Lifting Each Other Up: How Entrepreneurship Can Make Us Better
During the past year of lockdowns, I have something to be very grateful for. Being an entrepreneur has anchored me. Given me a consistent reason to get up in the morning, to keep growing, to drive forward and explore new opportunities, collaborations and in turn, a whole new future. It’s been a privilege to also be able to do this with friends, associates, and clients who have trusted me with their time, businesses, passions, and dreams.
Deciding to go it alone, and build my own company has brought many challenges, some natural to the game, some exacerbated by 2020, but the growth and opportunity held within have been something else. As Sobonfu Somé says, conflicts (challenges, miscommunication, misunderstandings or clashes of mind, will and intention) are the primary engine for growth.
My line of work includes helping people define and strategise for success, and has included meeting hundreds of people at pivotal stages of defining and deciding on their future. Especially as a Black woman serving a diverse range of high potential but otherwise overlooked clients — whether they want to start a business, take ownership at work, in their family or get a personal / creative project off the ground — most people are looking for a combination of freedom and ownership that makes entrepreneurial skills and thinking worthwhile to develop.
The problem?
On a global strategic level we don’t treat entrepreneurial skills like they are that worthwhile. Structurally, the industry is designed for the few. The stats are increasingly out there, but reports such as the 1863 Ventures Impact report highlight some of the issues that experience shows are global trends.
Longstanding hard work on their part, and organisations like Cornerstone Partners, Bethnal Green Ventures, Capital Enterprise OneTech, Ada Ventures and Diversity VC has gone some way to tackle this, but we are a long way from the amazing outcomes and benefits some entrepreneurs have experienced being available to even a decent amount of the current ecosystem, let alone the rest of the population.
I don’t believe entrepreneurship is for everybody, but it hurts my heart the number of really amazing ideas and people who’ve found no suitable support until I came along.
The lack of entrepreneurial teaching in school, plus uneven pathways through careers means that outside of privileged spaces it is pretty arbitrary which person gets the opportunities for progression, ownership and development that would enable them to understand what problem they want to solve, and to have ideas about how to do that as a company.
Yet interest in starting a company isn’t waning and the problems that need solving aren’t going away. Business startup support often falls to community centres (stretched during these pressing times) or are too conventional (where’s your 72 page business plan before we talk about anything) to offer truly accessible support. And great people and great ideas are falling by the wayside. This is a problem for us all — in terms of the amount of money being left out of the economy, to the tune of £250billion+, and it is worrying for anyone who wants to see a fairer world . <www.2030vision.com> <https://medium.com/zebras-unite/zebrasfix-c467e55f9d96>
The good news is that the things that you can do to solve this problem are actually going to help you become better entrepreneurs. If you are reading this, even 20 minutes of your time can set someone on a path to greatness, and in a world that seems increasingly confusing and arbitrary, this is a way you can make an impact creating the kind of world you want to see.
- Branch out.
I have met some of the most incredible people on platforms like Hi Right Now, and Lunchclub, at events such as Heartful Academy and within Founders of the Future and even on the Venture Deals course I took for free this summer. But even for those of you at the most fledgling stage of your journey, what you know is valuable to people who aren’t affiliating themselves with buzzwords for entrepreneurs.
Host a virtual assembly for a school, find the new CICs in your area, post in a Mutual Aid group, put a postcard up in your local grocery store and ask the friends and family that still don’t quite get what you want to do, virtually of course, if there isn’t an area of their life that you might be helpful to them in.
The best innovators are people whose brains have been stretched by engaging in problem solving outside of their own silo, so doing something like this is bound to help you grow.
2. Build a “branch out” strategy.
Embedding this activity into the roster for your business is going to supercharge your customer discovery and has the potential to tap you into otherwise untapped markets/demographics and do wonders for your organic traffic and first person reviews. Consultants such as myself and the good people at ila are well placed to help you design a time effective strategy that boosts you towards your 2021 goals.
3. Know that you have something important to offer.
You might not be a 7 figure business owner, with a huge brand, but you are on this path, however far you are down it, because you have something special to offer. Your experiences, interests and skills combine to create a specific you that someone else needs to encounter. Don’t be shy, or reserved with it. There is always space, and there is always time for that version of you to be in the spotlight.
4. Get in touch
House of SweetWaters has big plans (and thankfully, big and equally passionate partners), who are working to demystify the entry to the entrepreneurial playing field. Ila has X expertise in helping organisations be more diverse and accessible (i.e. profitable) whilst staying true to mission. Both of us are here to help.
Written by: Mara Livermore
Mara Livermore is a coach, consultant and strategist helping individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses to define and then achieve success. She specialises in supporting ambitious, mission-led, early-stage ventures, using human centred frameworks and techniques to anticipate the needs of her clients and the businesses they serve. When she isn’t doing that you can find her doing research at The University of Liverpool, developing support for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery, donating time to diverse founders or rekindling a love of biscuits. You can book a time to have a chat with her here. Check out House of Sweetwaters to learn more about Mara and what we do!
About ila:
As a multi-awarded social enterprise, our aim, at ila, is to champion a purpose-driven and socially aware workforce. Our innovative tailored programs and world-class advisory team have extensive experience working with HR professionals, leadership teams and employees to champion a diverse and gender equal culture in the workplace.
Visit ila at https://www.ilageneration.com/home to find out more about us, the work we do and how we can help you in taking the first step towards a new way of working.
