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Well some have turned that into owning their own business. I know of two YouTube personalities that read comics and play video games for a living and talk or even play them in order to make their living. But that's not a real business right?
Besides these businesses which are mostly low cost and basically tax write-offs (one personality stated they started their comic channel AFTER his accountant said you can get comics written-off if you review them on YouTube and he is ex-military.) They see some earnings depending on how big their channel is and some go and get Patrions or paid Twitch channels to live stream along with online stores or Amazon links.
Last edited by yellowbelle; 07-23-2016 at 01:43 PM..
Reason: quoted post has been deleted
Well some have turned that into owning their own business. I know of two YouTube personalities that read comics and play video games for a living and talk or even play them in order to make their living. But that's not a real business right? ...
We're talking about entrepreneurs on this thread. The people you are speaking of are not that, they are self-employed. After a significant corporate career where I was an employee, I was a freelance writer for many years. I advertised my services, worked when I could find jobs, and paid the bills that way. Sometimes when I had big jobs I hired subcontractors. I often hooked up with freelance graphic designers to create brochures or directors to film my scripts for corporate videos. That did not make me an entrepreneur, it made me a self-employed person who sometimes created paying gigs for other self-employed people. Even the risk didn't make me an entrepreneur. If I failed, I just had to go out an look for another salaried job. I wouldn't owe money to investors who provided the start-up money for my failed business.
Your friends did not invent comics, or video games; they did not invent YouTube. They have taken no substantive risks other than not being able to pay their bills if they fail ... and that's true of many people working the counter at Dunkin Donuts. Their efforts do not create a substantial work for other people. Entrepreneurs are leaders. Who are YouTube stars leading, unless maybe it's convincing their viewers to do something they wouldn't otherwise do? To date, your acquaintances sound like entertainers, which is indeed a service, but no more of one than the product I produced.
Entrepreneurs require capital to do their work. Appearing on YouTube, no matter how talented one may be, doesn't requires all that much capital. It doesn't require a factory, a warehouse, or significant office space. Giving your business a name, deducting your office space from your taxes, or getting big enough that you might have to hire a couple of underlings does not make one an entrepreneur or I would be one.
Not to say these people you know might not BE entrepreneurs someday. But the first sign of it will be when they attract investors. The second sign will be when they produce a tangible product or service that addresses a need the public has. The third sign would be people clamoring for the entrepreneur to expand into related fields. The irrefutable proof would be an IPO.
We're talking about entrepreneurs on this thread. The people you are speaking of are not that, they are self-employed. After a significant corporate career where I was an employee, I was a freelance writer for many years. I advertised my services, worked when I could find jobs, and paid the bills that way. Sometimes when I had big jobs I hired subcontractors. I often hooked up with freelance graphic designers to create brochures or directors to film my scripts for corporate videos. That did not make me an entrepreneur, it made me a self-employed person who sometimes created paying gigs for other self-employed people. Even the risk didn't make me an entrepreneur. If I failed, I just had to go out an look for another salaried job. I wouldn't owe money to investors who provided the start-up money for my failed business.
Your friends did not invent comics, or video games; they did not invent YouTube. They have taken no substantive risks other than not being able to pay their bills if they fail ... and that's true of many people working the counter at Dunkin Donuts. Their efforts do not create a substantial work for other people. Entrepreneurs are leaders. Who are YouTube stars leading, unless maybe it's convincing their viewers to do something they wouldn't otherwise do? To date, your acquaintances sound like entertainers, which is indeed a service, but no more of one than the product I produced.
Entrepreneurs require capital to do their work. Appearing on YouTube, no matter how talented one may be, doesn't requires all that much capital. It doesn't require a factory, a warehouse, or significant office space. Giving your business a name, deducting your office space from your taxes, or getting big enough that you might have to hire a couple of underlings does not make one an entrepreneur or I would be one.
Not to say these people you know might not BE entrepreneurs someday. But the first sign of it will be when they attract investors. The second sign will be when they produce a tangible product or service that addresses a need the public has. The third sign would be people clamoring for the entrepreneur to expand into related fields. The irrefutable proof would be an IPO.
First off, I was being tongue-in-cheek based on previous posts. You can tell by the part of my post you cut out.
Second off, they aren't my friends, I subscribe to them and never met them. Not sure where you got that idea from.
Third off, so an entrepreneur has to be a job creator? Your article you linked don't mention that. It mentions these nuggets instead...
Quote:
So instead of getting a job and building a career, large numbers of people are finding ever-more creative ways of hiding the fact that they’re unemployed, all the while telling themselves it’s OK since they’re entrepreneurs building their brand, platform, presence, following, or some other such nonsense.
This seems like a slam on those trying to do something in between jobs if they can't exactly get unemployment or find work and not just millenials. I mean look at those on here that claim you should sell water outside sporting events.
Quote:
Look, you probably don’t want to hear this but if I don’t tell you, who will? Entrepreneur is not a job. Leader is not a job. Social media guru is not a job. If there’s no real expertise, no real product, no real business, no real risk, and no real prospect for return on investment, you’re not working. And you’re not an entrepreneur, either.
I'd argue that social media guru can actually be a job. You realize how free that promotion is? You put out thoughtful blogs or topical trending tweets or amazing YouTube videos and guess what, you can get further reach to your content or product. This is a job in it of itself and a reason some companies have started looking for people to head social media divisions or have outsourcing firms run it for them. In this day of top trending and SEO, this promotion is key in not being noise.
Quote:
If you want to be an entrepreneur someday, here’s an equation you should print out and attach to your mirror, computer screen, smartphone, or wherever your eyeballs spend most of their time:
Entrepreneur + Capital = Products + Customers = Business.
I agree with this but these youtubers do put out a product and even a customers in a way. These videos do take capital. The only questionable thing is do they take enough risk to be an entrepreneur? So perhaps they could be considered as such.
Regarding YouTube , one thing I've noticed is that while there are some that make a lot of money just from YouTube videos , many are using the videos to promote other products and services that they have created . At the end of the day most probably don't care if they have the entrepreneur title if they are making good money .
For the most part yes but certain brick and mortar stores will never be replaced for example clothing type stores. People like to try on clothes before they buy to see how they fit. People don't want to be hassled with boxing things up and shipping things back that don't fit.
That's how I felt about the fine jewelry business. Who in their right mind would spend thousands of dollars on a piece of diamond jewelry without seeing it in person? As it turns out, nearly everyone would. And once it comes in the mail, most people are predisposed to keep it, even if they aren't completely satisfied, because they don't want the hassle of returning it. For a lot of people, 'easy returns' gets them to pull the trigger on the purchase, but they still don't want the work of returning the not quite right product.
I hear what you are saying , but I would expect the employment thread to be mostly people looking to work for someone else versus the business forum for example . Plus there are quite a few business / entrepreneur specific forums too on other sites .
A lot of it is cultural too I think . There were some stats I had read that immigrants are significantly more likely to be entrepreneurs . You also historically have certain groups that were discriminated against that were pretty much forced into entrepreneurship in a way to survive .
It is not a coincidence that these 'certain groups' historically have demonstrated overwhelming support for the members of their community in such endeavors, often more so than they support their own family members.
Entrepreneur to me means a person that undertakes the risk of losing money starting a business.
Never linked it with employees, etc.
A Entrepreneur I know came here with nothing from Vietnam... he started a landscape business with his wife with an old truck and junk equipment... 25 years later he owns two restaurants and has lawyer and a engineer children.
The local Chamber awarded him Entrepreneur of the year a few years back...
It is not a coincidence that these 'certain groups' historically have demonstrated overwhelming support for the members of their community in such endeavors, often more so than they support their own family members.
There is an interesting documentary about the Chinese restaraunt business .
Called the search for general tso. They showed how in Chinatown in SF there are these organizations that help set up newcomers with restaraunts. One of these groups was very old like 100 years old or more .No doubt that built in support group helps these owners to succeed .
Another interesting thing is they would study different parts of the country and send these newcomers to other parts of the country where it was cheaper to operate and some were the only Chinese place in town .
In America we are more focused on the individual versus the group .
Another example would be Cambodians that are in the donut business .
Entrepreneur to me means a person that undertakes the risk of losing money starting a business.
Never linked it with employees, etc.
A Entrepreneur I know came here with nothing from Vietnam... he started a landscape business with his wife with an old truck and junk equipment... 25 years later he owns two restaurants and has lawyer and a engineer children.
The local Chamber awarded him Entrepreneur of the year a few years back...
That's great, I love to hear stories like that.
My grandfather came from another country with hardly anything also and got involved in various businesses. He never kept businesses or properties though and had more of a gamblers mentality .
I also had heard from others that he had some amazing opportunities back in the day but passed up on them .
I've heard people say there is a difference between an entrpreneur and a business owner.
Then you hear the term serial entrpreneur a lot too .
Some people seem to enjoy starting the business and then selling it or have someone else run it and go on to another venture .
My grandfather also emigrated here... he got a chauffeur license and worked his way into running the parts department for a Chevrolet Dealer... in WWII the parts department closed and there were no new civilian cars so he went into the auto business on his own...
In the 1950's fledgling VW offered him the North American Distributorship and he passed on it saying the last thing Americans want is small German economy car... we all know that VW did phenomenally well for a long time... so that would be the business opportunity of a lifetime that got away.
For years the VW headquarters was right here in the SF Bay Area.
It is all about risk...
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