Entrepreneurship is a lonely path. It is a lonely road of earthly bumps, spikes, leaking wallet and sweet sweat at the end of the rough road.
It is not a calling for every man or woman. It is a path set aside for a select crop of men and women set aside for that purpose. At a time of growing unemployment and dwindling oil revenue as a result of falling oil prices in the international market, it is time to raise greater awareness on the importance and benefits of entrepreneurship towards sustainable financial future.
In essence, it is time for people to look beyond paid employment as the only way and focus their energy in creating a service or product which other citizens or corporate bodies might be in need of in exchange for financial security.
Roaming the streets in search of elusive jobs or begging for survival from family and friends is not a virtue or award-winning enterprise. A time comes when an adult must face the reality of his/her situation and take that life-changing decision rather than day-dreaming.
Those that have good paying jobs today should count themselves lucky. And those hoping to secure similar mouth-watering employment today or tomorrow through very high-networth individuals or the connected, should also thank their stars for having such great faith and confidence in their robust contacts.
But for those on the other side of the spectrum (no great job and no BIG MAN contact), taking their faith and future in their own hands via entrepreneurship is the only way to go. Any other path could lead to headaches and disappointments.
Indeed, the Spirit of Entrepreneurship came alive recently at the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Nairobi, Kenya with President Barack Obama of the United States leading other worthy Entrepreneurship:
Aug. 31 – Sept. 6, 2015 “My view about subsidy is that it is unfair on this economy. It does not matter who is the president. It is unfair on every citizen of Nigeria to keep subsidy. It is unfair to spend $5billion a year on subsidy when you are spending less than $1billion on capital expenditure.”
Austin Avuru CEO Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc Obama addressing GES2015 in Nairobi, Kenya warriors on the charge for another way of making a living other than the legendary 8am-5pm schedule.
Obama hit the nail on the head thus:
“We are joined today by inspiring entrepreneurs from more than 120 countries and many from across Africa. And all of you embody a spirit
that we need to take on some of the biggest challenges that we face in the world — the spirit of entrepreneurship, the idea that there are no limits to the human imagination; that ingenuity can overcome what is and create what needs to be.
And everywhere I go, across the United States and around the world, I hear from people, but especially young people, who are ready to start something of their own — to lift up people’s lives and shape their own destinies. And that’s entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship creates new jobs and new businesses, new ways to deliver basic services, new ways of seeing the world — it’s the spark of prosperity. It helps citizens stand up for their rights and push back against corruption. Entrepreneurship offers a positive alternative to the ideologies of violence and division that can all too often fill the void when young people don’t see a future for themselves.
Entrepreneurship means ownership and self-determination, as opposed to simply being dependent on somebody else for your livelihood and your future. Entrepreneurship brings down barriers between communities and cultures and builds bridges that help us take on common challenges together.
Because one thing that entrepreneurs understand is that you don’t have to look a certain way, or be of a certain faith, or have a certain last name in order to have a good idea. The challenge is — as so many of you know — it’s very often hard to take those first steps. It’s hard to access capital. It’s hard sometimes to get the training and the skills to run a business as professionally as it needs to be in this competitive world.
It’s hard to tap into the networks and mentors that can mean the difference between a venture taking off and one that falls flat.” In the realm of entrepreneurship, tomorrow is always a bright day.
The expectation of a better tomorrow softens the hard nuts of today and elevates the spirit of innovation, creativity and determination to remain there-no matter what!
As sweet as it may sound or seem, entrepreneurship demands 24/7 hardwork in physical and mental terms. It is not a jolly ride, especially in a rather difficult entrepreneurial environment like Nigeria, where the stakes against entrepreneurs rank as high as Mount Everest!
However, like l always believe and has really experienced over the years in the field, every challenge has multiple solutions. All you need to do is THINK, list the likely solutions and tap a particular solution that is more convenient than the others.
And just yesterday, l stumbled on a beautiful article entitled:
Top 10 Tips for Starting a Business That Will Succeed
The article listed the 10 magic points as:
•Do What You Love
•Start Your Business While You’re
Still Employed
•Don’t Do It Alone
•Get Clients Or Customers First
•Write A Business Plan
•Do The Research
•Get Professional
•Get The Money Lined Up
•Be Professional From The Get-Go
•Get The Legal And Tax Issues
Right The First Time
It is now time to move forward. Banish thoughts of failure or the legendary ‘Fear of the Unknown.’ In business, you either fail or succeed. Take a risk today and challenge yourself for greater glory!
