a valuable product or service attached to your vision, then you may be stuck in aspiration for some time to come.

It is much easier to pursue your dream and work on it every day, if you believe in it and you care about results and the outcome.  You have a great chance to actually have a business if your passion for your product or service is also the fuel that prompts you to put the time and money in to making the passion a business.

It is a lot harder to commit to a plan if you really just see it as a ticket to…nowhere.

Actions for Moving Beyond Aspiration

To get beyond aspiring, make a commitment to a business idea that you can move forward into a business.

Take the time to research your idea, find your niche and community.

Determine where you can add value, and the product or service needs of the community.

And put your research in to action.

Forever aspiring means never doing. 

You want to see the results of your dream not just having the dream.

An aspiring entrepreneur is the person who focuses on the hope and dream of entrepreneurship.  You can start aspiring, but must transition to actual action to be considered an entrepreneur.

Summary: To Transition to Action:

1. Research your idea – determine who wants or needs the product or service you would like to offer
2. Talk to people who have done it before
3. Identify the value you can add – your niche
4. Put your research into action

Take your vision past aspiration, and on to implementation.

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