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As a business coach, I take small business very seriously. Small business and
entrepreneurs can have a major impact on individuals, families and communities.
So, in my mind small business is big business to me! My passion is to help
entrepreneurs build profitable businesses. My goal is to generate more revenue
and profit for my clients!
Why am I so passionate? It reminds me of early childhood. From birth to fourteen
years old, I lived in the projects in Detroit, Michigan with my mother who was
single and divorced. I first learned that we were not financially secure when my
mother asked me one Thanksgiving, if I wanted to have breakfast instead the
traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It was that moment when I realized that we did
not have a lot of money! I was eight years old. That experience changed my life
forever. I became more aware about the importance of money. What if my mother
had become an entrepreneur instead of an employee? Perhaps, my family would have
achieved more financial stability and struggled less.
My vision and mission is about changing lives! For me, coaching is personal. If
I can show a business owner how to become more successful, that will produce
more dollars for her children, family, community group and church! It also means
college education, retirement and financial security. Small business is serious
business. It comprises men and women, who take risks, work long hours and create
a business from scratch. We should celebrate everybody that who embraces the
entrepreneurial spirit!
There are 24.7 million businesses in the United States! 17.6 million businesses
have no employees, while 5.7 million have employees. Did you know that small
businesses make up 99.9% of all the businesses in the country? A small business
is a company with less than 500 employees. There are only 17,000 large
businesses. (Microsoft, General Electric, General Motors etc.)
Small business produces the majority of the new products and services in
America. Most millionaires do not come from corporate America. They are a result
of building a profitable enterprise and not working for someone else! So, why
are we so infatuated with Fortune 500 companies? Twenty years ago, the strategy
was to graduate from college and get build a successful career with a Fortune
500 company.
Now, these large corporations are losing business, revenue and market share to
global competition and lying off employees. Times have changed! Why do these
companies still get all the attention?
That is because it is easier writing about a large company. They have the name
recognition, the public relations staff, advertising dollars, more information,
more employees and more people know more about them.
We have got to celebrate and promote a more entrepreneurial culture in the
United States! Our future existence and the welfare of our children might depend
on it.
I strongly believe that we should focus more attention on small business. It is
where America’s future lies. We should embrace entrepreneurship and free
enterprise! There are many tremendous advantages and benefits!
It is important to build strong businesses in urban and rural communities.
Having more entrepreneurs are vital to building a strong community. It is a
source of jobs, products, and services. Small business can play a vital role in
increasing the number of internships and apprenticeships for young people. Much
of the financial support for our non-profit and community organizations comes
from small business. Many of our best volunteers come from the small business
community. As important, some of our best leaders and role models come from the
small business sector.
Instead of reinforcing a celebrity culture, we should promote a society that
celebrates entrepreneurship and free enterprise! I truly believe that what we
celebrate, we become. So, if America celebrates sports and entertainment, many
of our children will only aspire to become professional athletes, dancers,
actors, entertainers and rappers.
This must change!
As a youngster growing up in Detroit, Michigan, I had the benefit of having many
small businesses in my neighbor. As a paperboy, I learned the value of hard
work, initiative and commerce. For my efforts, I was able to support my mother
by buying groceries for the house! For me, it gave me great confidence and
improved my self-image. It improved my math skills too! I also learned good
sales skills, how to communicate and get along with others.
Unfortunately, things are different today. I do not see a lot of small
businesses in communities any more. If there are only a small number of
businesses in our neighborhoods, where can our young people learn these vital
skills?
You cannot learn it all in school!
Perhaps, if we promote and celebrate entrepreneurship, free enterprise and
business ownership, we will produce more successful companies, improve
educational and job opportunities for our young people.
Did you know that in Georgia, twenty-five percent of our high school children
never graduate from high school? We lose some of our kids because they fail to
see the value of education. They do not see the connection between education and
success.
By having more small businesses in our communities and encouraging their active
participation, we can save our youth. Young people will value education and
aspire to become entrepreneurs, because there will be more business owners. Our
youth will see and experience a stronger connection with what is taught and how
it can be applied to their daily life and the “real world”. Our children will
better understand why you must master English, math, and science. They will
grasp the importance of listening, communicating, working together and becoming
a leader. These are all essential qualities that one must have to be successful
in life! More business education programs like Junior Achievement could expand
to local elementary, middle and high schools. This could bring more internship
and apprenticeship opportunities to our high schools, colleges and universities.
That is why I am passionate about entrepreneurship and dedicated to building a
stronger entrepreneurial society! GM, Ford and Microsoft cannot save us! We need
to build our own businesses and in our communities! And support them with our
dollars! The choice is yours! Perhaps, if we are talking about improving
opportunities for our young people, the choice is quite clear! As the wise Yoda,
once said in one of the Star Wars movies, “There is no can but, do!”
Kenneth D. Brown is President and CEO of E3 Capital Resources, LLC (E3C), a
business development company that specializes in business success systems,
leadership, sales, communication and technology. Ken is a passionate
entrepreneur and coach. He embraces the servant leadership philosophy and serves
as a catalyst for free enterprise, small business and economic development. Ken
works with growth–oriented companies in technology, healthcare, manufacturing,
financial and business services industries. E3C stands for Entrepreneurship,
Empowerment, Evolution, Connect, Collaborate and Create.... as in greater
opportunities for all entrepreneurs worldwide!
Check out the company website:
http://www.E3CLink.com and Ken's Blog:
http://www.E3C.typepad.com
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