Entrepreneurship. Rhonda Abrams

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СКАЧАТЬ run extraordinarily “lean.” Rather than hiring full-time permanent employees, many businesses opt for part-time personnel or either temporary or contract workers. There has also been a cultural shift in how people view their employment and careers. Most people expect to—want to—change jobs. A person born in the later years of the “baby boom” (1957–1964) held an average number of 11 jobs just between ages 18 and 44.¹ Younger people today are likely to have as many different jobs, if not more. Indeed, it’s typical for people in developed countries, especially the United States, to have two, three, or even more “careers” over the course of their lifetimes as their interests change and evolve. With less job stability, there’s more opportunity—and more need—to start your own business.

      ■ Lifestyle driving career choices. Want to live in the mountains so you can ski, or by the beach so you can surf? Be home in the afternoon to raise your kids? Increasingly, people want their careers to mesh with their lifestyle goals. Entrepreneurship allows much more flexibility to create an income in a way that meets personal goals. You can create businesses in locales where the kind of job you want doesn’t exist, have more flexibility in work hours, and spend less time commuting and more time on family, hobbies, or other interests. The desire for a lifestyle that a traditional job can’t satisfy is one key reason that people choose an entrepreneurial path.

      ■ Technology infrastructure. It has become cheaper and easier than ever to start a businesses. Businesses that once required a huge upfront investment in infrastructure, equipment, and staff can now do a lot more for a lot less. Many of the daily administrative and office tasks can easily be automated; a huge array of companies exists to provide technology solutions to small and new businesses. Web design firms, search marketing specialists, third-party IT services providers, and all sorts of consultants represent merely a few of the new types of business opportunities that have emerged. It’s possible to build a fairly substantial business with only a virtual team, especially for technology needs.

      REAL-WORLD RECAP

       The drivers of entrepreneurship

      ■ Less job stability

      ■ Lifestyle driving career choices

      ■ Technology infrastructure

      ■ Technology innovation

      ■ Government support for entrepreneurs

      ■ Mature financing environment

      ■ Financial considerations

      ■ Disruptive innovation

      ■ It’s cool

      ■ Technology innovation. New technology creates new business opportunities. The Internet, in particular, over the last few decades has created entire new industries—mobile, cloud, and social media. Advances in technology and science have led to an explosion in biotech, genetics, and medical equipment and other health care–related industries. “Green” technology is providing significant new prospects in a wide range of environmentally related businesses. In virtually every category, the rapid changes in underlying technology have opened up great possibilities for entrepreneurs.

      ■ Government support for entrepreneurs. Throughout the world, governments have increasingly recognized the importance of new ventures and small businesses for their economic growth and health. National governments are setting up agencies to assist entrepreneurs, lessening regulation and red tape for starting new businesses, and providing tax benefits. Even state, regional, and local governmental entities are getting in on the act, helping to make it easier for new business formation. Officials realize that without new businesses economies stagnate.

      ■ Mature financing environment. Investors have become more and more comfortable with putting their funds into new and risky ventures. The unbelievable financial success of those who have invested in entrepreneurial ventures since the late 1990s has led to the growth of a large pool of investors willing to take risks on entrepreneurs and new ventures. There’s now a mature, sophisticated, and well-funded investing community in a few key regions of developed countries. And, even in smaller communities and less developed areas, many more private investors—“angel investors”—are willing to support entrepreneurs. The availability of more venture capital means the possibility of many more new businesses launching.

      ■ Financial considerations. Many people simply don’t feel they can meet their financial goals by working for an hourly wage or even a professional-level salary. This is especially true in areas with few high-growth and professional opportunities, as well as in many developing countries. The notoriety given to young multimillionaire founders and early employees of high-tech start-ups has fueled many people’s dreams. No surprise, then, that many people feel that they can achieve their financial goals more fully and easily if they choose to become self-employed—or to build their own business and employ others.

      ■ Disruptive innovation. Shake it up. See it new. Disruption occurs when fresh eyes and fresh thinking transform old industries and business models, often creating highly valuable companies. Many times, the entrepreneurs behind such disruptive companies or innovations have little or no experience in an industry, but see a need and a better way to fill that need. For example, room-letting website Airbnb was launched when the two founders figured they could make money renting out space in their San Francisco apartment during a busy convention. They weren’t intentionally setting out to disrupt the hotel industry, but they did. Ride-sharing app Uber was more intentionally disruptive of the entrenched, traditional taxi industry that had changed little in decades. Its disruption led to a whole new way of thinking about personal transportation and to the creation of other ride-sharing services, such as Lyft. Signficant disruptions have a ripple effect, creating opportunities for many other entrepreneurs in the new business ecosystem.

      ■ It’s cool. Successful entrepreneurs are today’s role models. The media adores people like Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Elon Musk of Tesla and Space X, Jack Ma of Alibaba, and the late Steve Jobs of Apple. It’s highly motivating to see others who started with a good idea be able to build a billion dollar company. Cities around the world want to be the next “Silicon Valley.”

      SMALL BUSINESS BY THE NUMBERS

       According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses in the United States:

Think Like an Entrepreneur

      Can you learn to be an entrepreneur, or must you be born with an entrepreneurial spirit? While some people are naturally more oriented toward an entrepreneurial lifestyle, and feel more comfortable with the uncertainty that comes with entrepreneurship, it’s definitely possible to work on developing some of the key attitudes and attributes of those who start and grow successful businesses.

      Many business books and experts assert that there’s just one kind of person who can be a successful entrepreneur—someone who’s a risk taker, extroverted, a natural salesperson, a leader and a visionary, someone willing to work around the clock.

      It’s a great list, but it’s just not true. A whole range of personality types have become successful entrepreneurs. The key is to find the right type of business to suit you.

      Of course, someone who, by nature, needs an extremely high level of security, guidance, and reassurance СКАЧАТЬ