Entrepreneur

With increasing job uncertainty in the uk, more and more individuals with multidisciplinary skills, are taking to entrepreneur route. Here is a link to some excellent national business start-up support if entrepreneurship appeals to you too.

I had a misconception of the personality type of an entrepreneur. Raised by socialist parents who worked in the public sector, I think I was wary of any sort sort of ‘business’.  I carried the belief that these individuals were perhaps money-orientated, high-risk individuals, who put profit over people. Now I find I am an entrepreneur myself, I know it to have been a passion for my work, that has brought me to this place ……..

As an entrepreneur who knows a lot of other entrepreneurs, none of whom are more interested in money than making good business relationships, I begin to see a new picture. The profiles of entrepreneurs are (entirely!), different to those I had imagined. The value of their SMOs has also totally changed in my opinion. I can now see that it is the entrepreneurs and SMOs, as opposed to the large corporates, who bring the stability to our business world that we need. If a large corporate gets into financial trouble, it can have a huge impact on our economy, and our ability to trade. If an small organisations gets into difficulties, (and i am certainly not saying this has no impact), then there are a wider raft of smaller organisations to absorb the blow.

It also seems that a entrepreneurship is ethical trading in most cases.  The ethics of the entrepreneur have to be pretty impeccable if their business is to survive. With SMO’s trading takes place between real people. Whilst corporates can appeal to masses,and, can perhaps afford to lose the business of a sector of society or two, when humans trade fact to face, it is far more difficult to get away with bad business behaviour. The entrepreneur must adhere to two threads in order to succeed. Firstly; treat others as you would be treated. If you are not respectful and fair then this really will come up to bite you. Secondly: Be authentic; when face to face it is incredibly difficult to pull the wool over peoples eyes for too long and word spreads throughout communities like wildfire. Sell only a product or service you entirely believe in. This belief will translate to sales.

Sure, we all need to make a living. We also have choice about how we make a living. We can make a quick buck in a disingenuous way and then run, or, we can behave as we believe is rightful, ethical, and, of service to our communities. When we are of service to our world we have sustainable and enjoyable transactions. Building strong relationships with people is where the work really lies. I think you need believe in what you are selling. I think you need to have a genuine interest in, and curiosity about, your customers and your fellow business people. Bring those two things together, and you will learn and laugh and earn too. Bring these things and you will have all the elements you need in order to make business-magic. I am discovering just how essential entrepreneurs are within our business world. Entrepreneurs bring creativity and inspiration as well as ethical accountability.

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