Starting Out? Scaling Up?

Feb 20, 2026

When you’ve got an entrepreneurial mindset, the only thing that might be better than launch day, is finding that you’ve got enough business going to start plotting the scale up. While entrepreneurs are driven to a diversity of business endeavors, they tend to share a set of characteristics at the roots of their zest for doing their own thing. Read on for insights on the qualities that drive entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams.

What Makes Entrepreneurs Tick?

While some of us crave the relative stability and structure of being employed by an established business, others are driven by the possibilities of creating our own operations. As Emeritus observes, those of us who lean toward entrepreneurship tend to share some common traits that are primers for the pursuit of running an independent business:

Entrepreneurship is an exciting and challenging endeavor that requires innovation, creativity, and the willingness to take risks. Entrepreneurs play a critical role in the economy as their ventures create jobs and drive innovation….Entrepreneurship is a challenging and risky venture. But, if you have a passion for innovation and a desire to make a difference, pursuing a career in it can be highly rewarding too. In essence, there may be different types of entrepreneurs but they share these common characteristics:

Risk tolerance
Creativity
Passion
Knowledge
Curiosity
Motivation
Adaptability
Decisiveness
Persistence
Innovation
Focus

Though characteristics like a tolerance for risk and a passion for innovation tend to be shared by entrepreneurs of all kinds, there are different ways to put these qualities into action. In fact, according to the University of Michigan, there are four types of entrepreneurship:

Small Business:Your neighborhood coffee shop, boutique, or tech repair spot.
Scalable Startups:Think big! These are high-growth ventures aiming to be the next unicorn.
Intrapreneurship:Innovating within a big company to create new products and shake things up from the inside.
Social Entrepreneurship:Using business as a force for good, tackling global challenges like sustainability and social justice.

If you have a zest for pursuing entrepreneurial passions, it’s wise to tap into the roots of it, and consider what will sustain your zest through the highs and lows that are inherent to all endeavors. Consider for example, the day to day differences between running a warm and inviting neighborhood wine bar, and getting an in-demand app on the market at exactly the right moment in time. When pondering your entrepreneurial style, it’s wise to explore whether your interests and skills lend themselves more to building your own path with a small business, or to attracting the investors and team needed to scale a new venture:

Small Business: Dream of owning a coffee shop, boutique, or tech repair service? Small business entrepreneurship is all about creating something sustainable, serving your community, and being your own boss.Unlike high-growth startups, small businesses focus on steady income, strong customer relationships, and local impact. Success takes passion, resilience, and business know-how, from managing finances to marketing your brand.

Scalable Venture: It all starts in places like an attic, a garage…just an idea being tossed around….But here’s the magic: those small ideas can snowball, grabbing the attention of investors who help them grow and scale up into something huge!….Scalable startups are all about rapid growth, disrupting industries, and going global. These ventures aim to solve big problems with innovative solutions and attract investors to fuel their expansion.Success in this space requires a bold vision, venture capital, a strong team, and the ability to adapt and scale quickly.

Good To Know: Risk Management Simplified

If you’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit, running a business of your own is a dream come true. But even in a perfect world, things can go wrong. That’s why risks are inherent to every business, no matter how talented and dedicated its owners are. But the good news is: Colonial Surety Company makes it possible for every professional, at every stage of business development, to affordably protect themselves and their growing enterprises. Just as big, established companies wrap themselves in layers of insurance coverage, so can you—-the difference is, we make protection right sized, efficient and cost effective. Insurance options for businesses at Colonial Surety Company include:

Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance to shield you from allegations that your professional services or advice caused a client financial harm. For consultants, accountants, real estate agents, notaries, and countless others, professional liability insurance is a non-negotiable layer of protection.

General Liability Insurance covers everyday risks like third-party bodily injury or property damage that occurs on your business premises or as a result of your operations. Think of a client tripping on your property or an employee accidentally damaging a client’s equipment.

Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) conveniently combines liability and property insurance to protect against many of the risks commonly associated with running a business, such as property and equipment damage, customer injuries, and defense in the event of a related lawsuit. If a fire, theft or other covered disaster strikes, BOP provides coverage for computers, furniture and other property damages too.

Cyber Liability Insurance: Cybersecurity threats impact all businesses, making it critical to mitigate the damage and ensure obligatory investigation and notification procedures are implemented. That’s why Colonial Surety Company includes $50k of cyberliability insurance at no extra cost with most first-time purchases of liability insurance policies. Higher limits are available depending on your business needs. Colonial Surety’s cyber liability insurance arms you with response protocols and notification services that comply with regulations, as well as protection against lawsuits and regulatory actions.

At Colonial Surety Company, we make it easy and speedy for business owners to obtain insurance coverages as well as the surety and fidelity bonds required in many fields. Just choose your coverage, get an instant quote, then complete your information, purchase, and download your digital policy in minutes.

Protect your business dreams with coverage from Colonial Surety Company:

Insurance for Small Businesses

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