How to Inspire Students to Become Entrepreneurs?
How to Inspire Students to become Entrepreneurial
I’m fortunate enough to head up an organization that exists to encourage students to become more entrepreneurial, and to consider starting their own businesses. I have a great team, and we see some really amazing young people with great ideas. I am often asked if we can really teach people to become entrepreneurs. Many people believe that the entrepreneurial attitude is innate; you either have it or you don’t. I don’t think that is true at all.
I do accept that some people are ‘born entrepreneurs’. We have all heard about people who started their first business in primary school and became millionaires before they even left school. They often come out of ordinary circumstances, but something drove them on. These people are amazingly successful but, for every high-profile ‘born entrepreneur’, there are hundreds of people who have quietly built up a successful business from scratch. We just don’t hear about them, unless we are lucky enough to know them
.
So how does E cell help students to become successful entrepreneurs, even those who might never have thought about anything other than to ‘get a good job’ once they graduate?
We INSPIRE them. We introduce them to great people who are not only successful at what they do, but are passionate about business, almost to the point of being evangelical. We make it real, we expose them to people who are just like them, young entrepreneurs who never thought they could run a business, but are living proof of what can be achieved in just a few years.
We BELIEVE in them. We give them opportunities to try out their business ideas in a competitive, but nurturing environment. We run a New Ideas competition that is simple to enter and gives them an opportunity to test out whether there is a genuine business opportunity in their idea. We encourage them to pitch their ideas, to become competent at explaining their concept, and we celebrate their achievements.
We ENCOURAGE
I’m fortunate enough to head up an organization that exists to encourage students to become more entrepreneurial, and to consider starting their own businesses. I have a great team, and we see some really amazing young people with great ideas. I am often asked if we can really teach people to become entrepreneurs. Many people believe that the entrepreneurial attitude is innate; you either have it or you don’t. I don’t think that is true at all.
I do accept that some people are ‘born entrepreneurs’. We have all heard about people who started their first business in primary school and became millionaires before they even left school. They often come out of ordinary circumstances, but something drove them on. These people are amazingly successful but, for every high-profile ‘born entrepreneur’, there are hundreds of people who have quietly built up a successful business from scratch. We just don’t hear about them, unless we are lucky enough to know them
.
So how does E cell help students to become successful entrepreneurs, even those who might never have thought about anything other than to ‘get a good job’ once they graduate?
We INSPIRE them. We introduce them to great people who are not only successful at what they do, but are passionate about business, almost to the point of being evangelical. We make it real, we expose them to people who are just like them, young entrepreneurs who never thought they could run a business, but are living proof of what can be achieved in just a few years.
We BELIEVE in them. We give them opportunities to try out their business ideas in a competitive, but nurturing environment. We run a New Ideas competition that is simple to enter and gives them an opportunity to test out whether there is a genuine business opportunity in their idea. We encourage them to pitch their ideas, to become competent at explaining their concept, and we celebrate their achievements.
We ENCOURAGE