The Many Faces of Entrepreneurship
Walking around small-town America’s main street, you will pass the town diner filled with customers talking and enjoying a late breakfast, the banker chatting with the folks he passes, the florist, the pharmacy, the bakery and coffee shop inviting you in through an open door, the auto repair shop coming into town, the ice cream parlor, and many other small businesses that make the town what it is…home. Many of these small businesses started with a dream or a need the town needs to be filled, and with hard work and community support, they have become successful.
Small town America is a showcase of entrepreneurship, people who have a dream, took the risk and made their dream a reality. As a result, they have touched the lives of many people. From the people they serve each day, to the people who work there, all the while making the town a better place. If it were not for the entrepreneurs' many small towns would cease to exist.
While teaching a course on entrepreneurship, it seemed strange that the focus was on launching the next great technology company, the next pharmaceutical company, a new version of alternative energy, all worth worthy endeavors. A stranger observation was the need for a business plan and a small business (SBA) loan in order to get started. Many of today’s successes did not start with the luxury of an SBA loan or a business plan, eg. Apple Computer started famously in a garage is a great example. It is a safe bet that many businesses on the small-town main street did not get a boost from the SBA, just hard work, maybe some local investors who believed in them, and the community.
Small-town America has many faces. They have weathered economic downturns, the loss of once stable local industries such as coal, etc., the pandemic that required many to close, and yet they survive to live another day. An SBA loan is a short-term solution to the long-term problem of how does a small business in business.
Walk down the main street of America’s small towns and look at its many faces. Those who had a dream, took the risk, and opened the door to their business. A longer look will give a glimpse into the impact that their business has on the community, the people who frequent their shops every day, and the people who work there.
Small-town America is where many businesses got their start and where the next generation of great businesses and entrepreneurs will begin!
Dr. Lawson is an executive coach and a Professor of Economics and Strategy. He writes on business issues, education, and developing today’s modern executives. He can be found on Twitter @dplwsn and #TMIBS.
Originally published at http://lwson.wordpress.com on June 7, 2021.
