I have always had an issue with people that question how I can be an entrepreneur, because according to them I am nothing more than a “teacher.” After all, a teacher teaches; what does he know about running a business? I often go off on a rant about how similar the two are, which leaves them with a glazed-over look.
I finally found the response that will bowl them over and it is all thanks to Sir Richard Branson. For those of you who don’t know who he is, he founded the Virgin group of companies – Virgin Mobile, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Virgin Galatic, etc. Not only is he an entrepreneur, he is an accomplished author (not bad for a guy who dropped out of high school because he is dyslexic).
During the Christmas holidays, I picked up a copy of his book, Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur. The most profound thing that he said in the book is that business is all about creating opportunities “…in people’s lives.”(p. 4). That got me thinking that what we teachers do is not so far removed from Sir Richard Branson’s definition of what entrepreneurs do. Teachers create opportunities that make a difference in many people’s lives. We have the skills that entrepreneurs have. Quite frankly, I would argue that we have a leg up over those that have never run a business because we know how to make a difference.
You see, teaching and entrepreneurship are not that different. The internet allows you to create opportunities that will make a difference in many more lives than you can by limiting what you have to offer to a classroom full of students. Go out and make a difference by creating something that you know will impact others’ lives!
Reference
Branson, R. (2008). Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur. London:Virgin Books.
Tags: opportunity, Sir Richard Branson