Enjoy this wonderful sentence from the investor Guy Kawasaki: “Entrepreneur is not a job title. It’s a mindset of people who want to change the future.”
I had to think of that sentence when a German Business Paper honored outstanding entrepreneurs last week. But it is not only the mindset that unites great entrepreneurs, it is also the desire to create lasting structures. While I am focusing here on the German entrepreneurs and family businesses, I would like to clearly state that there are plenty of good examples of successful entrepreneurships and lasting family businesses in the Philippines.
Let’s look at some findings of the German entrepreneur scene:
Around 90 percent of all companies in Germany are controlled by families.
Many industrial medium-sized companies have carried the country through the crisis.
58 percent of employees work for family businesses.
While family businesses sometimes have difficulties with digitization, they play a leading role in environmental technologies. In the most important environmental sectors, the average share of family businesses is around 90 percent.
And because of their long-term orientation, they get through economic crises better, as several studies show.
To find out how family entrepreneurs succeed, you just have to listen to Reinhold Würth. In his acceptance speech at the “Hall of Fame” on entrepreneurship, he said:
“It will then no longer be my business, but I am currently thinking intensively about what my company will look like in 2050. That is why I am currently rounding up my people to talk about artificial intelligence and the consequences of digitization.”
Please take note: Würth is 86 years old.
It is in these long perspectives that real entrepreneurs think. Perspectives, that in the best of cases, extend over many generations.
From Germany back to the Philippines:
a. I am convinced that Socorro Ramos of the National Book Store would have said the same!
b. I don’t have research data on hand, but I believe that we have a similar entrepreneur/family business situation and orientation here. I am sure you have no problem to name good examples along these lines where you shop, bank, dine, spend your vacations, get insured, etc.
We are aware of a number of successful entrepreneurs who started small, like
Socorro Ramos—National Book Store…
Tony Tan Caktiong—Jollibee…
Edgar Sia—Mang Inasal…
There are many more, but I am now more interested in entrepreneurs who are on the way to become “unicorns” or have become unicorns already.
I would be delighted if you were to list companies you feel belong to this environment of “Entrepreneur is not a job title. It’s a mindset of people who want to change the future.”
Please be kind enough to respond and e-mail your views to [email protected]