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Are Entrepreneurs Born Or Made? Kuza Biashara’s Take

Business Ideas in Kenya
Courtesy: danielpriestley.com

Are entrepreneurs born or made? This is an age-old question…yet, so far no one seems to have come up with a good answer to it. So, today, Kuza Biashara would like to pose the same question to you “Are some of us just born moneymakers?”

As you figure out how to respond, we would like to (briefly) present a few facts to you. Below is a chart that shows the age at which most people venture into the world of business.

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Courtesy: Ernst& Young n=685 participants

We Think Entrepreneurs are Made Not Born

The chart above shows that despite starting at a young age, most “successful” entrepreneurs take some time to familiarize with the world of business. This is why majority start at the age bracket of 20 to 29 years.

More than 50% of entrepreneurs have to go through a “transition” process so that they can gain some experience before launching their ventures.

Of course, people like Bill Gates (owner Microsoft Corporation) and Mark Zuckenberg (owner Facebook Inc.) are an exception to this rule given that they launched their business ventures without necessarily having to go through the “transition” stage.

Given the chart above it is possible to conclude that indeed “Entrepreneurs are MADE not BORN” as there is always a need to get some training prior to starting a successful enterprise.

It’s no wonder we have so many BUSINESS SCHOOLS opening up nowadays…if only entrepreneurs were BORN and not MADE, why would one need to attend those schools?

But Some People Are Born Entrepreneurs

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Richard Branson – Born an Entrepreneur.

Some people are born entrepreneurs…born to think differently…born to take unconventional risks…born to think BIG.

We are talking about the likes of Richard Branson who failed all his exams and quit school when he was only 16 years of age. He now owns Virgin Islands (In the UK), Virgin Atlantic Airline, Virgin Money etc. and has even come to Kenya to invest in a leisure camp at the heart of the Masai Mara Game Reserve.

Branson is currently estimated to be worth 3,000, 000, 000 UK pounds, which is roughly, equal to Ksh439, 478, 832, 000. (Source: The Guardian).

A local example of an entrepreneur who started without training would be (the late) Njenga Karume who rose from being a charcoal seller to an all—time business mogul without ever setting foot in a formal business school.

Tell Us What You Think?

Are entrepreneurs a special breed of human beings, born into this world with a drive to succeed that the rest of us lack…or can they be “artificially” created through education and mentorship? We would like to hear what you think concerning this debate – kindly use the comment box, which is provided at the bottom of this page to share your ideas.



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