When you are starting a business the more help and support you get the better, you would expect so.
However, after some years of helping and supporting startups, I am starting to see this is not always the case.
I guess its the difference between support and Intervention. To support someone, especially with mentoring and signposting which allows the person to find their way (with a little more direction) and learn the skills and network required to manage their business is the right thing to do.
Its when the support becomes intervention that when the entrepreneur stops being the person in control and the support organisation does. This is when you have to do 50 hours doing this, sign all these forms and the process you will follow to make your business is this.
This is wrong!
Everyone learns to be a entrepreneur differently, because they HAVE to be learn to be an entrepreneur, to solve problems, to look at the world in a new light of opportunities.
The problem these organisations have is that governments like a controlled process. They provide contracts to build bridges, its take some many weeks and will cost some much money. However, stating we can make some many businesses in so many weeks is not such a quantifiable statement. The process of starting a business normally starts many years before the person makes this statement. It may start with Dragon’s Den or The Apprentice in 10 grade. So the only thing you are really doing is counting those who have already spent many years deliberating this step.
The best entrepreneur support organisations do only ONE thing, they create an amazing network of people who all benefit from being part of it. This is because:
- Co-founders can be found in your network
- Mentoring can be found in your network
- Resources can be found in your network
- Funding can be found in your network
So before you start out in 2013, ensure you have the support network around you.