Pick up any business theory associated with success, and you’ll find entrepreneurial behavior as the primary ingredient. Without a doubt, entrepreneurship is the most prominent word in modern-day business.
It’s so attractive to the ears that if a person quotes himself/herself as an entrepreneur, we instantly believe him/her to be successfully running an innovative business.
We know that entrepreneurship is the way to success. But if that’s so, why isn’t it being taught? Or is it? If entrepreneurship is the mantra to success, it must be taught, isn’t it? That way, most people would be able to justify their potential and get value out of their hard- plus smart work.
Let’s see if this is possible.
Dividing the Concept
On the whole, entrepreneurship encompasses several aspects, including characteristics like motivation, creativity, innovation, etc.
These characteristics are subjective, and therefore, they cannot be taught. Since they are embedded in portions within an entrepreneurial plan, it means that some aspects can be taught and some can’t be.
Wait! Let me make it more clear by dividing the entrepreneurial procedure into sections.
Putting forth an Idea
“The more an idea is developed, the more concise becomes its expression; the more a tree is pruned, the better is the fruit.”
—Alfred Bogart
You know that an idea is everything. For a business succeeds, it has to be disruptive. It has to be something that adds value to your interests, and at the same time, pushes you into contention in the market.
An idea of this stature can only be a product of high-order thinking and observation. Frankly speaking, this cannot be taught. Your idea is intrinsic, and you’ll have to come up with it yourself.
Implementing the Idea on the ground
How you implement your idea depends on your market knowledge, rational thinking, resources at disposal, and entities in support. For an idea to be appropriately implemented, it is essential that you draft a business plan addressing all the probable challenges. Favorably, this is something that can be taught. Ideal formulation of a business plan is usually a part of courses like an MBA.
But, in the latter half of the idea’s implementation, things can get tricky. Well, the business plan won’t do justice to your work until it is being run. For that, you’ll have to establish your brand. This will again require an understanding of the market trends but will also necessitate the employment of the utmost level of creativity. Hence, this can be partially taught.
Sustaining the business over a period
Once you’re in the market, it is upon you how you wish to run your business. You must formulate your vision and mission and idealize concepts like short- and long-term objectives. Besides that, you should keep in check with the recruitment processes.
Now, a business’s success sustenance is subject to effective evolution. This evolution is saturated with a definite vision, an efficient workforce, and an adherence to the trends. But there’s one thing that runs the business above all — INNOVATION. The inclusion of this world automatically eliminates the scope of teaching. You got that, right?
Where can an individual learn from?
So, we know that some things can be taught and acquired. In that light, there must be some sources that provide good information about how to proceed with an entrepreneurial mindset.
Sure, there are.
Business Schools
Business Schools conduct MBA programs, which are suitable for students who wish to pursue business administration. It is noteworthy that these business schools majorly emphasize running and monitoring a business over a prolonged run. There’s almost nothing in the store for reacting swiftly to scenarios where creativity, innovation, ideas, and motivation are bound by time.
Consider this; the COVID-19 pandemic hit your business, and now you’re left flat-footed. The business school knowledge will surely assist you in recognizing what’s important for you and the best practices associated with a response. However, the decision to choose a business model and make it successful over a certain period of time will be all your doing.
In other words, business schools can prepare you for the complex future, but the reaction in the same will depend on your intellectual instincts.
Professional Environment
People at your workplace are skilled. Well, that’s why they are there. This professional environment is one of the most attractive sights to gain insight into what people think and how do they envision, transforming their thoughts into action.
Personal Space
If there’s anything that you can use to its complete potential, it is your personal space. If you look around, your personal space is surrounded by technology. Where there’s technology, there’s knowledge. In simple words, use the resources around you, including books, e-books, videos, and journals to gain knowledge about the market, the best practices, innovations, and work-life balance.
Observation
Believe me; the most you’ll learn is through observation. The story of the Nursingpreneur’s emergence is much more related to observation that anything.
I used to read about and observed other nurses and midwives in my field. I noticed how they did what they did and if they followed a certain path. Then one day, I thought to myself that hardly anyone talks about the relationship between nursing and entrepreneurship. And here we are!
Lastly, who can be the best teachers?
A person who can teach entrepreneurship must be an entrepreneur, right? Well, theoretically it’s a bit sophisticated. Klein and Bullock carried out a study in 2006 to investigate the same question — Can entrepreneurship be taught?
They revealed that not everyone thinks of entrepreneurship as a concept associated merely with business virtues like motivation, creativity, innovation, etc. Some theorists and economists relate entrepreneurship to a mandatory affair for running businesses. It is deeply rooted in any business.
But if you go by the common comprehension of entrepreneurship, you won’t relate it to every business since not every business is succeeding, right?
So, for the former thought process, economists will be the ideal people to teach entrepreneurship. For the latter, however, the sources mentioned above act as the best teachers.
In a nutshell
Entrepreneurship is like spirituality — both things can have a certain path of exploration; however, their existence depends on an individual’s commitment. Not to forget, entrepreneurship does prowess. Not to forget, entrepreneurship does constitute some things, which can be taught.
Study Reference
Klein, P. G., & Bullock, J. B. (2006). Can entrepreneurship be taught?. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 38(2), 429-439.
