Benjamin Franklin: America’s First True Entrepreneur

While a good number of America’s founding fathers were in a sense, entrepreneurs, one particularly stood out: Benjamin Franklin. His numerous inventions which included bifocals, odometers, lighting rods, swimming fins, watertight bulkheads and wooden stoves, were proofs of his fertile mind, while his ability to market his goods was an enduring testimony that he wasn’t only a brilliant inventor but a business-savvy gentleman as well.

Born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts, Franklin was the youngest son of working-class parents. He only attended school for two years, but he earned enough wealth to retire from a flourishing business the moment he reached 42 years of age.

How did he do it, you ask?

Well, it wasn’t by patenting his inventions for sure, as he believed that everyone should benefit from  breakthrough scientific discoveries which in some way, made him an 18^th century open-source promoter. Rather, it was through his keen entrepreneurial eye which saw even the tiniest of business opportunities and those cunning hands that grab it almost instantaneously. He also had a knack for choosing the right business partners, the likes of which included frugal, industrious and dependable individuals who have influenced him greatly and made a significant impact on how he handled his business transactions.

Aside from that, Franklin was also an incredibly ambitious and hardworking man. During his early days as a printer, he literally burnt midnight candles just to get a job done and extended until the wee hours of the morning to ensure that it was perfect. People quickly noticed his efforts and incredible work ethics. Soon enough, his impressive reputation brought in more customers to his doorsteps and forced his rivals to shut down their businesses.

Franklin also placed much value on good reputation and knew the importance of solid networking. He took calculated risks and came up with solutions that turned potential problems into dust. The inventor also looked at the whole picture and guaranteed quality in all of his products. He was innovative in ways no one could have ever imagined and thought only “outside of the box”.

Without a doubt, Benjamin Franklin is an outstanding businessman and unlike the inordinately intellectual Jefferson or the ultra-moral Washington, he is truly a role model of what many Americans would become – an ambitious entrepreneur with a brilliant mind and an extraordinary set of work ethics that are enough to revolutionize an entire industry.