I went back to school recently as mentioned earlier. A couple of weeks ago, while reporting for our second semester, my classmates and I had to make a decision. We had to make a decision as to what elective we were taking – Entrepreneurship or Investment & Portfolio management.

For days, this had been a subject of discussion among us, with some basing their preference on how ‘theoretical’ or ‘mathematical’ the two subjects are (or presumed to be), and what would have more impact in our careers , and/or businesses. Someone suggested, tongue in cheek, that the younger members of the class would rather go with investment and portfolio management , while the not-so-young ones were better off with Entrepreneurship , “as they would soon be retiring to it.”

To help us make a decision, we had an orientation with the instructors of both subjects.

First came the entrepreneurship instructor. He started by defining what an entrepreneur is – rather , differentiating an entrepreneur from a businessman.

“We all know who an entrepreneur is. An entrepreneur is a risk-taker. He/she manages their time and resources, in order makes profits. What many do not know is that there is a difference between an entrepreneur and a businessman/woman.“

He went on to explain that a businessman takes risks and makes profits alright , but there is something an entrepreneur does that a businessman does not do. An entrepreneur brings something new – a value add – in addition to the services, or products that a regular businessman offers. He took us through half an hour of what the course would entail , convincing us that the entrepreneurship class would equip us with knowledge on how to stand out ; on how to do it differently ; on how to think outside the box and most importantly, on how to make money! It all sounded good. What’s more? The semester’s term paper for those who would go with this option, would be to write a business plan – a unique and viable idea that you would actually follow through to fruition. Now, that would be like a whole project on its own!

By the end of the entrepreneurship orientation class, the only thing we were all in agreement about, was that it is pronounced ENTREpreneurship and not ENTERprenuership. 🙂

Enter the investment & Portfolio management instructor.

“Entreprenuership, is a form of investment!”, he began, throwing some into more confusion and lighting a bulb in the minds of others.

At the end of the day , we had all made a decision.

I chose investment. Reason? I do not believe any amount of training can make one a successful entrepreneur. I believe entrepreneurs are born , not made.

What do you think?