Controlling your own destiny. Calling all the shots. Being your own boss instead of working for the man. Being the man or woman.
All of these might stoke the entrepreneurial fires burning within as you look to start your own business.
But you can add another benefit to that list: Making a difference.
Transforming towns with new idea
Depending on where you’re from, your decision to start your own business could have an immense positive effect on your town, at least according to a recent Sydney Morning Herald article. In Meet the entrepreneurs reviving small towns, reporter Linda Moon crafts a yarn about how Beechworth Bakery and Paronella Park in Mena Creek have done massive things not only for their owners, but also for the rural towns in which they are located.
Both of these examples were started by people with a dream. Not massive real estate investors or large established institutions with buckets of capital to throw at a problem; just normal everyday Australians.
The article includes quotes from Peter Kenyan, the director at the Bank of I.D.E.A.S, an organisation that helps communities “build from the inside out.” That means those already living within the community investing their ideas and efforts at home instead of relying on bigger corporations to come in an inject themselves into infrastructure and the economy.
Kenyan also said that a lot of what makes entrepreneurs who start small businesses successful are focus on areas such as marketing, face-to-face interaction and other community involvement. That means personal touches well within your reach can make all the difference, as opposed to solely having to rely on the capital and investment muscles of larger established corporations.
Are you next?
Some of the most important tools for entrepreneurs are right at your fingertips. Studying online can give you some of the know-how you need to create a life-changing event like starting your own business. Whether it’s getting some basics from an online business course or studying retail online to set up your own shop, learning outside the classroom can provide the power to not only make a huge difference in your life, but also inject much-needed positivity and opportunity in your community.
Taking online courses can be especially convenient for those living in rural communities (such as Beechworth and Mena Creek) who might otherwise not have as much easy access to traditional schooling methods. Stop dreaming about making that big change and take the plunge with the help of online courses. Who knows? Maybe the key to transforming the town or region in which you live is inside of you.