Redefining Entrepreneurship, Lessons 2 & 3

This is the second in a series of posts sharing CIE’s 10 Principles for Redefining Entrepreneurship. Read the previous entry, Anyone Can Be an Entrepreneur.

Challenge: How can we help anyone participate in starting a business, regardless of age, education, language ability, differing abilities, type of business, stage of business, place, culture, circumstances, or background?

Lesson 2: Start With Respect

Presume everyone has the potential for redefined entrepreneurship (see Lesson 1). Presume wisdom. Honor every story. Ask, don’t tell. Listen and learn.

Start with assets, not deficits. We all have challenges, and many of them are beyond our control. Ask every entrepreneur: What can you do with what you have and who you know? (See discussion of Bird-In-The-Hand in Lesson 1).

Lesson 3: Eliminate Gate Keepers

Open the doors wide. Let everyone in. Do not pre-judge anyone or any business ideas.

Often the least likely people succeed, sometimes with business ideas that seem completely crazy. Think Ride the Ducks. Pet Rocks. Tweezerman.

Instead of screening, create conditions for self-screening. Help people learn and apply business fundamentals to discover feasibility on their own.

With the right information, people will be able to determine for themselves whether to move forward – or not.

We kiss a lot of frogs. Many opt out. At worst, aspiring entrepreneurs learn how to assess the feasibility of a business idea. And one out of ten will self-select forward.

Next up in our series, lessons 4 & 5 talk about removing two barriers that might surprise you.