Illusion of entrepreneurship; A potent response!

This article is a response to Adema Sangale’s article- Illusion of entrepreneurship: we cannot all be queen bees- published in the January 27^th 2019 – Sunday Nation

Whereas I am an entrepreneur and I wish that all would be as I am, I appreciate that not everyone can nor needs to be one. As Adema clearly detail in her article the science of entrepreneurship is that 9 out of 10 startups fail. That statistic is hard to ignore any way you think about it. Yet many people think that “entrepreneurship alone” is a solution to our economic problems. I believe that one faithful employee is able to do more for his family and for his country than nine failed entrepreneurs. However, there is no shame in failing in an entrepreneurial venture. And there is no shame in being a faithful employee. Feeding your family and building the nation with a God given opportunity to earn an income and create wealth is the object of both the entrepreneur and employee.

The next question is then “how do we supply the 500,000 jobs a year that Kenyan politicians keep promising us? I beg to turn this question around and ask; what value are those already in employment creating for their families and the economy? Many of those in employment are simply net consumers of income rather than creators of wealth. Here is where I make the distinction between a faithful employee who understands the power to create wealth provided him or her by the opportunity to work and those who merely attend employment to get money. The majority of our employees live from “salary to salary” with no idea of how to create wealth. They make no savings, no investments and spend all their money on lifestyle expenses such as rent and toothpaste. These expenses add no value to the employee’s net worth and only ensure they retire back to poverty upon expiry of the employment period.

The heart of the issues raised by Adema is “employability”. All the bees in the hive are employable from the queen to the worker. Each has a responsibility to add value to the hive economy until death.  However, many of our people are looking for jobs, but are not willing to work. The heart of employability is the character to create value or solve a problem. Unfortunately, education programs do not teach us this virtue that entrepreneurs understand fully. Check the lives of Njenga Karume, Richard Branson, Simeon Nyachae, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and other successful entrepreneurs. You may decry their lack of education, but then you will be missing the point. These people were all willing to work to create wealth.  We can advance this nation much more and much faster with a generation of faithful employees than an “illusion of entrepreneurship”. If 2 million employees developed the habit of saving 100 shillings each month, they can pump 2.4 BILLION shillings back into the economy each year! Instead of occupying ourselves with the “illusion of entrepreneurship” lets humble ourselves and be faithful with every opportunity we get to put our hands to work!

Allan Bukusi

Leadership Consultant & Author of "How to prosper in employment"

27^th January 2019

Also see

Employment and enterprise are the same thing

The five laws of successful employment

Employment is a business

The entrepreneurial employee

How to start a business without capital

The age of the employee has come to an end

The Economic Empowerment Mindset

The 33 Laws of Self Employment

Your "Job attitude" will make a difference in 2019 - Happy New Year!!!

MY FIRST JOB EXPERIENCE 

For an average 27 year old Nigerian lady, getting a well-paying job, a good house to live in and a well-to-do husband are the major goals. Investment and acquiring an asset is usually on the last rung of the ladder. 

Just before I met Allan Bukusi, the author of ‘My first job: How to prosper in Employment’, I was a resentful employee; an administrative officer at my first job that paid about 50,000 Naira (137USD); an amount I believed could not take care of my personal needs. I knew I wasn’t ready to stay there for long. However, after reading the book gifted to me by the author himself in 2016, I had a transformed mindset on employment and the potential of creating wealth as an employee. 

Some of the key concepts highlighted in the book are milking the opportunity in a current employment: personal development and investment while working. I am excited to say that while at the initially dissatisfied employment, I took quite a number of online courses as a form of personal development and with savings from my meagre income, I acquired a piece of land as an investment. I made the best opportunity to prosper at my first employment; and I’m still working in that line. 

I strongly recommend this book to all age categories especially young graduates who seem unprepared for the world of employment. 

Ibukunoluwa Ajao 

Nigeria

Your business is as big as your vision - Happy New year!!!

Your business is as big as your vision. If all you want is a job then that is all you will get in 2019. Expand your vision, trust God and rule the universe He wants you to oversee. And a Happy New Year to you!

Do things well

Do things well, above board, respectfully and with due regard to all and you will have no need of culture. For culture itself upholds these things.

A house, a spouse and a cow will change your life.

I met you in March 2015 when I came to Kenya as an AWARD Fellow Mentee for my Mentoring Orientation Workshop. Your gift to every participant was a copy of your book 'How to prosper in Employment' The concept of 'A House, Spouse and a Cow' changed my perspective about employment and the potential of creating wealth as an employee. I read the book while flying back to Nigeria and a second time after some months later.  I will read the book over and over again. Due to the wisdom I gleaned from the book, I gave it to my friends and unfortunately, it wasn't returned.  I hope to read more of your books. They reflect your wealth of wisdom and experience.  I also look forward to meeting you again.   Thank you for giving to the world. Best Regards.

Thank you Ibukunlowa - May you indeed prosper immensely and inspire many more to think more purposefully about employment opportunity - Allan

 PS - I warned you the book will not be returned. let’s work on getting you another copy!

The Entrepreneurial Employee

THE entrepreneurial EMPLOYEE

Last weekend I had the privilege of speaking at the Parklands Young Professionals’ Business Expo. 20% of the participants were running their own business while 80% of the professionals present were employed. Many of those present were thinking about opening a business of their own in due time. So I guess they had come to find out a few tips from those of us in the field. As we discussed the “ups and downs” as well as the “ins and outs” of business it became quite clear that ALL of us are in enterprise. All of us are entrepreneurs (at different levels). All of us in a business are entrepreneurs, but only the owners will admit it. Though there is a traditional distinction made between entrepreneurs and employees, in reality we are all in enterprise hence the need for entrepreneurial thinking among everyone working in an enterprise. While the qualities of an entrepreneur are often listed as focused, hardworking and visionary there is no reason why an employee should not develop these same qualities. However, any employee wishing to walk away with the full benefits of working in an enterprise must develop the distinct qualities of an entrepreneurial employee.

Uncompromising work ethic (value creation)

While many employees come to work because they need a job or want the money, the entrepreneurial employee is focused on value creation. The entrepreneurial employee adds specific and quantifiable value to the business each day. This entrepreneurial employee sees himself as a stakeholder in the success of the business. A person with an uncompromising work ethic is self-driven, intrinsically motivated, forward looking and results oriented. They address work problems not as personal challenges, but opportunities to unlock valuable outcomes for the business. Entrepreneurial employees are proud of their contribution and accomplishments to the business success. The matter of productivity, output and quality of work for an entrepreneurial employee is a matter of personal pride, self-esteem satisfaction, fulfillment, integrity, dignity and honor. Such a person will make an excellent entrepreneur but they will also be a most valued employee.

Profit oriented (Capitalist)

While entrepreneurs are said to be profit oriented, employees live for salaries. Nonetheless, the entrepreneurial employee understands the value of capital. The entrepreneurial employee sees his or her job as a business. A business that must return a profit on the investment (money, time and energy) he puts into it. While the regular employee waits to be paid a salary at the end of the month, the entrepreneurial employee understands that he has put in 30 days of his own capital to earn a return in terms of a salary. The entrepreneurial employee thinks very differently from the regular employee. While the regular employee prepares a budget to consume all his income on rent, food and lifestyle expenses under the illusion that he will receive another salary next month, the entrepreneurial employee takes stock of what he has spent and calculates how much profit he has made that month. The entrepreneurial employee will then reinvest his capital (earnings) in savings, a cooperative or projects that will yield further profits for him in future. Such an employee will make an excellent entrepreneur.

Personal development (Curious)

The third quality of an entrepreneurial employee is an overt display of a desire for personal development and growth. While most employees are satisfied to do the job they do every day, learn nothing new and wait to be surprised by promotion, the entrepreneurial employee recognizes that to be employed is to be enrolled in the university of enterprise. Entrepreneurial employees are curious about how the business works. Such an employee may be employed as a clerk in a bank, but they will take an interest to learn about marketing and exchange rates and how the banking process works. They will study industry statistics and will take every opportunity to obtain exposure to departments and business activities not necessarily for promotion, but for personal preparation and development as an entrepreneur. The entrepreneurial employee will take every opportunity and look forward to being exposed to multiple aspects of a business. All too often employees work in a company for many years and come away with no clue of how the enterprise works. The entrepreneurial employee is forever grateful for the head-start, jump-start and mentorship employers give them in business.  

Wealth creation (entrepreneurship)

Regular employees believe they are paid by the employer for their qualifications. Entrepreneurial employees understand that they are paid from the wealth created by the business. While competence and capability are important, no business can reward its employees without accomplishing its contractual agreements to its clients. In this regard, the entrepreneurial employee secures his own income by partnering with the employer to create wealth for society. 

  

If you are thinking of starting your own business someday it may be useful to postpone your resignation and become and entrepreneurial employee first.

Also see

Employment and enterprise are the same thing

The five laws of successful employment

Employment is a business

How to start a business without capital

The age of the employee has come to an end

The Economic Empowerment Mindset

The 33 Laws of Self Employment

# CELEBRATING ONE MILLION HITS !

If you could speak to a million people what would you say?

I enjoy the privilege of sharing my thoughts with the world and I look forward to celebrating one million hits on this page in the coming days. My work is to shift paradigms, adjust individual perspectives and develop people for life. It is my job is to train people, but my goal is to transform lives. 

I have trained a thousand executives and spoken openly to the people around me in the hope that I may influence them for a better future. I have written from my head and from my heart. And, I have been touched and left speechless by the testimonies of lives transformed by the reading of words from my mouth. These stories make life worth living. 

Words have power. If I could speak to a million people I would tell them to make a difference in the world they live in. If you could speak to a million people what would you say?