The fact some people dedicate their life to working on a new product or idea or strive to improve existing ones is crucial to our quality of life, prosperity and even peace as a nation. These people are the inventors, entrepreneurs and business leaders all around us. Sound like a stretch? Consider the following simple examples before discouraging your kids or anyone from following their dream of running a business:
You are sick: When you are sick the only person you want to see is a doctor, but if that doctor has to ride his horse to see you and simply had a cold cloth and bitters in his bag chances are you aren’t getting better anytime soon. Thanks to companies like Ford, GE and Johnson & Johnson the doctor can get to you fast (Ford), is able to provide a quick diagnosis (GE healthcare equip) and give meds to bring you back to perfect health (Johnson & Johnson). And oh, did you phone the doctor or send him a smoke signal. Thank you Entrepreneurs!
Getting an Education: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic are the basis for learning and teachers will surely be the first among the angels in heaven. However it would be hard to read a book without the invention of the Gutenberg Press, impossible to write down your thoughts without a Faber Castel pencil, don’t forget the paper, notebooks, photocopiers, calculators, smart boards….etc. These days people with an internet connection can take online classes from anywhere in the world. Thank you Entrepreneurs!
Now what about the food you eat, the factory that processes and packages it, the store that sells it, the company that built it, the trucks that deliver, the roads they drive on, the lights that tell them to stop and go… or what about the plane you fly on, the hotel you stay at, the boat you fish on. Then there is the house you live in, clothes you wear, the make up you use, the furniture you use, the financing that provides the oxygen for industry….ok I think you get the point.
Everyone has his or her place in the world: doctors heal, teachers educate, artists entertain, police protect, and business PROVIDES. Never underestimate the “necessity” for our societies to encourage and invest in the entrepreneurial spirit. Perhaps the next time a young child gets excited to put up a lemon aid stand or go door to door to raise money for a charity you will consider it an opportunity to encourage them to do it to the best of their ability – who knows where this may lead!