Leaders and Entrepreneurs Advanced Development #LEAD
We are entrepreneurship career advocates, passionate about education, books, entrepreneurship, career development and technology! As Entrepreneurs, Researchers, Authors, Trustees, degrees in International Relations, Trade & Transport, Economics, Research, Business, Management, Entrepreneurship. Founder, of the ECC & Leaders and Entrepreneurs Advanced Development (LEAD). Pioneer, Encourage Youth Entrepreneurship (E.Y.E campaign) & 1MillionBookDonation campaign 2017-2026.
What is the Duality of Structure & Do Companies Grow Out of Thin Air?
Who starts companies? Who should start enterprises? Who ensures productivity and operations? What is the role of employee vs employer employment? Why does society discourage youth entrepreneurial careers? This blog discusses these perspectives.
Celebrating Companies, Structure and Career Choice
The society celebrates successful entrepreneurs subconsciously, consciously admires their companies but consciously discourages the young from following similar entrepreneurial career paths, and this indicates the duality of structure. A discouraging aspect of wanting to become an entrepreneur are the lack of awareness, connecting the dots or distrust about the entrepreneurship career. Below are popular adverse opinions:
I want to become an entrepreneur but my parents say ‘go and get a real job…’
Why would anyone want to become an entrepreneur can’t they find employment?
Are entrepreneurs like sales people who lie?
Not everyone can become an entrepreneur!
Unfortunately, even for educated youths, beyond teaching how to write business plans some higher institutions fail to prepare youths for successful enterprising business careers. Hence, the young think their only options are to follow the status quo, and not necessarily gain employment as intrapreneurs (enterprising employees) or self-employment (and potential future employers).
The common denominator regarding the lack of enthusiasm about entrepreneurship is the general inability to appreciate that entrepreneurship is a legitimate way to earn a living and consequently an employment choice. Many educated and less-educated individuals, work their socks off to put children or dependents through the educational system hoping for employment within multinationals or other white-collar jobs (professional, managerial and administrative), when this occurs the individual is seen as achieving the path to the promised land of financial independence, similar for other blue-collar work (manual labour) or pink collar (sales, customer, service related) and these status quo career paths are alright for the choosers because everyone has their ambition and there will always be more employees than employers. However, the young who want to become entrepreneurs are discouraged due to the inability to comprehend entrepreneurship. Many recognize the status quo career paths but are afraid that anyone that wishes to become an entrepreneur is going against the status quo. For instance, individuals are encouraged to become medical doctors but not study other medical aspects or open their own practice (i.e. entrepreneur). People are encouraged to become lawyers to gain employment in prestigious law firms without considering that in the future they can eventually become partners or start law firms (i.e. entrepreneur). But, every sector possesses entrepreneurs- it is possible to become both a professional and also an entrepreneur.
The Duality of Structure and Double Standards
Society celebrates successful entrepreneurs, the billionaires, millionaires, thousand and hundred earners, celebrating the companies they started. The multinationals are an epitome of success to be associated with, many want to work there, dependents are advised to study hard and prepare for employment within multinationals companies, or any successful private company. Therein lies the double standards and the duality of structure; people fail to realize that without the originating entrepreneur who started these private companies, failed, learned and eventually succeeded there would be no company to emulate, want, wish or work for! Enterprises do not start out of thin air!
So, why does society celebrate the company but less the entrepreneurial career path and journey of the individual (entrepreneur) who started the company? Why can’t more people encourage their dependents to also become entrepreneurs like the person who started the company, and put together the team or staff that over years created a multinational with the capacity to employ thousands more people? Why not also start as a micro, small or medium company that employs others to eventually become big? is this the myth of entrepreneurship? Apparently, the entrepreneur’s journey is risky with chances of failure, and people want to reap fast rewards so a steady salary (if the person is able to get a job) seems easier than sporadic income which may be characteristic of early day business start-up. It is true ‘not everyone can become an entrepreneur’ and has the ability to persist through the ups and downs.
However, while not everyone can become an entrepreneur or indeed wants to become an entrepreneur, is it a good enough reason to discourage those who want to become entrepreneurs? Is it a good enough to ask prospective youth latent or nascent entrepreneurs to go get a real job? Is it good enough not to have an open mind to understand what becoming an entrepreneur entails especially for those who want to pursue this career path? We who advocate for the entrepreneurial career know that while not everyone can become an entrepreneur, the multitude dreaming about becoming entrepreneurs need enhanced awareness about the career options, mentality and operational processes available to make informed choices. When this informed choice leads to entrepreneurial intention, motivation and action, we readily support this journey toward a sustainable entrepreneurial mindset, and the competent abilities required for viable business startup and operations.
Factors of Production and The Prosperous Entrepreneur
Furthermore, the foundation of productivity is the entrepreneur. The prosperity of any company, community or country is due to its productivity, a productive citizenry emanate from efficient combinations of the factor of production and enable better opportunities, jobs, and standards of living. In economic theory, the factors of production are land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship. Land constitutes anything above and below the ground like raw materials, building rent; labour are the employees, intrapreneurs, and team that work for the organization and earn wages for their services, capital refers to money or any capital equipment like machinery, buildings and technology, while entrepreneurship is the opportunity identification and development process, which includes making decisions how to utilize scarce factors of production to develop products or services. Hence, the entrepreneur is the key decision-maker who masterminds an effective way to combine all the factors of production to add value, manufacture quality products, provide efficient services, maximize and earn revenue for profit or social causes. Therefore, the entrepreneur is the visionary, enterprise owner, leader, competent manager and the most important component in the factors of production. The other factors do not have sufficient agency and will not work effectively without a competent entrepreneurial leader in any workplace, politics, science, arts, sports, social sciences, technological and any business or trade environment.
Employee (Labour) or the Employer (Entrepreneur)
An OECD paper said within the same age group, young self-employed individuals boast higher “life satisfaction”. Thus, society needs to encourage and support the young ‘go get a real job’ whether it be as enterprising staff or entrepreneurs, because entrepreneurship is a real job and a viable employment choice. Entrepreneurship is not a temporary career path due to inability to become an employee. Entrepreneurship is teachable. There is everything right with wanting to become the leader of an organization regardless of age. Everyone in society needs to comprehend that as human beings the only two positions available in the factors of production and within any real organization are become the employee (labour), or the employer (entrepreneur) in some cases one cannot do without the other, but which path would you pursue to actualize your dreams? The knowledge of entrepreneurship as a legitimate career and employment choice encourages leaders and an entrepreneurial society.
Let us celebrate the entrepreneurs journey because after all companies do not grow out of thin air!
Disclaimer: Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate. While every precaution has been taken in the research but it is advised that names, places, narratives and quotes be independently confirmed by the reader. The publisher and the author cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. The editor, publisher or author can accept no responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication.
Famine and hunger are coming!!!! A farmer blurted out in 2011 to another after a full harvest, who responded with shock and preventive suggestions. Now fast forward nine years later and in 2020 this threat appears real worldwide. The concerns include the current global health pandemic, neo-colonialism, decline in farmers and toxic rustlers. Today more than ever additional farmers are needed to increase food production. All countries need to get more adults and the young interested in the tangible economy, in farming, storage, distribution, commodities trade and to protect farming activities from rustlers etc. Food security is vital and presents vast opportunities. Therefore, moving forward after surviving the global pandemic, research and consider the possibilities of engaging in farming, storage, manufacturing, logistics or the mining industry.
“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness” (Thomas Jefferson)
Agriculture or farming remains the origin of real wealth and the primary source for food, medicine and the numerous manufactured finished products that people buy and use daily. Yet, fewer individuals are operating within this valuable sector. A general poll shows the young more interested in the tertiary economy e.g. music, sports or video games etc This depletion of farmer ‘entrepreneurship human assets’ and ‘human resources’ from the farms continues with the young rushing to cities to school for years only ending up seeking non-existent jobs. However, effective learning, knowledge utilisation and operating within the tangible business sectors of agriculture, mining and manufacturing are viable possibilities.
“If the farmer is rich, then so is the nation” (Amit Kalantri)
Farmers are the original entrepreneurs, producing their own food to eat or heal, selling or bartering what they can, and passing on farming knowledge to generations of their family. However, research shows farming knowledge is being lost because many don’t know where to start, don’t know any farmers to learn from, don’t find farming attractive, don’t find it glamorous like the popular sectors, are stuck importing what they can grow, process or manufacture, and don’t realise that farmers are society’s greatest assets because we all need food nutrition and crops which are processed into different end-products and medicine, because we cannot eat cars, clothes, paper, phones, laptops, computers, satellites, cash, technology or social media.
The universal law of wealth recognises the electrifying power in limitless nature, human desires and raw materials. Human and plant cells, similar to land, soil, and plants are important earth resources that renew themselves infinitely. Hence, agriculture is a timeless opportunity that would never disappear. For instance, soil farming remained inexhaustible throughout the stone, bronze and copper, iron and industrial ages, now persisting into the information, technology, and artificial intelligence age. Hydroponics is another farming technique, and commodity by-products are useful for renewable energy generation.
“Manufacture, don't just trade. There is money in manufacturing even though it is capital intensive” (Aliko Dangote)
Furthermore, manufacturing in the secondary economyis one large sector with vast opportunities as almost every single primary manufactured product including their waste are turned into reusable by-products and this value addition pays. Consider this, in 2014 the global sales for Chocolate was $100bn earned mostly by manufacturers, marketers and distributors, in contrast the core farmers/producers of the raw material Cocoa beans, such as, Cameroun, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast who inclusively account for 70% of world Cocoa production failing to add value through processing were (remain) the least paid earning about a measly $8bn in Cocoa exports that year. Therefore, read and apply, carry out extensive personal research into the primary (e.g. agriculture and mining), secondary (e.g. manufacturing and logistics) and tertiary sectors (e.g. services plus tech) of the economy to position your wealth contribution. It does help to involve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) but you don’t need a chemical engineering degree to become a manufacturer, remember that many of the greatest scientists and thinkers of the early ages were largely self-taught. Additionally, manufacturing entrepreneurs are leaders able to hire the best brains.
“Everyone should own a piece of the wealth-producing capital of this country, but not everyone can be a manager. Or should be” (Louis O. Kelso)
Additionally, for a creative thinking out-of-the-box career prospect realise the business opportunities that will remain forever relevant throughout all ages are the wealth that comes from the soil/ground, via water, agriculture and mining.The mined raw materials extracted from the ground are processed (manufactured) in factories providing the goods used in modern society.
For instance, mobile phones, laptops, computers, gaming and electronic devices and so on, are made with plastics (from oil), cobalt, tantalum (from coltan i.e. columbite and tantalite), tin (from cassiterite), tungsten, gold, platinum, palladium, zinc, cadmium, lithium and other raw materials. Also, many electric cars depend on rubber and plastics (from petrochemicals), silicon, leather (from animal skin), copper, aluminium (from bauxite ore), boron steel, steel, titanium, magnesium, cobalt, iron phosphate, rare earth metals-neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium, zinc, graphite, rechargeable batteries, nickel, lithium ion, Li-ion polymer, lithium cobalt oxide, lithium sulphur etcetera.
This old Bloomberg commodity index shows the percentage of commodities traded by June 2017. With the world discussing the phasing out of fuel cars, and growth in the use of mobile phones and other gadgets, lithium is increasing in value. Thus, you don’t need a science degree to learn about metals. Research trade value chains, technological needs, about the miners, buyers, investors plus prices of the commodities on the stock, metals exchange, or spot markets. For example, as of October 2017 the spot price of Gold was $1, 278 per ounce, and $41, 081 per kilo, today by 22 June 2020 according to Money Metals the spot price of Gold was about $1, 766 per ounce and $56, 778 per kilo. Due to the pandemic other commodity prices are lower but in 2017 Cobalt on the London Metals Exchange (the world centre for industrial metals trading) was on offer for about $59, 500 per tonne. The prices of cash crops and food commodities are well prized, so study food value-chains extensively and apply. You may also enrol in the Dr Beeka Academy and "Learn to Earn" apply knowledge to match today's reality.
“Don’t happily be a spectator in your own economy” (Monica Musonda)
“As in the rankest soil, the most beautiful flowers are grown” (James Allen)
Cash crops include agricultural products, such as, tea, coffee, sugar cane, cocoa, beans, oil palm, ground/peanuts, sesame, sweet potatoes, wheat, black-brown-white rice, yams, Shea butter, cotton, herbs, spices etcetera, that are grown to sell and earn a profit. Hence, crops are life’s essentials and those with family land or access to land, need to reconsider that farming is an esteemed activity for food security, feasible entrepreneurial career choice and business.
Farming can do be done on a micro, small scale or larger ambitious export or manufacturing scale. Many who are willing should choose/learn to grow their own food as George Washington Carver encouraged, process or sell excess crops as raw materials for other products and build a socioeconomic system. These are food for actionable thoughts, and a possible call for you to start investigating business opportunities beyond the tertiary economy, study the primary economy. For one, even though everyone eats, and no one needs a degree to learn how to farm, not everyone has the desire to farm, but many can learn to start from their garden. Farming is valuable, research indicates asides the wealth, farmers express the process that includes successfully planting seeds, nurturing, watering, weeding, harvesting, storing, selling, and repeating involves a form of purposeful joy definitely worth experiencing. Likewise, as an entrepreneur, building a business, becoming an investor or engaging in an entrepreneurial career is akin to planting seeds, dealing with obstacles and nurturing to grow successfully.
Agriculture, mining and manufacturing opportunities are feasible career sectors. The year 2020 has exposed that alongside health, social justice, technology and security; Agriculture is the wisest pursuit for recovery against personal and world hunger/famine, and very important for food security, nutrition, real wealth and happiness.There is an estimated 7.6 billion people in the world, divided into a potential market size of about 1.2 billion people in Africa in 54 countries. About 738 million people in Europe in 51 countries. About 991 million people in America in 35 countries (23 North and 12 South), and about 24 million people in Australia. A market size of 4.4 billion people in Asia in 48 countries. Each continent, country, community has unique resources, threats, strengths, weaknesses and agriculture, manufacturing and mining career/business opportunities.
1.Buy seeds and grow flowers or food, at home, in a garden or any land, water and nurture its growth and harvest. Learn first-hand how seeds germinate and grow.
2.Learn more about tangible economy business sectors?
3.Think what’s a good idea for an agriculture business?
4.Study commodities by-products find a farm and learn the business.
5.Think, what’s a good idea for a manufacturing business? Study manufacturing by-products find a manufacturer and learn the business.
6.What’s a good idea for a mining business? Study mining by-products find a mining entrepreneur and learn the business.
7.List at least three things learnt after reading this article which is part of Chapter 6 of our book Wealth Empire State of Mind (WESM): Entrepreneurship is a Viable Career Choice
Disclaimer: Every
possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained
in this article is accurate. While every precaution has been taken in
the research but it is advised that names, places, narratives and quotes
be independently confirmed by the reader. The publisher and the author
cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however
caused. The editor, publisher or author can accept no responsibility for
loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from
action, as a result of the material in this publication.
“Get sh*t done and get it done faster. There is not point in going slow” (Steve Kaufer)
The global pandemic has created a great depression with massive unemployment, hence how do we recover? Survivors need to go back to the drawing board, lean and re-plan their career choices or businesses. A knowledge of tangible and intangible sectors of the economy enables public and private sector employers, employees, plus entrepreneurs make informed decisions.
Tangible economy business opportunities include primary sector farming, mining and secondary sector manufacturing and logistics. While intangible economy businesses largely operate in tertiary sectors, including, the services of tourism, hospitality, education, finance, law, research, consultancy, other professional services, telecoms, entertainment and technology. The service economy is where the vast majority operate feasible careers. However, the year 2020 has exposed that many careers can be operated online, and despite the global pandemic and alongside health, and social justice; technology offers vast opportunities in connecting a multitude of companies, employees, entrepreneurs, buyers and sellers worldwide.
“Sergey and I founded Google because we’re super optimistic about the potential for technology to make the world a better place” & “My goal is for Google to lead, not follow” (Larry Page)
Tourism and hospitality influences a community and country’s perception affecting its ability to attract business, investment and effectively trade with others. Education formal, informal or vocational studies, indicate how skills are built and knowledge shared. Legally, every product/service bought and sold represents a business transaction, and contract so whether you study law or not, ensure the best contracts and rights. Financial services are a wide area, so learn and ensure financial literacy. Technology is omnipresent in online shopping, trading, marketing, sales, social connections, and countries such as India and mostly China operate their own functional satellites, news media etc and parallels for every technology product out there. For instance QQ or Renren appears the Facebook equivalent but beyond, Tencent Weibo compares to Twitter, while WeChat is a cross between WhatsApp and Facebook with over 800 million Chinese users, TikTok and so on.
“What new technology does is create new opportunities to do a job that customers want done” (Tim O’Reilly)
Hence, with the prevalence of technology, the funding of satellites, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and e-commerce, what are your future career, team and business opportunities? Many are using Zoom for office meetings, mobile phones for contact, VLE for online teaching and courses, Drones for various purposes, including spraying hectares of farmland, factories are replacing humans with robots etc. Many businesses are incorporating machine learning, algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) into products, marketing campaigns and operations. Many are selling online or via social media.
Furthermore, the gig economy and freelancing is on the rise younger people unwilling to settle for jobs that discriminate or distort career lifestyles. The pandemic has shown that some parts of government, offices and businesses can operate lean and virtually. Certainly, to achieve a better quality of life, access markets and operate across teams, it becomes necessary to become a digital “seller” native not only a digital “consumer”. To remain competitive and operate an enhanced career everyone and country needs to develop their STEM capacity, that is Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or even STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).
Jack Ma (Alibaba) said years before this 2020 pandemic that over the next 30 years’ people need to get educated in creativity and technology or they will be left behind unable to compete. That technology will make many people irrelevant, in pain and unprepared for the upheaval that technology will bring, as such, educational systems must raise students to be ready, creative thinkers, more curious, entrepreneurial and technologically savvy. Hence, learn and become an enabler or co-creator in this technology age, become proficient utilising technology or actively coding, programming, developing contextual algorithms, and utilising innovative technologies that make everyday life easier, including your businesses and communities more efficient.
“Believe in life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader, and fuller life” (W. E. B. Du Bois)
The service economy is where a vast majority can operate feasible careers. The year 2020 has exposed that despite the global pandemic and alongside agriculture, health, social justice, and security; STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), technology offers enormous opportunities in connecting institutions, companies, employees, like minds, entrepreneurs, farmers, commodity traders, buyers and sellers worldwide. Consider that there is an estimated 7.6 billion people in the world, divided into a potential market size of about 1.2 billion people in Africa in 54 countries. About 738 million people in Europe in 51 countries. About 991 million people in America in 35 countries (23 North and 12 South), and about 24 million people in Australia. A market size of 4.4 billion people in Asia in 48 countries. Each continent, country, city, community has unique resources, threats, strengths, weaknesses and career/business opportunities.
1.Learn more about tangible and intangible business sectors?
2.Which intangible sectors could you operate?
3.What STEAM talent or knowledge do you possess or need to learn to become an expert within your chosen tangible and intangible sector?
4.Think what’s good tech idea business? Study a tech entrepreneur to learn the business.
5.Think what’s a good idea for a freelance work from home business? Find and study a freelancer or work from home entrepreneur to learn and activate your business.
Disclaimer: Every
possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained
in this article is accurate. While every precaution has been taken in
the research but it is advised that names, places, narratives and quotes
be independently confirmed by the reader. The publisher and the author
cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however
caused. The editor, publisher or author can accept no responsibility for
loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from
action, as a result of the material in this publication.