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Is Entrepreneurialism Dead?
Added: (Fri Jan 09 2009)
Over the last six months numerous entrepreneurs have been asked the same question: “Is this a good time to be starting in business?” This natural expression of concern rises from the daily news of business failure and the negative press surrounding the credit crunch. Has the current economic climate killed off entrepreneurialism?
Many of us grew up without ever hearing the word ‘entrepreneur.’ With the rise of celebrity entrepreneurs and the booming economy of the last two decades that has changed. Millions have tuned in to ‘Dragon’s Den’ and ‘The Apprentice.’ People like Duncan Bannatyne, Richard Branson, Rachel Elnaugh and Theo Paphitis are household names, even heroes of our society. The aspirations of the nation have been high. People have dreamed big dreams and achieved great things. Will the credit crunch spoil the party?
The great news is that the human spirit is stronger than we give it credit for. The current economic climate creates new challenges and may demand a higher level of creativity but it cannot suppress the entrepreneurial spirit.
Ian Harrison, founder of Aspire Programs Ltd believes that entrepreneurial success lies, in part, in the ability to harness the energy of your passions and desires. “The very fact that someone thinks of themselves as an entrepreneur sets them apart from many business owners. The label oozes with ambition, it tells the world that you mean business and it announces your intent to live your dreams. Someone with this drive will not be deterred by the credit crunch.”
Believing that entrepreneurs can and will buck the economic trend, Aspire Programs has just launched a new event designed to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit. “The Source” is being held at five venues around the UK during March and April. Blending thought provoking presentations – energising activity and superb networking opportunities ‘The Source’ is designed to catapult businesses to a new level of success. Details of these events are available at www.aspireprograms.com
When challenged with the way this event fits into the current economic climate Ian Harrison responds – “There has never been a better time for people to plug into their creativity. If you can grow a business today imagine what you can do when things pick up!”
It is that attitude that seems to distinguish entrepreneurs. Many celebrity entrepreneurs have stories of business failure as well as success. What sets them apart is that they learn from their failures in order to make their next venture more robust. Peter Jones, of Dragon’s Den fame, tells how he lost everything before setting up his current businesses. At the same time Rachel Elnaugh, who appeared in the first series of Dragon’s Den, now has a bestselling book entitled “Business Nightmares, when entrepreneurs hit crisis point...”.
Is entrepreneurialism dead? Not likely! It will take more than a credit crunch to quench the irrepressible spirit that drives entrepreneurs forward to business success.