Creative entrepreneurs

Why do we need creative entrepreneurs?

Don’t just have an idea, develop a fantastic one that blows minds into the gutters. What is creative thinking and why do we need it? Creative thinking is not about developing something completely new, even though that will be great. It may just mean the application of several ideas already in existence to a new industry or process.

If you are like me, I get worried when people suggest that I need to have a new set of ideas or a unique selling point to differentiate my ideas from others. There are millions of businesses across the world, imagine how difficult being different must sound. It turns out, you don’t have to be a genius ( according to the book ‘Show your work’ by Austin Kleon) to make it. This is a massive relief.

It must feel like a humongous task to think competitively against all those millions of people and the great entrepreneurs. It seems you can just do your own thing and continue to make progress. It will take time, but remember, it’s all a journey. So keep exploring and keep going.

Learn to enjoy the process

To think creatively, one must be doing something that you really enjoy and comes naturally to you. There are things that come naturally to some people. A child who wants to play football all the time will eventually get better. If you hate football, it will be hard for you to practice even a few hours a day. The magic is finding that ‘thing’ that you feel comfortable doing and then continue to improve on it. Are there others ready and willing to pay for that product or service?

In the USA alone, between 600,000 and 800,000 businesses ( mostly consisting of a few people) are created every year. The group of small businesses with less than 20 members of staff are the most creative and help to employ the vast majority of people in the world.

Entrepreneurs are the new heroes

Why are so many people interested in becoming entrepreneurs or in starting their own businesses? I imagine there are several reasons, but I bet freedom, independence, the drive to make a difference are some of the reasons. You will have your own reasons for wanting to start your own business. An enterprise is not only about providing employment opportunities for others or making money, it can also be about leaving a legacy for the next generation.

We are all blown away by the romantic nature of making a lot of money, living life to the full and chilling out on a private island. Sounds fun, right? Why not? Who does not want to live in a great house and do all the great things that we know successful entrepreneurs have. But wait a second, remember there are millions of entrepreneurs who may never achieve such lofty heights. But we must dream. Entrepreneurship is not only about the destination, it is really about the journey as well.

Don’t let us run ahead of ourselves. We know the trimmings of successful entrepreneurship. We can taste it, we know how it can make a difference to our lives. Now that we are focused on the end game, it’s time to put in the hard work. Part of the fun of going on a great holiday is the initial planning, the arrival at the airport, the plane journey, the anticipation and then the arrival at the destination.

Have fun in the process

Entrepreneurs must enjoy the process of building great organisation as well as getting the company on its way. Many have witnessed the development of Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Tesla and many more. These were once small companies, but have grown into giants before our own eyes. That is where we are all want to be, but we are still a long way from that final destination.

How do we get from being a seed to an oak tree? A lot of dedication; like a tree, we must plant it at the right time, the soil must be fertile, it will need a lot of watering of the right quantity and on time etc. You get my gist.

This is what creative entrepreneurship is all about. We must think deeply about the business we want to start, it’s value to the potential customers and then strategically develop towards that vision we have created. Will the journey be easy? Absolutely not.

Learn on the way

One of the greatest lessons from my years at EDS/HP is about strategic thinking and thinking far beyond today even when you are not sure how to turn such a dream into reality. EDS ( IT outsourcing company) was known for it forward and innovative thinking. In some instances, the company had struggled to deliver a very innovative piece of work on time. In the end, thinking beyond today with vision and clarity helped the company to become one of the largest IT outsourcing companies at the time. Yes, great risks were taken, but big rewards come from taking risks.

Check out my blog on my experience from the company. If you want to know more about creative and thinking big, then John C Maxwell’s book ‘How successful people think’ is a good place to start. The book contains a lot of ideas about why it is better to think big and bet heavily about the future.

Let’s end with Marianne Williamson quote ‘ our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure….’. This is a great quote, keep it close to you when the times are tough.

. https://www.enterprisedoctors.com/hello-world/