….. is it true?
Forgive me if I speak of entrepreneurship in high and lofty
terms. It is and can be both the best of things and the worst of things. It can
both enrich and enslaven individuals. It can help and hurt family finances.
Properly directed, however, entrepreneurship is almost always positive.
Entrepreneurship is a craft, an art form, and a developed
skill. Once you both understand and develop entrepreneurial skills, you are immediately
freed from a life of dependency upon others to make a living. In fact you
become the gateway for 10, 100 or 1000s to earn their living. You become the
key that unlocks their door to financial security. You actually and in a very
positive way begin to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. You provide for
your employees what they are unable or unwilling to provide for themselves,
which is finding a need and filling it. They are unwilling to find it, yet, if
you will show them where and how they will fill it.
Not every entrepreneur is a saint, a model citizen or should
be trusted. Just as not every doctor, lawyer or government official is either.
But entrepreneurs have some qualities that are worthy of emulation. They are
willing to act, to put their money and their time, where their mouth is,
willing to risk disappointment and possible failure to do something that has
never been done before. They are willing
to solve problems, to fix things that are broken, to do something better,
quicker, or in a new way.
This willingness to act, this propensity to act in the face
of overwhelming personal and public pressure not to act is a character trait
worthy of emulation and admiration. It
is what has made America great for 200 years.
Emigrants from Europe and other countries did not come to
America looking for a job, a hand out, or to satisfy the status quo. No they
came here looking for an opportunity to create a better life, both for them
selves and for their families. They were willing to risk everything, even their
lives to achieve it. And they did. They risked their lives, many died in their
pursuits. Yet, many more survived and then thrived and out of that struggle,
America became great.
Entrepreneurship is not a mystery or a game of chance, as
many would have you believe. Entrepreneurship is vastly misunderstood and shrouded
unfortunately in false myths. Almost everything you know or think you know about
entrepreneurship is false and it is these false myths that keep many capable
people from even considering starting their own business, and being free of the
dependency on another. It is a shame; many great businesses are left uncreated
because of the false impressions left by those that don’t know what they are
talking about when it comes to being entrepreneurial.
Successful entrepreneurs are not lucky or are they just in
the right place at the right time.
Entrepreneurs are not risk takers or gamblers willing to bet it all on a
single turn of events or roll of the dice.
Oh, there are people like this that call themselves entrepreneurs that
do these things, but they just fowl up the statistic and give true entrepreneurs a bad name.
True entrepreneurs, those that will be around for more than
a year or two, have developed their entrepreneurial skills, their craft. They
are able to see problems that need to be fixed, solutions that need to be
implemented. They are the ones that ask themselves “why not.” They have learned
how to assemble resources and talented people. They have learned how to direct
these resources to create value not only for themselves and their employees but
also for their customers and suppliers.
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that their success comes
from following basic principles that lead to success every single time. These
principles are not secret or unknown. They perhaps change colors now and then,
perhaps we call them by different names over the year, but principles of
success in this and every other endeavor are bedrock principles that never
change.
An so the craft of the entrepreneur is to separate the myth
from the fact and to
seek out and identity principles that will lead to success.
Once you have done this, your job is to develop your skills and grow your
business or businesses. It is like learning to play the piano. You can learn to
play a single song quite quickly, but to learn how to play the piano takes time
and practice, but once accomplished you can play any song at any time.
Learn your craft and
your craft will take care of you.
