A new way of thinking

The uncertainty surrounding job security in this economic climate may be the final push that persons need in order to tap into their creative spirit and pursue the entrepreneurial venture of their dreams. Is an entrepreneur born or can one be taught to function well in this area? 

Traditional school of thought suggests that only a few have the particular “gene” within them. However, in more recent years, the world has been seeking to unravel the science behind the art and teach persons, from as young as primary school children, how to match their talents and other areas of passion with an unmet need.

With increasing technology that has shrunk the global economy, bringing it closer within reach, that unmet need does not have to be confined to our own backyard and community, but can be found anywhere in the world.

Dr. Philmore Alleyne, Head of the Department of Management Studies at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus, suggested recently during the opening ceremony of an entrepreneurial clinic which they hosted, that many persons went to work daily, using their entrepreneurial capabilities to the benefit of their bosses. It is about time that some of them stepped out to create wealth for themselves.

Capabilities such as hard work and determination, vision, energy and passion, creativity and innovation, may lie in you, in greater proportions than you may think. Certainly, the onslaught of this recession, like any other, has “forced” persons to become their own fashion designers and dressmakers, their own chefs and bakers, their own plumbers and masons, their own hairdressers and make-up artists, their own event planner, personal accountant, legal advisor and medical researcher.

In doing so, they were able to save for themselves monies which, if they were not under financial strain, would have gone into the pockets of others.

The challenge which lies before them – and the potential benefit if they so desire – is in taking those skills, honing them through obtaining the necessary qualifications, and linking them with persons who see the values in those skills and are willing to pay for them.

One of the best things that has emerged from this recession is that it has highlighted the need to change the way we define work. Young persons are encouraged to realise that the effort put into obtaining a solid education should not lead solely to knocking on the door of some employer to beg for a job. Indeed, entrepreneurship was not, until recently, a much talked about goal after the completion of one’s studies, rather that you studied well so that you could become a doctor, a lawyer, a banker or an accountant, in their traditional sense. 

We emphasise “traditional” here because there has been a shifting taking place where such occupations or no longer being seen as mere providers of social services, but of bedrocks for entrepreneurial activity. The widening opportunities can be exemplified in the definitions of “the field of medicine” and “medical tourism”. In fact, the health and wellness sector is among the top emerging industries earmarked to drive significant economic growth in the wider CARICOM within the coming years. 

So the silver lining may just be there waiting to be uncovered. The half empty-glass may be for us, the glass half full of opportunities if we are willing to embrace that the only way for this country to grow is through innovation and creativity, at the household, corporation and national level.