Sharing the Passion for Entrepreneurship
While watching the news recently there was a story about a 15 year old boy who had written a book about his fight against slavery in the world today. The significance of this was his statement was “find something to be passionate about.” My hope is that we all become passionate about creating Entrepreneurial Communities. When we find that something to be passionate about we should pass that flame of passion along. When we do we lose nothing from ourselves and in the process we ignite another to build their passion so they can pass it on, thus creating a firestorm of passion that will create its own energy providing momentum to the whole community.
Creating Entrepreneurial attitudes should be developed in our children from little on. Doing something as simple as laying the foundation of a successful Girl Scout cookie sales campaign will give your child the confidence to look at other opportunities and take those skills to the next level. Local opportunities are available, sometimes they are just not inside the normal box.
Since we are in this age of rapid change, all businesses must all have an entrepreneurial mentality. This means being flexible in our business thinking. Are the products and services we are offering what our market wants or are they what we have always offered? An entrepreneur is one that is willing to take more risks. In this rapidly changing world, being flexible and at times taking some risks in your business plan, may be what keeps your business growing and viable.
Growth, change, risk and flexibility are at times new and scary, but as we know the only thing constant in life is change. If we continue to be as agile and flexible as an antelope with our businesses and find our passion we will have a community that is growing, not dying and becoming extinct as a dinosaur.

Challenge yourself to find your passion, to pass that on to someone else and to be flexible.

Changing our Culture
In last week’s article I discussed what it means to be an entrepreneurial community. I would like to continue with this theme. I gave the definition of “what is an Entrepreneurial Community”; it is to promote the development of new Businesses to grow them successfully, to promote the interests and cause of businesses in your community or region. An additional definition would be “to help carry the burdens of that entrepreneur.” It is the development of an entrepreneurial culture. Once again we answer the question with a question because we don’t want to assume. What is culture? It is the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that are shared by people in a place or time. So through the process to improve by labor, care, or study we want and need to create a culture of entrepreneurship; where people will be encouraged to try new opportunities by the community/region around, with a safety net of support in the community. This needs to be the prevalent culture, attitude and value, rather than one of watching, waiting, and wanting someone to fail all by themselves.

When we accomplish this through labor, care and study, we will change our individual community and our whole regional attitude. When this happens the jobs & businesses will follow. This idea of working together, networking is the key to this cultural change. What talents are you willing to share? Are you willing to help someone go through the proper steps to find their true market? By working/networking together we educate each other. I have said all my life “it isn’t what you know but who you know,” as you go through life. It isn’t just who you know, but then they may know somebody that knows somebody that can be a benefit to everyone. Networking encourages motivation and motivated people get things done.

When motivated people get things done then it is like a snowball going downhill. The more things get done the more things happen. So what can you do to help change our culture?

Creating an Entrepreneurial Community
In February Furnas/harlan Partnership had a booth at the MarketPlace: Opening Doors to Success sponsored by the Center for Rural Affairs. Since we hear more and more that small business development drives job growth and economic development in rural areas, this was an opportunity for people to Network; get Professional Development & Personalized Assistance in one place, all on one day. The keynote speaker was so inspiring and challenging that I wanted to share some of his thoughts and ideas with you over the next few weeks.

We are in the age of rapid change. Entrepreneurship will dominate business in the 21st century with 80% of new jobs coming from new business startup. What can we as a community/region do to change our culture to one of an entrepreneurship mindset/mentality? The dictionary definition of an entrepreneur is one who starts a business or other venture that promises economic gain, but that also entails risks. But what does it mean to become an Entrepreneurial Community? A definition is to promote the development of new Businesses to grow them successfully, to promote the interests and cause of businesses in your community or region. When this is done from a community stand point, everyone in the community is doing what they can to encourage develop and grow the people that are willing to venture out and start a new business.

Creating this type of culture creates a mindset that no matter what happens, whether the water gets shut off or fuel prices rise we will still be successful because we have learned how to see obstacles as opportunities. We will be ready to deal with changes because we have developed a culture of change; one that creates enthusiasm for working together, encouraging others and doing everything we can to help through Networking and learning from each other.

Independence is a good trait but it can also be a huge negative when it comes to creating an entrepreneurial community. This is everyone’s job, not just the economic development “person’s” job. They are there to encourage and inspire and connect people with resources, but resources can’t change a culture or a community only personal involvement can.