Not every entrepreneurship story is “rags to riches”.
Many high-flying entrepreneurs came from from upper-middle-class families. While they don’t owe their success entirely to mom and dad, without their parents’ help, be it financial or otherwise, they may have never gotten their ventures off the ground. Research has shown that 75% of entrepreneurs from 48 countries said that their family was involved in starting their businesses.
Family money and background plays a critical role when it comes to starting up a business. In some cases, it can provide a financial safety net in the case of failure. As much as economically, the family environment that has a big impact on the startup entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurial behaviour is driven by families, not just family businesses. Families can act entrepreneurially together to create growth, and foster entrepreneurship and positive impact in society.
This doesn’t happen by default. While the entrepreneurial spirit of the founder may be passed along to their children, the spirit and drive may dissipate in subsequent generations. Passing on the creativity and innovation of the founding generation across new generations is a challenge of the highest order.
In some families, the elders were able to build intergenerational bridges to their grandchildren by mentoring them as young entrepreneurs. The value created in doing that is far more than financial.
Consider This: Does your family ‘remember’ the entrepreneurship of the founder(s)? What do you do to foster the continuity of the entrepreneurial spirit? (e.g. share stories? invest in entrepreneurial risk asset class? mentor rising generation entrepreneurs?)
The original article was published in Entrepreneur Coaching: Fostering Entrepreneurship - David Werdiger
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A successful family advisor, business strategist, entrepreneur, and thought leader with a proven track record of achievement in driving innovation and growth for entrepreneurial endeavours and not-for-profit organisations.
David’s experience includes founding and building multiple businesses from the ground up, and expanding and leading operations into new markets. He is recognised by colleagues as a creative problem-solver and strategist with expertise in coming up with ideas and creating new ways of improving business, strategy, operations, and results.
As a business and family advisor, he provides clients with expert business advice on intergenerational business and wealth transition, advancing entrepreneurial efforts, setting up good governance, improving financial and operational results, and strategic direction. He is also a seasoned program leader with an aptitude for providing governance in corporate and philanthropic pursuits with a strong focus on culturally focused non-profits.