What Motivates an Entrepreneur?

The desire for control is a major factor that drives many entrepreneurs who aspire to achieve a leadership position. When you are the head of your own organization, you have the power to make all the decisions, from who is hired and on what salary to what new strategic directions your business is heading. People who have been frustrated with their previous companies or those who have worked with an incompetent CEO could be especially motivated by this factor. Once they have established their own business, entrepreneurs have full control over all decisions made within it.

However, there is also the additional stress and pressure that comes with that responsibility. You will have the privilege of setting the course of your business, but if that path fails, you will only have yourself to blame. Some entrepreneurs are not as interested in money or experience as they are in leaving a lasting legacy. They may want to become the face of a brand and gain recognition along the way.

They may want to create something meaningful that will outlive them and even pass on the business to future generations. This motivation is one of the strongest for entrepreneurs, as it cannot be achieved in any other way and it lasts much longer than money or experience. Motivation is also essential for those with whom entrepreneurs work and interact. Entrepreneurs need to understand, leverage and maintain their own motivation to start a business, but they must also be able to motivate others to accept their idea. Whether it's motivating investment groups to provide seed funding or motivating prospective employees for the first few days, motivation is key to keeping everyone informed about the new business mission and working towards it.

Motivation is considered “the internal state that energizes activities and directs or channels behavior towards the goal. The desire for greater creative control over the product and business process is a driving motivation that kicks off the careers of many self-made entrepreneurs and can help create focus and inspiration throughout the business process. These are some of the things that not only motivate entrepreneurs to do business for themselves, but that motivate them to continue even during the difficult parts of the process. The main message here is not to hide your true motivation from yourself, your team, or your investors. Starting a business can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to stay motivated when you encounter an obstacle. Business motivations include flexibility, control and legacy, said Jacent Wamala, a licensed therapist and owner of Wamala Wellness.

Not only will this give you a support system, but being close to other motivated people who encourage you and hold you accountable makes it harder to give up. For example, if someone buys a car, their behavior may be for different reasons, such as being attractive, being respectable, gaining acceptance from a similar group of people, differentiating status, etc. A strong mission statement that you and your employees understand and believe in can help you set goals for the company, avoid mistakes and stay motivated when faced with difficult times. One way to achieve goals and stay motivated is to understand your work habits and create a realistic process that matches them. After reading about all these elements of motivation, rank these four general categories from most (to least) important to you.