By Alusine Fullah
Given the current economic challenges facing many countries across the globe, the notion of engendering greater entrepreneurial activity has become a prominent goal for many national governments. The relevance of entrepreneurship to economic development has been highlighted by many researchers (e.g. Davidsson et al, 2006) and it is now well-recognised that education and training opportunities play a key role in cultivating future entrepreneurs and in developing the abilities of existing entrepreneurs to grow their business to greater levels of success.
More globally, governments across the world are increasingly recognising the positive impact that the creation of new businesses can have on employment levels, as well as the competitive advantages that small firms can bring to the marketplace. According to the European Commission (2008), the aim of entrepreneurship education and training should be to ‘develop entrepreneurial capacities and mind-sets that benefit economies by fostering creativity, innovation and self-employment. Indeed the role of SMEs in terms of growth, competitiveness, innovation, and employment is now substantially embedded in the activity in the Government of Sierra Leone.
In Sierra Leone, it is no joke that entrepreneurship has over the years been a talk of the town at every level especially on the level of young people. Many Sierra Leoneans (especially the youth) are now more inclined to become entrepreneurs and start what they often think will be an exciting journey. The ideas and plans are always there, but many a time the skills and financial capability have been an uphill battle.
In examining the key skills required of entrepreneurs, O’Hara (2011) identified a number of key elements which he believed featured prominently in entrepreneurship:
- The ability to identify and exploit a business opportunity;
- The human creative effort of developing a business or building something of value;
- A willingness to undertake risk;
- Competence to organise the necessary resources to respond to the opportunity.
My former teacher on Economics one time told me: “Fullah, Entrepreneurship is taking risk. Without risk just forget about business or entrepreneurship. You have to take risk…” As entrepreneurship, you are told severally how what you intended doing is not possible. On a closer look, I have observed that the things you are told that is near impossible to achieve may just be your game-changers. Honestly, you are not the first to be told: “it is not possible.” So therefor, just be ready to take risky and do it.
Remember how Barrack Obama was told he could not become an American President because he is black. He did become an American president and Barrack Obama remains black anyway. Again, remember how gravity taught us that everything that has weight naturally falls downwards when pushed upwards. I hope you could still remember in high school in Integrated Science. Guess what, the Wright brothers taught us otherwise and proved that it is possible for something heavier to not fall downwards when sent upwards when they invented the airplane on earth. Was there any risk to the above examples? Yes!
