The working world looks significantly different these days than it has in the past few years. With more and more employees itching to start their own businesses, the terms used to describe these types of entrepreneurs are changing as well.
Now, there are a number of different names for different types of entrepreneurs. Consider the following 27 types of entrepreneurs:
The opposite of the entrepreneur, the antipreneur is against large corporations. An antipreneur works to build their own business but wants to completely avoid the traditional route of capitalistic expectations that most companies aspire to.
These individuals support small businesses and want to ensure their efforts are sustainable as their business grows. Instead of trying to scale their company up to market-dominating proportions, antipreneur will work to keep their businesses local, championing healthier work/life balances, encouraging partnerships with their communities, and favoring non-traditional marketing practices.
Antipreneurs are anti-big business so that they can avoid the pitfalls of capitalism. Committed to bettering their community and the world around them through their efforts as small business owners, antipreneurs aren’t motivated by money—they’re dedicated to serving the greater good.
An entrepreneur is defined as an individual that starts their own business to make money on their own terms. Another definition reveals that an entrepreneur is a sole proprietor that has the majority shares in a particular incorporated venture. In today’s world, entrepreneurs are an individual that starts their own business, whether it’s a tech startup or a makeup company.
Entrepreneurs risk a fair amount of loss when starting a business as there are no guarantees in the world of entrepreneurship. In order for every business to be successful, business owners have to find a dedicated customer base to buy into their products or services.
Entrepreneurs have the idea for their business and are able to work past the risk, finance their company, and build a successful business over time. Entrepreneurs know that the path of the founder isn’t easy. Regardless of how long it takes or how many times they fail, entrepreneurs are able to learn from mistakes and keep building their brand.
Comfortpreneurs epitomize the single-mindedness of entrepreneurs in that they refuse to adapt, improve, or change upon their business structure and strategies. These comfortpreneurs don’t always believe newer is better—they are comfortable using outdated technologies and methods of days gone by when running their businesses.
Comfortpreneurs tend to run their businesses in the same way older generations have. In most cases, this reluctance to adapt to newer methods of running a business comes from their desire to keep doing the same thing. Instead of leaving their comfort zones to learn more effective technologies and business practices, they prefer to do what has always been done.
Solopreneurs are business people that operate completely on their own. While most businesses begin with one person’s idea that goes on to be run by a team of people, solopreneurs prefer to work alone. These individuals avoid having business partners or advisors.
In the event that solopreneurs need help, they usually hire professionals to get the job done. These solopreneurs believe in being independent and avoid relying on others at all costs.
Instead of relying on a team to help their business grow, solopreneurs only depend on themselves, avoiding the unfortunate situation of having others let them down.
Mompreneur is the term given to parents, typically mothers, that run their own businesses full time and raise their children as well. Mompreneurs start businesses early on during their pregnancy or during the first few months or years of motherhood.
While many people raise children while running businesses, this can be a particularly difficult feat when children are very young. These mompreneurs face the unique challenge of juggling the responsibilities of entrepreneurship while caring for and raising their young children.
Many mompreneurs find it helpful to collaborate or partner with other like-minded parents. Whether they join forces as business owners or simply share the responsibilities of childcare, these mompreneurs are able to run their businesses more successfully with each other’s help.
Vetrepreneur are veterans that start their own businesses. Like any other entrepreneur, vetrepreneurs start their companies as a way to go into business for themselves. In the military, veterans gain invaluable leadership skills and often go on to start their own companies once they are discharged from the military.
While some vetrepreneurs do earn business degrees and start their own companies after graduation, others launch their own businesses to have another source of income after leaving the military. Whichever road vetrepreneurs take to entrepreneurship, there are several resources available to help them face the challenges of starting their own companies.
Veterans can consult with the Department of Veterans Affairs through its VA Innovation Initiative. Similarly, vetrepreneurs can participate in the VA or SBA Mentor-Protege Program to help them grow their companies.
Webpreneurs are individuals that earn their income solely through interactions online. While there are many internet-based businesses that entrepreneurs can start, webpreneurs tend to be individuals whose presence and actions take place entirely online. Typically, webpreneurs don’t need the same trappings of a typical small business: a brick-and-mortar location, in-person marketing efforts, and anything else that requires the entrepreneur to take their business offline.
As webpreneurs’ ventures relate entirely to the World Wide Web, these individuals typically are coders, web designers, developers, hackers, and the like. Webpreneurs are able to build a thriving business solely from an internet connection and access to a computer. This online-based business makes it easy for webpreneurs to work anywhere there’s wifi and find clients by simply sending an email, posting on social media, or searching through online job databases.
Startupreneurs are essentially startup founders. While tech startups are all the rage, startupreneurs are essentially anyone that has the idea for the next great company. Startups are exciting and fast-paced companies where every employee has ownership in the organization they’re helping to build.
Startupreneurs operate their businesses differently than any other company. They must take on the role of the founder while working to grow their company into one that takes their industry (and the world) by storm. As startups are all about changing the industry forever, most startupreneurs focus on creating an entirely new type of technology or product.
As their startup will introduce something completely new to the world, part of their responsibility is to build an audience and create a demand for the company they’re creating.
Wantrepreneurs have the spirit of and desire to be an entrepreneur, but haven’t quite found a way to follow through with their dreams yet. In most cases, these wantrepreneurs are missing the self-direction, motivation, capital, and daily routine that true entrepreneurs have.
In most cases, wantrepreneurs have the right ideas it takes to start a great business, but have not attained the status of “entrepreneur”. While most people might be classified as wantrepreneurs until they are able to take on the role of founding their own company, this term often refers to someone that believes themselves to be entrepreneurs when in reality, they aren’t.
Ecopreneurs are entrepreneurs that create eco-friendly services and products. These ecopreneurs are environmentally-minded and are dedicated to reimagining a world where consumers only support sustainable companies.
In their efforts to build and grow their business, ecopreneurs also practice sustainable methods as well. These individuals refuse to support consumerism and redefine industry standards to include more sustainable practices. Ecopreneurs support their workforce by paying a livable wage, bettering the environment with their business practices, and championing efforts that restore and heal their communities and the earth as a whole.
Ecopreneurs always keep the earth’s best interest in mind. In their business endeavors, ecopreneurs hope to restore degraded land, build safe homes, clean the air, and discover renewable energy sources.
The e-preneur is an entrepreneur that focuses their efforts on e-commerce. E-preneurs, like webpreneurs, operate their businesses solely on the Internet. E-preneurs can operate any business ranging from an extensive online store to running online shopping platforms (like eBay).
As e-preneurs do all of their business on the Internet they often operate from their home offices. As e-preneurs focus on moving physical products through internet transactions, many often have storage spaces where they keep their stock.
Since e-preneurs run their businesses entirely online, many tend to be solopreneurs as well. Many e-preneurs rely solely on themselves to run their online stores, as most of the shop-related responsibilities can be handled entirely through the internet.
Expatpreneur refers to an expatriate that is an entrepreneur. These entrepreneurs choose to start their businesses abroad. In most cases, expatpreneurs choose to begin their companies abroad or already live abroad when they decide to start their new business.
Most expatpreneurs begin their businesses abroad to take advantage of moving to a city that supports the start-up mentality. Similarly, these expatpreneurs find that moving to a new country places them in the unique position to assess new opportunities and identify market needs as newcomers to the country. All expatpreneurs must learn how to make their business local and work with other like-minded individuals in the area to make their businesses successful.
Many expatpreneurs find that in becoming a citizen and businessperson of the world, they are able to find business opportunities in any culture and community—further strengthening their business practices.
Fauxpreneurs, like wantrepreneurs, aspire to be entrepreneurs but aren’t. Fauxpreneurs often don’t realize that they aren’t authentic entrepreneurs as they are under the impression that they have an excellent business idea or product.
These fauxpreneurs often have different concepts and product ideas, but often fail to have a solid plan to develop a company. Individuals like this tend to recycle data points, focus on building apps, aim to get rich quick, and expect to live on a personal salary without going through the day-to-day financial struggles that so many other entrepreneurs face.
Essentially, fauxpreneurs have bought into their own hype and miss the most important parts of entrepreneurship: the risk and the reward.
Freepreneurs are defined by the way they use low-cost methods to start and run their business. These freepreneurs do all they can to source their resources and materials without having to invest their own money. These freepreneurs tend to find funding from other external sources, rarely spending their own money on themselves.
As freepreneurs focus on finding capital by any means possible, they are often able to avoid most of the personal financial risks associated with entrepreneurship. While these freepreneurs avoid spending their own money on their company as best they can, they often put in as much sweat equity as any other entrepreneur would.
Intrapreneurs are individuals that are tasked to develop an innovative idea within the company they work for. Intrapreneurs have the freedom to be conceptually creative without having to take on the risk that the entrepreneur does.
Intrapreneurs are able to rely on their employers for the capital and resources to make their concept a reality. Unlike the entrepreneur, the intrapreneur is responsible for creating new ideas for a company that is already established. Since intrapreneurs work for an employer, they will not be credited with the ideas they create—the company will.
Though there are clear disadvantages of being an intrapreneur, there are certain benefits as well. Intrapreneurs have access to experts, applications, and technologies that they may not be able to otherwise use. This will allow the intrapreneur to develop the experience and skills that they can later use when they become an entrepreneur.
A localpreneur is an entrepreneur that starts their business that is a staple in their local community. These localpreneurs build their company’s ethics and values around their community with the goal of buying “local”.
As localpreneurs often prioritize the values of their community and try to keep the same small business-mindset, they are typically associated with antipreneurs. Localpreneurs often give back to their communities whether it be by donation or hiring their employees from within the community itself. As localpreneurs attempt to grow their businesses, they also work to grow their communities as well.
These megapreneurs are essentially what the average entrepreneur looks like after their startups and small businesses have become successful.
Megapreneurs focus on doing less and making more. These megapreneurs focus on creating a product or service that helps them earn passive income. Like most entrepreneurs, the megapreneur must create something out of nothing that will then take off and become a prominent source of income.
Megapreneurs have earned their title due to the fact that they take entrepreneurship to another level. These individuals are connectors and influencers that have large followings of people that support their endeavors. Thanks to their growing and loyal following, these megapreneurs are able to earn consistently from the work they’ve put into their businesses earlier on.
Infopreneurs are entrepreneurs that collect information from various sources and combine it with their personal experiences to sell it to others as a unique product. The term infopreneur is often associated with someone that gleams their information from the internet, but the term was coined before the inception of the internet.
Simply put, infopreneurs add value to others by sharing their personal insights to clients in their niche audience. Infopreneurs today generally promote themselves through social media, their own personal websites, and other platforms where they can provide insights on their industry. These infopreneurs are just like entrepreneurs with the exception that they are their own brand; their product is their unique life experience.
Minipreneurs make money based on their skills, interests, and knowledge. Like the infopreneurs, minipreneurs use the entrepreneurial spirit to monetize their knowledge and experiences. While many minipreneurs do work for themselves full-time, others are able to work other jobs while earning money from their minipreneur business.
Many minipreneurs work as consultants, charging clients that need consultations regarding their very specific skill set. Minipreneurs often build their brands online but can have businesses that operate out of brick-and-mortar offices, as well as solely through the internet. As minipreneurs create their businesses around what they know, anyone from any industry can be a minipreneur. There will always be a market for people looking to learn a new skill and minipreneurs know how to take advantage of this.
Multipreneurs are entrepreneurs that are involved in multiple projects at the same time. These projects take the form of multiple business ventures. As it takes a considerable amount of effort and resources to start a successful business, multipreneurs are taking on a lot by trying to start more than one business at the same time.
These multipreneurs try to diversify their business ventures so that they aren’t “putting all their eggs into one basket”. By working on multiple projects, these multipreneurs are able to reap the rewards as each business becomes successful over time. Though this takes a significant amount of work, multipreneurs are able to take advantage of these entrepreneurial years by doing as much as they can now so they can reap the most benefits later.
The passivepreneur is an entrepreneur that focuses on creating a stream of passive income. The passivepreneur earns this term once their entrepreneurial efforts result in earning a passive income that they no longer have to put in a significant amount of effort to earn. These passivepreneurs continue to earn money from these businesses that they started during their earlier years as entrepreneurs.
These passivepreneurs can go on to keep living a virtually work-free life. Many entrepreneurs long to become passivepreneurs and work to set their companies up to earn money passively.
Skepticpreneurs describe business people that are cynical of making particularly risky business decisions. These skepticpreneurs are overly cautious, typically the only option for easier wins.
While the skepticpreneur may fail to make the major steps that other entrepreneurs might, these individuals also avoid making unnecessary risks and keep their businesses safe in this way. These skepticpreneurs pay attention to the industry and market, only making decisions that have the lowest risk possible. While the company will grow at a slower rate, they will be able to better remain in control of the potential outcomes of their company.
Socialpreneurs are entrepreneurs of social enterprises. These social enterprises focus on putting human well-being first and making a profit second. As socialpreneurs care about the wellbeing of their consumers, they tend to share the same mindset as antipreneurs.
These socialpreneurs dislike larger corporations and champion the ethics of small and micro businesses.
In addition to how they serve their community, socialpreneurs work to leave very little impact on their environment, which closely links them to ecopreneurs as well.
Studentpreneurs are entrepreneurs that start their businesses while they are still students. Many entrepreneurs have the idea for their companies while they are still in school and the studentpreneurs are the ones that go on to turn these ideas into viable businesses.
As these studentpreneurs are still in school, they typically pursue their entrepreneurial endeavors on a smaller scale than they might outside of school. However, many of these studentpreneurs are able to find success for their companies once they graduate, with some even dropping out of school to run their companies full time.
Twitterpreneurs make their money through their entrepreneurial efforts on Twitter. While most don’t consider Twitter to be a moneymaking platform, these Twitterpreneurs build entire businesses around their Twitter accounts.
These Twitterpreneurs are able to build their audience, increase their authority, and turn a profit through this social platform. Most Twitterpreneurs are able to convert their following into consumers by using the platform to drive traffic to their online stores.
Wingpreneurs are the wingmen of the entrepreneurial world. Wingpreneurs provide knowledge, support, funding, skills, and the like to entrepreneurs that are just starting a business. While some wingpreneurs may take on the task of investing in an entrepreneur’s company, entrepreneurs are more than just investors. Wingpreneurs contribute to the success of the business without taking on a significant amount of the workload.
Starting and running one’s own company certainly isn’t easy and no two entrepreneurs are quite the same. As you read through this guide to the various types of entrepreneurs, consider what type you are and what type of businesses you are building.