Entrepreneurship is the ability to profit by solving problems for others… or in effect, curing their pain!

You may not equate solving problems with curing pain, but I assure you they are one and the same. Now the guy I overheard in the airport was possibly referring to businesses that profit from their customers who may be dealing with a catastrophe. However, even those types of businesses must be profitable in order to continue serving other customers… to continue easing their pain. And where would we be without those businesses when we needed them?

Look at a company like SERVPRO® – the fire and water damage restoration service. If it wouldn't be for catastrophes like fires and floods, this company would not be in business. None of us wants to think about that sort of catastrophe hitting our homes or businesses, but the reality is that fires and floods do happen. If a company like SERVPRO® didn't turn a profit, they’d close up shop and wouldn't be there to serve the next customer who needed them. And if a company like that were not in business, who would you turn to after a catastrophe when you were suffering the pain of property loss and needed a cleaning and restoration service?

There are also pro-active examples: alarm companies. If there were no break-ins or burglaries, there would be no need for alarm companies. If you've ever been the victim of this type of crime, you know how very unsettling the experience is even if nothing of value were stolen or vandalized. These security companies provide a certain level of peace of mind and may help prevent a break-in in the first place. Peace of mind eases pain.

If rocks or the occasional thug didn't smash car windows, there'd be no need for window repair companies. If bugs and other vermin didn't invade your home, there'd be no need for exterminators or pest control. There is no shortage of examples like this, and aren't you glad these companies are there when you need them? Are they profiting from your pain? In a sense, yes; however, they aren't causing you pain… they're easing it. They’re solving a problem you may have, be it a cracked or smashed windshield or termites.

No doubt you have skill that can solve someone else's problem, and that's the very heart of the business you're about to launch or may have already launched. You have an opportunity to solve a problem or ease a pain and in the process, create wealth for yourself by being profitable.

If you’re skilled at getting clients and some business owner desperately needs clients, you can solve his problem and ease his pain. Depending on his situation, it may even border on being catastrophic: He could lose his business without an influx of new clients, and his business supports twenty employees who would then be out of work. Is this a catastrophe on par with someone losing their house to fire or valuables to burglary? Just ask any of the twenty employees who may be facing a lay off.