I read an article on Mashable called 4 Ways To Nurture Your Child’s Entrepreneurial Spirit which made some really great points on supporting young entrepreneurs.
As the founder of Raising CEO Kids, I agree with Jim (father of Rich Abermanon, the founder of We Pay) on many of his points: letting kids discover their passions, leading them by example, challenging them to be their best, and positively encouraging them. What I don’t agree with is Jim’s assertion that we CAN’T raise entrepreneurs.
Having interviewed over 160 young entrepreneurs from around the world (and many of their parents), I see things differently. A large number of these successful entrepreneurs were raised in homes where parents started teaching them about business and finance very early in their lives. These parents modeled successful business practices either in a family business or by introducing their children to other business mentors. This exposure to business at a young age, shaped the childrens’ decisions to become entrepreneurs.
Yes, some children are more wired for entrepreneurship than others and you can’t and shouldn’t force children to be entrepreneurs. However, you can and should raise children to have an entrepreneurial mindset and to engage the world that way. To secure a the “job of your dreams”, it is no longer enough to simply get a good education. Our troubled global economy demands that those looking for a job are self-starters, risk-takers, creative, and able to network and communicate both digitally and in-person. Youth will need to be raised with an entrepreneurial mindset to succeed in this new job landscape even if they choose not to be the CEO of their own company. The world is different now and it is time to say, “YES” to raising kids with an entrepreneurial mindset.
Sarah thanks for this compelling post. I suppose as with anything, as you say you shouldn’t force your child into something or put too much pressure on them, but you can inspire them and get them interested in ways of using their minds and skills to get ahead in life. Cathy.
That’s exactly right Cathy! You can inspired them to take their gifts and talents and do something great with them! Thanks for stopping by to comment!