Types of Entrepreneurs

Today various types of Entrepreneurs are found engaged in different types of activities, not only in industrial activities but also in agriculture and commercial activities. Entrepreneurs are classified in a number of ways as discussed below.

Danhof classifies Entrepreneur into four types.

1. Innovative entrepreneur

This category of Entrepreneur is characterized by smell of innovativeness. This type of Entrepreneur, sense the opportunities for introduction of new ideas, new technology, discovering of new markets and creating new organizations. Such Entrepreneur can work only when certain level of development is already achieved and people look forward to change and improve. Such Entrepreneur are very much helpful for their country because they bring about a transformation in life style.

2. Adoptive or imitative entrepreneur

Such entrepreneurs imitate the existing entrepreneur and set their enterprise in the same manner. Instead of innovation, may just adopt the technology and methods innovated by others. Such types of entrepreneur are particularly suitable for under-developed countries for imitating the new combination of production already available

in developed countries.

3. Fabian entrepreneurs

Fabian entrepreneurs are characterized by great caution and skepticism, in experimenting any change in their enterprises. They imitate only when it becomes perfectly clear that failure to do so would result in a loss of the relative position in the enterprises.

4. Drone entrepreneurs

Such entrepreneurs are conservative or orthodox in outlook. They always feel comfortable with their old fashioned technology of production even though technologies have changed. They never like to get rid of their traditional business, traditional machineries and traditional system of business even at the cost of reduced returns.

Arthur H Cole Classification

Arthur H Cole classifies entrepreneurs as empirical, rational and cognitive entrepreneur.

Empirical

He is entrepreneur hardly introduces anything revolutionary and follows the principle of rule of thumb.

Rational

The rational entrepreneur is well informed about the general economic conditions and introduces changes, which look more revolutionary.

Cognitive

Cognitive entrepreneur is well informed, draws upon the advice and services of experts and introduces changes that reflect complete break from the existing scheme of enterprise.

Classification Based on the Scale of Enterprise

Small scale

These entrepreneurs do not posses the necessary talents and resources to initiate large-scale production and to introduce revolutionary technological changes.

Large scale

They possess the necessary financial and other resources to initiate and introduce new technological changes. They possess talent and research and development facilities.

Other Classification

Following are some more types of entrepreneurs listed by behavior scientists.

Solo operators

These are the entrepreneurs who essentially work alone, introduce their own capital and if essential employ very few employees. In the beginning most of the entrepreneurs start their enterprises like them.

Active partners

Such entrepreneurs jointly put their efforts and resources. They actively participate in managing the daily routine of the business concern. Entrepreneurs who only contribute their funds but not actively participate in the business are called simply ‘Partners’.

Inventors

Such entrepreneurs are creative in character and feel happy in inventing new products, technologies and methods of production. Their basic interest lies in research and innovative activities.

Challenge

According to such entrepreneurs, if there is no challenge in life, there is no charm in life. Such entrepreneurs plunge into industry/business because of the challenge it presents. When one challenge seems to be met, they begin to look for new challenges. They convert odds and adversities into opportunities and make profit.

Buyers

These are the entrepreneurs who do not like to face the hassles of building infrastructure and other facilities. They simply purchase the existing one and by using their experience and expertise try to run the enterprise successfully.

Life timers

Such entrepreneurs take business as an integral point of their life. Family enterprises, which mainly depend on exercise of personal skill, fall in this category.

Industrial entrepreneurs

Such entrepreneurs engage in manufacturing and selling products.

Service entrepreneurs

Such entrepreneurs engage in service activities like repair, consultancy, beauty parlor etc where entrepreneurs provide service to people.

Business entrepreneurs

They are also called as trading entrepreneurs which buy and sell goods.

Agricultural entrepreneurs

They engage themselves in agricultural activities like horticulture, floriculture, animal husbandry, poultry etc.

Corporate entrepreneurs

Corporate entrepreneurs undertake their business activities under legally registered company or trust.

Rural entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur’s selecting rural-based industrial opportunity in either khadi or village industries sector or in farm entrepreneurship are regarded as rural entrepreneurs. According to khadi and village industry commission (KVIC) Village or rural industry means any industry located in rural area, population of which do not exceed 10,000 which produces any goods or services in which fixed investment of an artisan or a worker does not exceed one thousand rupees.

Women entrepreneurs

According to government of India an entrepreneurs is defined as an enterprise owned and controlled by 16 a woman and having minimum financial interests of 51% of the capital and giving at least 51% of the employment generated in the enterprise to women. Women entrepreneurs play an important role in economy especially in rural areas.