7 LESSONS ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP FROM BILL GATES

Bill Gates is by far one of the most successful people on the planet. I am not just referring to his financial status and his affluence in the technological community. I am also speaking of his generosity and kindness towards the human race and nature.  He has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to charities and created the largest software company in the world.  Bill Gates’ influence in the entrepreneurship world is unlike any other. Becoming an entrepreneur does not have to do with taking the easy way out, rather it is about discovering yourself and inventing something larger than you.

1. Without innovation, there is no business model

“The most important ‘speed’ issue is often not technical but cultural. It’s convincing everyone that the company’s survival depends on everyone moving as fast as possible.” – Bill Gates

The times are changing and technology even more so. That is why Bill Gates is an avid believer in innovation.  In the last century we have witnessed the creation of smart phones, tablets and crazy toys such as the hover board. Without a constant need to develop and grow, the innovators of these products would have never created them. In terms of his software company, Bill Gates is constantly innovating. Even more, in terms of helping society and the planet, he is even more innovative. His foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is constantly growing and developing new ways of helping people. Entrepreneurship can also be achieved in this way.

2. Value your time

“No matter how much money you have, you can’t buy more time.” – Bill Gates

Just as Mr. Gates understands the urgency for change, he also comprehends the idea that time is a valuable currency. You cannot make up for lost time with money or bargaining. Once it is gone it is simply gone.  Bill is known for prioritizing his meetings and everyday life in a structure that he believes is worth his invested time.  According to him, unimportant meetings and presentations can be sacrificed in the name of more time-consuming and prosperous commitments. That is why it is extremely resourceful to manage your time well and ensure that spend it wisely.

3. Choose the road not taken

“To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.” – Bill Gates

Yes, we are incorporating Robert Frost into the world of entrepreneurs. Robert and Bill both believe that the path to success is not always clearly marked. Many people go down common roads they believe will lead them to success. The truth, however, lies in the ability to thread through unventured territory. In order to achieve the dreams you never thought possible, you must go where no one has ever gone before. Bill Gates’ belief in this theory brought him the ultimate success of personal computing in the last century.  However, he only did so after dropping out of Harvard after only four semesters. For that time period, and even presently, this bold choice was not taken by many, as it was viewed as a mistake. However this was Bill’s path to success. Here is another way to succeed at being an entrepreneur. 

AFRICA: OUR CHALLENGES AND THE WAY FORWARD

      

Africa, as you already know, is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent. Africa comes from the Latin word "aprica", meaning "sunny." Africa is considered by most palaeoanthropologists to be the oldest inhabited territory in earth and has the human species originating from the continent. Africa has a large quantity of natural resources including oil, ore, diamonds, gold, aluminium, uranium, cocoa, steel among others. Africa is really a blessed continent. Ask me why! We have a lot of resources to build Africa. However, as a nation and continent, there are some setbacks that are holding us from moving forward. Of these are; 

Retrogression in Education, Science and Technology. 

Civilization is believed to have started in Africa, but currently, it looks like we haven't heard or seen alot about Civilization. Science and technology is one of the most powerful tools which help in developing a country or a continent. Africans have the knowledge, but applying seems to be our problem. We see opportunities, but we fail to make good use of them. We have the ideas, but lacked how to develop them. Education, as we know, is a vital developmental tool as it promotes entrepreneurship and also creates a highly skilled workforce. Only quality education can give the African populace the needed skills and knowledge to create and manufacture artifacts for our benefit. Thus, it is true to say that the current education offered in countries within the continent hasn't enabled the students to produce anything of worth. It's for these reasons changes must be made in the education system to ensure that students are being equipped with the right kind of information that will enable them participate in the global market. Education in Africa has been focused on theories,  leaving the practical aspect. Currently, many inventors in the world are people of Africa descent. It's very true that the Africa environment is hostile to innovations. Africans either discourage or criticise you, or make you feel strange for coming up with something unique. Wake up Africans, for our brains are being "stolen". Let's raise up our Mother Africa for we are running out of time.  Many of our resources are untapped because of these reasons. Yet,  if you can see far, you will realise that the future is bright.

Ineffective Leadership 

According to Wikipedia, "Leadership is both a research area and a  practical skill, regarding the ability of an individual/organisation to lead or guide other individuals to achieve a specific purpose". It's so disheartening when we take a look at leadership in Africa. Many of our leaders are either self-centered-money-making people or cannot-see far. They focus on making money for themselves,  leaving their duties which should be performed to achieve a positive change in the standard of living of the people. I don't really know whether leadership has a different meaning to our leaders. True leaders sacrifice for their people. Take a look at our past leaders like Nelson Mandela, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, whose names will never be forgotten. They fought for their people, but unfortunately in our time the people rather fight for the leaders. Some current Africa leaders don't try to solve the challenges their people are facing, but instead add more oil to the flame. They keep encouraging poverty! It's so sad when you consider that they are not putting themselves into the shoes of their people. Leadership has now become a wealth-making occupation. Corruption has been their hallmark! Embezzlement of funds is what they always think of. Forgive my harshness , I just get agitated when I think of all our suffering. Africa is ours! To our dear leaders, what good stepping-stone or foundation are you laying for the youth? Is it corruption? I guess the answer is no. There is one adage which says, "Good name is better than riches." 

In sum, Africa faces  problems of  technology application, corruption and bad leadership. All these problems have solutions. Let's come together as one people to fight and work harder for Mother Africa. The future is still bright.

Edited by: Michelle Amma Richter

EMPLOYEE VRS EMPLOYER

"An employee is an individual who works part time or full time under a contract of employment, whether oral or written, express or implied, and has recognised rights and duties", according to businessdictionary.com. Taking a look at our economic conditions, unemployment has been a great challenge that many graduates are facing. Do you want to face this problem after graduating? I guess your answer is the same as mine.  According to Robert Kiyosaki, a financial literacy activist and motivational speaker, employees always search for a safe and secured job with good pay and excellent benefit. They are usually accurate when they say, "I'm not that interested in money." For them the idea of security is often more important than money. Due to this, most of them don't have financial freedom. Those of them who have financial freedom are those who invest what they earn monthly as salaries to earn more. Yes! They invest! I call them "the active employees." They think and focus on the future and not the present. So that after retirement, they will still have financial freedom. For those who don't invest, life becomes like hell to them after retirement. Though some employees succeed, they are limited to 24 hours a day. They don't have freedom! They work under conditions! I'm not saying to be an employee is bad, but if you have the chance or ability of being an employer, use it!

An employer, according to businessdictionary.com, is "a legal entity that controls and directs a servant or worker under an express or implied contract of employment and pays (or is obligated to pay) him or her salary or wages in compensation." These people employ skillful and smart people and they use their energy (employee) to earn their (employer) money. I call them "the true businessmen."  They have more than 24 hours in a day! I know you're wondering how it's possible. An employer has a system that generate money for him.  Let's look at this example. An employer has 10 employees. These employees work for 9 hours a day at the employer's workplace. Therefore, if each of them is working for 9 hours, then the total will be 90 hours (That's, if the employer isn't working). Ha-ha! That means, he has 90 hours in a day to generate income without him/her working. Wow! A popular story about Henry Ford from the book titled, "Cash flow quadrant" by Robert Kiyosaki goes, one day a group of so called intellectuals came by to condemn Ford for being ignorant. They claimed he really doesn't know much. So Ford invited them into his office and challenged them to ask  him any question, and he would answer it. So the panel assembled and began to ask him questions. Ford listened to their questions and when they were through, he simply reached for several phones on his desk and called in some of his bright employees and asked them to give the panel the answer they sought. He ended by informing the panel that, he'd rather hire /employ smart people who went to school to come up with answers so he could leave his mind clear to do some more important task like thinking. Thinking is an important tool in our life, but people don't get time to think. 

What is your decision? Where is your stand? Think outside the box! Get Started! Start Planning! The future is still bright! You can do it! You are a man of difference!

Click Here to download the book titled "The Cash Flow Quadrant", by Robert Kiyosaki.  

Edited by: Michelle Amma Richter 

WELCOME TO MY BLOG

Welcome to archimedesgh.blogspot.com. This blog is geared towards inspiring and motivating the youth to make a change. Making a positive change in our lives and in the world as a whole. It publishes articles which are business oriented. These articles reveal some hidden facts and teaches how to go about them. It also teaches how to improve upon ones life. Here is your home for motivations and Inspirations

MISSION STATEMENT

To make a change in the lives of the youth which can change the world as well. To inspire and motivate the youth to be business oriented irrespective of their field of study. To find solutions to challenges awaiting us as we climb the ladder.

I believe you will enjoy and learn as well from each article published here. Make good use of them. Put them into practice and you will see its impact one day. Don't hesitate to share your views.

If you have any motivational article you wish to publish, you can send it to me via email [addoqwabena@yahoo.com].