|
 Show me someone who hasn’t failed and I’ll show you someone who never succeeded. It’s well-known that Thomas Edison failed an enormous amount in his quest to invent the light bulb– a fitting metaphor that without the dark there would be no light.
This “Area” has a solid reputation for being behind the times, a culture of “it can’t be done here.” In order to succeed, you must leave town. I don’t believe that. I have personally experienced leaving town and failing, which proves you can fail anywhere. And you can succeed anywhere.
When I say we need to encourage failure,
I don’t mean to deliberately not heed caution or to act in ignorance. I do mean that we need to encourage risk taking.
As a high school student I was looking to choose a career, there were plenty of options. Engineer, accountant, doctor, lawyer, electrician. But I realized later in life that there was one profession that was never offered. Entrepreneur. That’s because we encourage our children to take the safe route.
Entrepreneurs discover this option– most times accidentally. And when they choose the risky road of entrepreneurship, they find that there is little support or encouragement. The path they take is more of a calling, something they are born with. Something inside them feels a pull to do something different than the status quo, to invent and create. But when they step out, most times they find themselves on a lonely path. The first thing they do is try to reinvent a wheel. It’s amazing to think that the independent business person is the back bone of the country’s economy.
I believe it’s time for change. We need to encourage our youth to become entrepreneurs. What the area needs is not the easy path of the big box. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the big box. Any big box has history that can be traced back to an entrepreneur– an independent business person. I just think what is needed in addition to the big box is a diverse community of vibrant independent businesses. It’s there where the seeds of a flourishing local economy are sewn. I’m also for a locally based business growing and becoming a big box across the country.
What will revitalize the downtown and the “Greater” Wilkes-Barre area are new, young, fresh businesses. Innovative businesses, interesting businesses, diverse businesses. I don’t think supporting local independent businesses should be done out of sympathy, because you don’t want to see someone you know fail. It should be because of what they have to offer. And if they don’t offer anything of value, they shouldn’t be supported.
I believe that there is a wealth of untapped local business minds and talent that lies dormant. Why people believe geography somehow limits opportunity is beyond me. If anything, being located two hours from Philadelphia and New York City would seem like a place you’d move to on purpose.
In addition to supporting established independent businesses, we should support their creation. The community needs to support those who are willing to take these risks. These are the folks who will be creating jobs and adding to our local economy. In the beginning there are few rewards- just passion and creativity. It’s a fire that needs to be flamed so it can spread.
There are currently many resources that the budding entrepreneur can access, like the Wilkes University Small Business Development Center. There are local colleges that offer courses in entrepreneurship. There are passionate teachers at the high school level that are developing programs.
High schools and colleges need to encourage creative thinking and innovation, combined with the importance of systems and planning, so that when local banks back them, each will be taking an educated risk. Government needs to support them with the same incentives afforded to large companies. The community needs to build a network of support to exchange ideas so that entrepreneurs aren’t going it alone and making basic common mistakes that could sink them. Then the community needs to try them out and spread the word.
With a network of support, 4 out of 5 businesses don’t need to fail. Success breeds success. Energy makes energy. A small pocket of new businesses that start can be a tipping point that just might transform the area.
It begins with a question. And that question is “Why not? Why not me, why not here, why not now? That is why this kind of thinking can and will lead to a Renaissance, which translated, is Rebirth.
Our youth will believe only after we believe. There’s a collective apathy and resignation. But that mindset can be tipped the other way into a collective belief. But belief is only good if it’s followed by action. It must be started by entrepreneurs- those who are willing to go against the prevailing thought and step out and risk failure. So encourage failure. Because without failing, there is no success.
Resource For Budding Entrepreneurs
Penn State Wilkes-Barre offers Associates and Bachelors Degree Programs in Business. The curriculum includes a wide variety of marketing and management courses that will prepare students for entrepreneurship. For business program information contact Terry Clemente at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or (570) 675-9293.
The Great Valley Technology Alliance offers students a number of programs beginning in January- The Entrepreneurship Institute and the Great Valley Business Plan Competition. For more information contact Ken Okrepkie at (570) 408-9810
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or visit GreatValleyAlliance.com.
Small Business Development Center , Wilkes University
sbdc.wilkes.edu
|
