No one seems to work harder, put
in longer hours, get more mentally fatigued and question more often
whether it is all worth the effort than the entrepreneur.
The entrepreneur's responsibilities to employees, family members and
investors can be overwhelming. The skills required are diverse and
complex -- financial, managerial, technical, organizational and others
too numerous to mention. The risk of failure and bankruptcy is often
lingering just around the corner, hovering like a specter that you'd
like to ignore but can't.
And yet, those who do it, love it. Many who aren't entrepreneurs wish
that they were. Most Americans seem to have "Yankee ingenuity" built
into their souls and believe that, given the chance, their ideas would
surely become a commercial success.
I believe that the entrepreneurial spirit is at the root of our society
and our image of ourselves as a people. It is the stuff of our economy
and our civilization. It is the essence of the American dream.
Frustratingly, very few entrepreneurs have all the skills required
to succeed in this glorious adventure. Thankfully, there is help available
-- if you know where to look.
The federal government, for example, has established several programs
to assist the entrepreneur. One is focused on the needs of the small
manufacturer. It is administered through the National Institute of
Standards and Technology and is called the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership. The model used for the MEP is the agricultural extension
system, which has been successful in making the United States the
top agricultural production country in the world.
The state MEP office has experts who are available to assist you in
gaining the skills needed to run your company more effectively. Usually
the MEP will have manufacturing engineers who can come to your plant
and provide assessments, specialized training or access to experts
for solving special problems. The existence of the MEP and its federal
subsidies depend upon how well you rate them in their ability to render
assistance. Imagine, a governmental agency that requests a formal
rating from the customer on every job!
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A second
source of help for the entrepreneur may be available at a nearby college
or university. I know that some view universities as ivory towers
where professors take a theoretical and disinterested view of the
business world. But I also know some university programs that are
anxious to assist industry and have become directly involved with
local entrepreneurs. At BYU, we have created a mechanism to bridge
between disciplines by establishing a Professorship in Entrepreneurial
Technology -- the designation of a particular professor whose responsibility
is to try to merge ideas and activities between the colleges of engineering/technology
and business.
We also have a Center for Entrepreneurship that
works with local entrepreneurs and provides direct assistance. The
center invites successful entrepreneurs to come to campus and explain
to students how they achieved success. These speakers supplement the
classes taught by the center's faculty on the theory and practice
of entrepreneurship. The center also facilitates placement of interns
in local businesses, a benefit to both the students and the companies.
So, where should an entrepreneur go for assistance?
The choice is up to you. The important thing to know is that there
is help available -- if you know where to look. |
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