Enterpreneurship Vs Employment
Opportunities are
on both sides
S
o the Global Entrepreneurship Summit #GES2015
comes to an end in Nairobi, Kenya. With all the words
said and written. A big question I am posing is this:
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN FOR THE MANY PEOPLE
IN EMPLOYMENT?
In thinking about this several thoughts occurs to me:
1. There are those employed professionals who have had an
undying urge to step out of employment but didn’t have
enough motivation to do it. They have been following the on
goings in the summit in the same way a hyena hangs around
a pack of lions knowing it’s only a matter of time before they
make a kill and therein it gets its meal. This group of employees
will wake up with a resignation letter in heart and mind and
sometimes physically to hand it in to the employer.
With the end of the summit I would like to pinpoint a couple of
things to consider as ways of benefiting:
1. If you have what it takes, procrastinate no more. Roll up
your sleeves and do what needs to get done. Your business idea
is good for something or not. You will never know until you
work at it; and working at it does not necessarily mean that you
quit your job to start it. It may also mean that you research on it,
write a business plan, start saving towards it if you really think
you can’t start without capital, build networks etc. Just get the
car started and give it some motion.
3. Then there are those who are pretty content being
employed. Steady job, steady paycheck, medical cover,
retirement benefits, bonus payments, leave days and many
other perks. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those who
are here in this category. This group of professionals/ employees
offer something that is very rare to get in employees - loyalty.
Even entrepreneurs need them if what they are setting up is
going to go the distance.
2. Evaluate your current work scenario. Can you be a
workpreneuer? A person who creates and works to expand his
/ her employer’s business? This can be achieved in a variety
of ways - increasing your current customer base, expanding
your target market, contributing to the overall strategy of the
company. Allow me to give an example here. It has been touted
that women are the best entrepreneurs because they sow
back into their communities and as such more money will be
availed to them to do business. If you are a sales manager for a
cooking ingredient like meat flavors used in basic vegetables,
you would likely identify a local market where items are placed
on the ground, you talk to the local government to build stalls
which of course are branded with your ingredient and possibly
appoint the ladies as sales points for the ingredient. With such
an idea guess what you have done: a) increased brand visibility
for your organization in the local markets; b) created a new sales
channel for your sales teams; c) engaged in corporate social
responsibility by improving the cleanliness of the market and
hence reduce health risks for the community.
NB: Entrepreneurship is not for everyone and you can still
be successful (a term whose meaning changes with every
person - what success means for you is not what it means for
me) even when employed.
3. Improve your skills. Growth in business comes with a
demand on skill set. Knowledge, skills and opportunities are
the hallways of growth for any business. Stagnant water is only
good for breeding irritations and sources of irritation.
2. Then there are those who have been similarly watching the
#GES2015 hoping and praying that they could get themselves
into the position of entrepreneurship but are held back
because they are afraid of failing or afraid of succeeding, or they
would really rather enjoy the fruits in the dream rather than roll
up their sleeves, and do something about those dreams bearing
actual fruit.
6|
Esteemed Magazine July -August 2015