Having just qualified to be enrolled in Arrival Education’s business programme) my 15 year old niece (who I’ll refer to as Katie) and I celebrate over breakfast at a plush hotel. As we sit I proudly began trundling out the story of my first business aged 10. She cuts me mid-flow “yes I know, I know there’s a kid just like you at my school…” Hiding my feelings of deflation not being able to tell my story I pretend to listen enthusiastically to her story. It turned out to be rather good. It features a rampant young entrepreneur (we’ll call Carl) at her school.
Katie provides Carl with locker space. Hidden in the locker is a treasure trove of crisps, cakes and other goodies. During the break the young man markets and sells his wares to fellow students. On some days he makes up to £50 per day!
Unfortunately, he was nabbed and the venture forcibly dismantled. His punishment was to hand back all the cash to all the students. All his merchandise was confiscated and disposed of.
The affair brought back to mind an argument with Sir Alan Sugar at a public event. He got himself all bent out of shape when my PR guys asked his PR guys to endorse my book The History of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs. That day he appeared a man looking for an argument. One of the things that disappointed me about Sir Alan was an answer to an enquiry by a young female Asian post graduate.
With Sir Alan now being the Enterprise Czar, she gave him the story of her being somewhat press ganged into academia. She added it would be a great idea to have career guidance officers become more familiar with entrepreneurship as a career alternative.
Sir Alan blew her out of the water saying “did they hold a double barrel shot-gun to your telling you to do blah blah.” A number of people felt it was too dismissive. And actually career officers ‘should’ be trained to provide information on entrepreneurship as an alternative career choice.
Anonio Semler started his entrepreneurial career at school.
Extract from History of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs
…Antonio Semler was one of those rare visionaries, with the strength of character to act on what he saw as the coming future. He got it right and the company grew into a major exporter, with factories dotted about Brazil. His teenage son Ricardo was a first-class bum, who loved frolicking around on his guitar (he was tone deaf), but when it came to business he could really rock and roll. His earliest venture was the reorganisation of a lunchtime snack stand at his school. He increased the operation’s hours, played suppliers off against each other, and put a halt to freebies. The budding entrepreneur made a little money and promptly invested it on the stock market. He made enough to fly all those involved off to a holiday resort.
After leaving school Semler was enrolled in Brazil’s top law school, scraping through with Ds…
Richard Branson started his entrepreneurial career at school.
Extract from History of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs
…Branson’s next venture was born out of dissatisfaction with the school’s rules and a new interest in journalism. The school’s existing magazine was too timid for his ideas on school-rules reform. So he and Jonny decided to launch their own inter-school magazine called The Student. Branson and Gems contacted MPs, sold ads, and travelled up and down from London. After securing one-on-ones with 1970s A-listers such as Vanessa Redgrave, David Hockney, Mick Jagger and John Lennon, interviews were easier to get.
The headmaster’s perceptive parting shot to Branson in 1967 was in writing: “Congratulations Branson, I predict you will either go to prison or become a millionaire.” He was right – but on both counts….
Aristotle Onassis started his entrepreneurial career at school.
Extract from History of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs
…Whilst attending his school’s graduation ceremony, a friend of Onassis’s tried to console him about his very disappointing results by saying: “Don’t worry, you’ll get yours next year.” Onassis reacting sharply saying: “Idiot! Do you think I'm going to hang around here? The world’s a small place. I don’t need a diploma. One day you'll be amazed by what I can do.”
Most of the great entrepreneurs left school early. It might be necessary to do so if they want to develop their peculiar opportunity based thinking (Schemataa).
Early manifestation of entrepreneurial thinking should be treated in the same way a student who show exceptional talent for Maths or English.
Along with my niece Katie, Carl was also enrolled on Arrival Education programme. Not at the schools behest mind you. Arrival’s programme will not only keep kids in school, keep them excited about the future, but it will probably help earn millions for the UK. God knows the country needs help paying its debts!
The children are literally our future.
http://www.arrivaleducation.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/shillingford1000?feature=mhum
http://www.facebook.com/ronshgillingford#!/profile.php?id=100000951976695&ref=ts
ron@thehistoryoftheworldsgreatestentrepreneurs.com
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