( A flyover of all the glorious forms of creating your own asset )
Just as a strong case can be made that entrepreneurship & education are intertwined, so the same can be said for energy & entrepreneurship. How many business owners do you know who live day to day with boundless determination? Joy? A skip in their steps?
We have a B-i-G opportunity! We should encourage entrepreneurship’s many forms so the energy in our society is always flowing, & many new assets are created to better ourselves, families, communities, nations, & beyond!
Describing Our Economy
Thought leaders have been using various labels:
Multisided platforms ( ‘Matchmaker Economics’ )
You might wonder; how do these inform, inspire, & instigate citizens to leave mediocrity behind to embrace these energetic forms of entrepreneurship?
Inform(ation)
With conventional classrooms in all 3 tracks very slow to adapt to the modern era, as entrepreneurs, we can share stories, teachable moments, & connections with those in our own, as well as younger, generations.
Welcome any opportunities to be someone’s mentor, advisor, or coach. Focus on paying forward crucial knowledge to others. Serve 1st always!
Inspire (-ation)
Often, entrepreneurship is not a soft fluffy bed; it’s part of the charm of the day to day journey to struggle at times! Anything that comes ‘easy’ often has more downside than engaging in smart x hard work building a business.
Don’t hide this from those whom you talk with, yet don’t muddy the clear lens of a passionate individual who wants to be a difference maker. Inspire her by adding value, w/ no stated expectation of reward or return.
Instigate ( lighting sparks )
Those who deeply understand principles such as the ‘Five Laws …’ & ‘Law of Attraction’ should be beacons of inspired instigation in her circles of influence.
The sparks lit in the fire pits of today will lead to the solutions of tomorrow.
So many of our most pressing societal challenges can be solved with entrepreneurial energy; if you flip back through the pages of history, you’ll see this jump off the pages.
7 Forms
Now, we transition from the most valuable question, why?, to what? +
( + we’ll leave out ‘how’; JFK’s 1962 Rice Univ Speech is the model for why not to focus on this Q )
Franchisor/franchisee
- Franchise consultants set up shop to help someone who has the liquid capital to purchase a brand & its intellectual property, turnkey system/s, & in many cases, a ‘bricks & mortar’ location. Franchisees are far from cutting edge concept; although if you were talking with your grandparent(s), they would tell you that at 1 point, it was new & barely understood!
Solo-preneurial / proprietor
- This is the simplest form. How do you monetize? Choices inc. hour for dollar billing ( ‘self employed’, creating your own job ); using a retainer; or working on a project basis. As with any form, there are pluses & the opposite; yet, if you’re very new to entrepreneurship, keeping things uncomplicated may be your wisest choice.
Gig / freelancer / contractor
- Gig based businesses abound in our modern age; do depth based research to find options best for you. Freelancing is very common in right brained, creative pursuits like social media, content/digital marketing, & writing. Finally, being a contractor for a larger enterprise where you are offered more flexibility than an old school W-2 employee could very well be a win:win arrangement.
Broker / Agent
- Insurance & real estate: Both have high name recognizance, even by those who have never been entrepreneurial. Many of the agencies & companies operating in these very mature industries are always looking for someone who is servant minded & willing to tailor a solution to the consumer/prospective policyholder or buyer/seller ‘s unique needs.
Direct Sales
- This form is newer on the block than its sister ( see below ). How is it different than Ntwk Mkt/MLM? It often generates income for the owner through the promotion of events versus growing a team. For instance, you set up a cooking demo, offer products to those that attend at a % off, & build a relationship with them that goes beyond 1 transaction. Often, social media is used most often by these consultants, hosts, & associates.
Network Marketing ( MLM )
- A mature form, when compared to its brother ( scroll up ), they’ve been options for upwards of a century! Yet, there is still much mis-understanding, inaccurate representation of its legality/lawfulness, etc. This form is absolutely viable, esp. for those with people skills; those who are patient & don’t expect income overnight; or someone who is able to lead another by serving her first, a fundamental for building a team that replaces you.
Licensor / licensee
- The licensee model is essentially ‘franchisee lite‘. It has many elements of the latter, yet it doesn’t necessitate a bricks & mortar storefront; often, you can be a mobile-preneur ( easily able to work at a coffee shop, coworking facility, or at home ). Licensors offer intellectual capital ( logos, brand awareness, a systems based approach to building revenue & cash flow ) in exchange for a 1 time, or recurring payment(s).
Lots of – ‘Preneurs! Which are you?!
- Mobile-preneur
- Side-preneur
- You-preneur
- Mom-preneur
- Wanna-preneur
- Serial-preneur
- Intra-preneur
- Teen-preneur
Profiles Worth Following
Self directed Educational links
Employee vs Entrepreneur – Which is Riskier?
Actually, Starting Your Own Company …
In short …
- Describing today’s economy
- Inform, inspire, & instigate
- 7 forms of energy: entrepreneurial options
- Types of -preneurs
- Three Twitter handles
- For further learning …
Thank YOU for reading!
SJ Barakony is a serial entrepreneur, futurist, & connector.
He lives in Ohio & is the Founder of Service Before Self Leadership: An Educational Solutions Provider.
He offers four highly customizable solutions to encourage families, individuals, faith institutions, & business owners to create & cultivate lifelong learning cultures in our homes & workplaces.
He’s been a guest on an educational podcast; been interviewed for an online small business community; is a guest blogger for Innovate NA; and has been an invited speaker five separate times for HECOA.
He believes strongly in youth & social entrepreneurship: He continues to serve two chapters of the YEA program (student mentor, mock judge, ad hoc consultant ) & has co-facilitated a session of the SeaChange Accelerator program.
He serves as the TDD for Cleveland & Columbus (Ohio) for the H7 Network.
He also recently became an educational advisor for Tessr.io, a startup in the exciting world of blockchain/cryptocurrencies that will be establishing a cutting edge educational foundation.
