Understanding Entrepreneurship
Senior 1 · Entrepreneurship
Understanding Entrepreneurship
Lesson 2 of 4
25 min
Uwera weaves baskets in a village in Nyanza District. For years she and her neighbours each sold a few baskets to traders who passed by, at whatever price the trader offered.
In 2023 Uwera persuaded 24 other weavers to sell together as a cooperative. She travelled to craft shops in Kigali and came home with an order for 400 baskets. The first batch was rejected: the colours did not match the sample. Several members wanted to give up.
Uwera went back to the shop and asked exactly what was wrong. She bought colour cards and set a rule: before packing, every basket is held next to the sample. The second batch was accepted, and the shop has ordered every season since. (An illustrative case.)
Think about it: List three things Uwera did that most people in her place would not have done.
Studies of successful business owners keep finding the same patterns of behaviour. The table lists ten of them and shows where each appears in Uwera's story.
Definition
Characteristic (of an entrepreneur): a typical way of behaving that is seen again and again in successful entrepreneurs.
Example: persistence, the habit of carrying on after a setback.
| Characteristic | What it means | Where Uwera shows it |
|---|---|---|
| Initiative | Acting without waiting to be told | She organised the weavers herself |
| Persistence | Continuing after failure or rejection | She did not give up after the batch was rejected |
| Calculated risk-taking | Taking risks only after weighing the possible loss | See the worked example below |
| Creativity | Finding new ways to solve a problem | Colour cards and a check before packing |
| Self-confidence | Believing in your own ability | She approached large Kigali shops |
| Integrity | Honesty; keeping promises | She delivered exactly what was ordered |
| Hard work and commitment | Putting in steady effort | Travel, meetings and weaving |
| Communication and leadership | Persuading, listening and guiding others | She convinced 24 weavers to join |
| Planning and goal-setting | Deciding what to achieve, by when, and how | 400 baskets, by the shop's date |
| Willingness to learn | Seeking feedback and improving | She asked the shop what went wrong |
Definition
Initiative: the ability to see what needs doing and to start it yourself, without being told.
Example: a student who notices the class has no timetable on the wall and makes one.
Definition
Persistence (or perseverance): continuing to work towards a goal in spite of difficulty, failure or rejection.
Example: Uwera fixing the colour problem instead of abandoning the order.
Definition
Calculated risk: a risk taken after estimating what could be lost, and after choosing the option whose possible loss you can afford.
Example: testing a product with a small batch before buying stock for a large one.
Definition
Integrity: being honest and doing what you promised, even when no one is checking.
Example: a trader who returns extra change a customer gave by mistake.
Worked example
Weighing a risk (illustrative figures)
The cooperative has Frw 400,000 in savings. Before the shop has confirmed any order, Uwera can:
Step 1: the worst case. If the shop rejects the baskets, A loses up to Frw 400,000; B loses up to Frw 100,000.
Step 2: the share of savings at risk in B.
Step 3: decide. Option A puts 100% of the savings at risk; option B puts 25% at risk and still lets the cooperative win the order. B is the calculated risk.
Warning
Calculated risk is not gambling. A gambler bets money he cannot afford to lose on something he cannot control. An entrepreneur limits the possible loss, tests first, and gathers information before committing everything.
Harvard Business School Online, "10 Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs" (Business: Explained, about 4 minutes). As you watch, tick off which characteristics match the table above, and decide which one matters most for a small business in your area.
Characteristics describe behaviour. Behind the behaviour are your personal qualities: the traits of character that you bring to anything you do. They are not fixed at birth. Confidence grows each time you speak up; persistence grows each time you finish something hard.
Definition
Personal quality: a trait of your character, such as honesty, patience or confidence, that shapes how you behave. Qualities can be developed through practice.
Example: patience helps a trader keep a difficult customer instead of losing her.
Definition
Self-confidence: trust in your own ability to do something well.
Example: offering your product to a large shop even though you might be refused.
| Qualities that help a business | Qualities that harm a business |
|---|---|
| Honesty: customers return | Dishonesty: one cheated customer tells many others |
| Patience: waiting for profit to build up | Impatience: spending the profit before the business is stable |
| Discipline with money | Using business money for personal wants |
| Openness to advice | Refusing to listen to customers |
| Courage | Fear of failure that stops you starting |
Gatete, a Senior 1 student, scored himself from 1 (rarely true of me) to 5 (always true of me) on the ten characteristics. His chart is below.
Worked example
Turning Gatete's chart into a score
Step 1: add the ten scores.
Step 2: the highest possible score is .
Step 3: the percentage.
Step 4: plan. His two lowest scores are self-confidence and communication (2 each). A plan for one month: answer at least one question aloud in every lesson, and present the class news at assembly once.
Tip
Treat qualities like muscles: they grow when you use them. Pick your lowest score and practise it on purpose for one month, then score yourself again and compare.
Extension: interview someone in your area who runs a business. Ask: What was your hardest moment? What quality got you through it?
Practice
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: the Nyanza weavers case, the tables, the chart, the worked examples, the activity and the practice items. Figures are illustrative (2026).
