The entrepreneurial spirit
HAVING A JOB certainly has its perks. The obvious benefits enjoyed by those of us who work for someone else are the comfort of a regular paycheque, an office to work from and some consistency in employment.
It can be hard to imagine putting ourselves in entrepreneurs’ shoes.
Most business-minded folks have given up jobs or other companies to put their hearts and souls into launching something new and seeing where it takes them. It can be risky. It can be uncertain. But it’s their passion.
Take a look at the profiles of this year’s Lion’s Lair finalists, and you’ll see some local entrepreneurial talent.
From Hamilton, London and St. Catharines, these people have invested themselves in everything from creating dairy-free cheeses and offering online drum lessons to designing baby sleepers that make diaper changes easier.
While giving up your comfort zone can be scary for anyone, some face even more barriers in doing so.
Imagine moving to Canada. In your home country you owned a thriving business, maybe even had years of experience in your field. But here your credit history is nonexistent.
We spoke to some entrepreneurs for this month’s issue of Hamilton Business who faced challenges such as poverty and not having assets to use as collateral when trying to launch their ventures.
Microlending was one option that helped them to get things off the ground and, in our cover story, we look at a couple of those programs offered locally. Not all of us are meant to be entrepreneurs. We don’t all have the self-discipline, persistence and competitive spirit required to be successful.
But for those who are, it’s refreshing to see there are resources — loans and grants — that can help them achieve their goals when other hurdles might hold them back.
Even though January is the real start of the year, September also feels like a good time for new beginnings, what with kids heading off to school and many adults heading back at work, hopefully feeling refreshed, after summer vacation time.
We can all use a little inspiration from these talented locals as we kick the year off in the right way.