How many times have you sat down and thought about starting your own business?
Global Entrepreneurship Week was created to encourage people to go it alone, become business leaders and create the successful businesses of the future. The aim of this week-long celebration of everything entrepreneurial is designed to get you and your friends talking about business. It’s running across some 160 countries with 20,000 partners and will involve around 10 million people.
Did you know that while half of us dream about running our own business only a small percentage of us actually do so?
According the GEW, there were over 600,000 start-ups last year in the UK, with more people than ever before deciding to release the shackles and become entrepreneurs. Not only are people’s attitudes changing but so are the resources that are available to use. You can set up a business on a shoestring budget if you have the right idea and you can manage your own marketing with just a little bit of research.
That doesn’t mean being an entrepreneur is easy – you need plenty of time, commitment and stamina as well as having a great business idea. But there has never been a better time to start a business and this is what GEW is focussed on.
What is Global Entrepreneurship Week?
It runs from 14th to 20th November and it’s all about inspiring people to become business innovators. Whether you’re a respected entrepreneur and want to pass on some of your hard earned knowledge and experience or you want to start your own business but don’t know where to begin, there’s plenty to see and do during this exciting week. Last year, in the UK alone 2,5000 events were hosted by various organisations and these managed to reach just under 350,000 who wanted to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit.
This year it’s hoped that GEW will be even bigger and better. Everything from networking events and seminars to expositions and talks by some of the leading lights of business are going to fill this week of activity, so if you want to get involved then take a look at the list of events already up on the GEW site.
If you’ve had the ambition but lack the confidence, Global Entrepreneurship Week is a great way to get involved and learn some more about running your own business. Many of the events are free to attend and there are plenty of online activities that you just need to keep your eyes open for. If you’re a business and want to encourage other entrepreneurs, then holding an event in your local area can be a great help. Look out for networking events too where business leaders and innovators from all kinds of different sectors gather and get to know each other.
Those who took part in GEW 2015 had a lot to say about the event. Over 85% said that they felt a lot more confident about starting their own business and 74% stated that they were more likely than ever to start a new business.
So, if you want to explore what the world of entrepreneurship has to offer, then get involved with GEW 2016. You never know, you could be the next Richard Branson or Edwina Dunn!
