Is Entrepreneurship For You?
It appears that entrepreneurship is big business!! Our Universities are selling their Entrepreneurship programs like crazy, with the University of Sydney holding a symposium on the subject earlier this year. Governments all over the world are hard at work fostering entrepreneurship and the explosion of information regarding it is available through magazines, e-zines and prolific blogging. What could possibly have caused this interest? Well, entrepreneurs have led the United States out of every recession for the last 100 years and it appears that this will occur again. On the site Entrepreneurship.org, Barack Obama has been quoted as saying “The answer is not heavy-handed regulations that crush the entrepreneurial spirit and risk-taking of American capitalism– that’s what’s made our economy great– but it is to restore a sense of balance.”
Recently, speaking at a Telstra breakfast, Andrew Griffiths, Small Business and Entrepreneurialism Expert, provided a number of ways that you can bullet proof your business and he also said that after every recession/downturn there is an equal or greater upturn and the smart entrepreneur is watching for the wave and gets onto it early. In May this year, Andrew said that the upturn is coming and to get onto that wave now. Wow – are you ready for the wave?
Is entrepreneurship for you or will you just let that wave slide right by? There are a number of ways that you can be sure to be on that wave, starting with having passion and enthusiasm for something. You know there are great stories of success right now, even with the apparent world wide financial slump. For example, the combination of sport, fantasy, passion and enthusiasm has created a niche that appears to be recession proof. Same for personal development programs which have created a 19 billion worldwide market over the last year, in spite of the economy of the time. Want to know more about that opportunity?
In essence, what I am saying is that coming out of an economic downturn is prime time for those with a bit of entrepreneurship. You may want to explore entrepreneurship – it might be for you. You could join the legions of others who have found prosperity by being on the crest of the wave. And remember, many of the most successful businesses started out as home businesses – start from where you are at.
How to Become an Entrepreneur
On the topic of becoming and entrepreneur, I am inspired by a number of resources. First is the work of Napoleon Hill, the grandfather of personal development who produced the first handbook for entrepreneurs in 1928. Read almost any personal development works of recent times and you will see the direct link to Think and Grow Rich, the first work of Napoleon Hill. Hill outlines a number of traits that he regards as essential if you wish to succeed. You must have or get desire, faith, knowledge, imagination, organisation, be decisive and persistence. He links these with a number of developmental activities such as taking control of your thoughts, masterminding with other like minded people, tapping into the subconscious mind, learning to use your intuition and getting rid of fear. Anyone looking to become an entrepreneur would do well to access this book and read it over and over.
The second resource that is available is the Internet and a search of entrepreneur or entrepreneurs will yield a host of information and from my reading, much of it excellent. Entrepreneurship is becoming a key platform for educators of all kinds which is hardly surprising given the number of people who are no longer prepared to spend their entire life in a job; know by some as Just Over Broke. Questacon have a lovely page called What is an Entrepreneur to which you could go as a starting point. Entrepreneur has some fantastic resources and even has this page to help you with ideas – it is a great site, just persevere with the advertising. And on Becoming an Entrepreneur you will find lots of practical advice. Give this a try and it might help you to start your entrepreneurial journey.
My favourite ever resource however, is Polaris Media Group, which covers the personal development aspect of being an entrepreneur like magic. These programs are simply the best that you will find and have helped countless people get started on the journey of a lifetime.
How Old is an Entrepreneur?
Thinking about how old you have to be to be an entrepreneur reminded me of my own home business in personal development and how many of the successful people in this business are young! There are many and it is growing by the moment. Young entrepreneurs are on fire with enthusiasm to get a head start and it appears to me that they have the will to take a risk, have a go and make a go of it.
Historically this has been the case with young entrepreneurs; Dick Smith was just 24 years old when he set up his electronics business, Poppy King, 18 when she founded her cosmetic empire and Fred DeLuca, Subway was just 17 years.
Even so, entrepreneurs come in any age group and cloaked in many colours. It may be you, wearing your daggy hoodie or elegant Jimmy Choos, carrying in your heart the most amazing idea. And that is where many entrepreneurs start – with a great idea and they just keep persevering until they turn it into reality. And there is the exception; some people carry the idea around and do nothing with it, while the entrepreneur gets started and finds a way, against all odds, to achieve the dream.
You may want to be an entrepreneur but just do not have that great idea yet. No problem – start from where you are at, sit quietly and list all of the things that you love in life, all of the things that you feel passion for and the things that you are good at and keep you body, mind and soul tuned for an idea. Then google “entrepreneurs” and see what you find! Massive amounts of information to help you get started on even getting the idea, let alone making it come alive.
Are you an entrepreneur – young or otherwise? Know for Yourself. Me, I am a little older getting started, an entrepreneur nevertheless and I do Know for Myself.
It’s Funny How Life Works
I have a goal on my agenda that is taking its’ time in arriving and I had a moment there when I wondered when I might become disillusioned and give up. You know what I mean, life is just not serving it up to you on a plate. That flash that goes through the mind when you have been working non stop on something and it is just not coming together for you. You work harder, give it all of your time and still you can not make it happen and it is tough to stay positive. Well I had one of those times recently and one thing that I now know for certain is – if it is not working for you, do something different.
Fortunately I have a great group of people to whom I can turn for masterminding and that is what I did. I am even lucky enough that that circle is wide and allows me to choose those who have had the exact same life experience. So lesson number two was to be sure that you have the network to mastermind with and go for help quickly. There have been times in my life when I have tried to do everything for myself, including solving problems. These days I know that masterminding is much smarter and I even have one network deliberately put together to support my new home business in personal development. Collective wisdom is an old practice used for many years to find the most exciting and innovative solutions.
The outcome is that I have stopped looking back, or even seeing myself in the present moment and I am tapping into my imagination to put myself into the future when the problem is solved and I have achieved success with that particular matter. Guess what – things are changing, I can see a way through and I am seeing opportunities to resolve this problem everywhere I look. I am receiving unsolicited help and all up it is just like magic. Just the way it is meant to be. Oh and the other thing I did – relaxed and enjoyed the journey. The trip is just as much fun as the arrival. It’s funny how life works!
Huna in Hawaii
I have recently returned from Hawaii which was truly spectacular and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I was in Hawaii for a personal development program related to my home business in personal development as well as to relax and enjoy the company of my beloved. So I travelled all of that way to this remarkable conference, spent days in the company of like minded people and came away having had another life changing experience. However it was not until I returned home and read a particularly captivating article about Hawaii that I realised that I have missed something special and will have to return!! What a shame.
I refer to an article “The Secret Science Behind Miracles” published in New Dawn, written by Richard Smoley. For a personal development devotee, this is a lovely article that provides a good beginning for understanding the Hawaiian tradition of “Huna“. Smoley explains that the fundamental idea behind Huna is that a person, rather than being a single coherent entity has three parts that work in harmony (or not as the case may be). There is the strong, intuitive, emotional self, the reasoning self and the wise, utterly devoted, utterly loving parental self.
The article goes on to teach how to work with the three selves, to take guidance when making decisions and increase your self awareness through this practice. Serge Kahili King a noted Kahuna, says that attentive self-enquiry will eventually lead you to see the beliefs upon which you base your actions and once consciously recognised you can then change them if you so desire. Now I am aware that beliefs can and often are limiting and I have a few that I am working to change. You see why I must go back!!! How much fun would it be to work with a Kahuna.
