IMPORTANCE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS

"Entrepreneurs are not 'born'….rather they 'become' through the experiences of their lives." Professor Albert Shapiro, Ohio State University

Entrepreneurship education means many different things to educators - from primary schools to
university, from vocational education to a university MBA. At each level of education, it is reasonable
to expect different outcomes as students mature and build on previous knowledge. But the overall
purpose remains to develop expertise as an entrepreneur.
The growth of the Indian economy lies on entrepreneurs. There is a need for developing
entrepreneurship among the students from the starting of the education. In addition to the students
exposed to school education, they should be equipped with the entrepreneurship skills through
promotion schemes and programs.
As we move forward into the 21st Century it is important to reflect on the great contributions that
entrepreneurs have made to the wellbeing of our people and the wealth of our economy. Where would
we be without the persistence and creativity of such notable entrepreneurs as Henry Ford, Bill Gates,
and Joe Dudley?
The point I am trying to make is that you will come up with a lot of dumb business ideas, which
means that you will fail a lot. Just don’t get discouraged because sooner or later you’ll learn to come
up with good business ideas.
And if that doesn’t encourage you, just look at Mark Cuban. At one point he had a business idea that
revolved around selling powdered milk. In his eyes, it tasted as good as the real thing and you
wouldn’t have to worry about expiration dates. But as you know, that isn’t how he made his billions.

Now let's see some examples

TINY LITERARY GIANT

Adora is a 12-year-old who has published two books and transformed her writing success into
speaking and teaching success. She has spoken at over 400 schools and presented at the annual
TED conference. She has been featured on Good Morning America and on CNN.
A brief about Adora
Adora started writing when she was four years old. She hasn’t stopped since. At six, Adora received a
laptop computer from her mother, on which she quickly amassed a collection of hundreds of short
stories and hundreds of thousands of words – typing at 70 words per minute.
At the age of seven, Adora achieved her dream of becoming a published author with the release
of Flying Fingers: Master the Tools of Learning Through the Joy of Writing. The book featured several
of Adora’s short stories, along with her writing tips, typing tips, and advice from her mother. At age
11, Adora published a second book, Dancing Fingers, with her older sister, Adrianna.
Today, Adora is 12 and she has transformed her writing success into speaking and teaching success.
She has spoken at over 400 schools and presented at the annual TED conference. She’s also planning
a conference of her own, for kids and by kids, called TEDx Redmond. She has been featured on Good
Morning America and on CNN. Adora also maintains a blog and attends an online public school. She is
in the eighth grade.
People sometimes close doors and make judgments based on your age, how short you are, or the way
you speak. That’s one of the things that she hope to change.
When people look at her, they think, “Oh, a little kid who’s just walking along and talking to her
mom.” There are low expectations. But her parents obviously look at her sister and her as individuals
who can do great things. Other people just look at her as a kid.At the same time, being 12 and having published a book makes people think, “Wow, that’s pretty
impressive.” So she hope to make what she do special, as opposed to it only being special because
she is 12.
Her age has also helped her in that she is able to relate to kids at a level that an adult speaker might
not be able to do. As a teacher, she is able to say, “This is what her generation thinks.” Having that
voice and being able to speak for her peers is definitely an advantage of being 12.

YOUNGEST MAGAZINE PUBLISHER

Savannah Britt,15 year old, started her own publication – a magazine called Girlpez – making
her the youngest magazine publisher in the world. The magazine features coverage of events, like
concerts and fashion shows, along with interviews from the likes of Shwayze, Kevin Rudolf, and Dawn
from Dannity Kane.
A brief about Savannah
Savannah Britt was a published poet by the age of eight. By nine, she was hired as a paid reviewer of
children’s books for The Kitchen Table News – a New Jersey newspaper with a readership of 70,000.
But when that newspaper went under, Savannah was left unemployed at the tender age of 11.
Like any great entrepreneur, Savannah pulled herself up by her bootstraps. She started her own
publication – a magazine called Girlpez – making her the youngest magazine publisher in the world.
The magazine features coverage of events, like concerts and fashion shows, along with interviews
from the likes of Shwayze, Kevin Rudolf, and Dawn from Dannity Kane.
Now 15, Savannah has guided her magazine as it has transitioned to an online-only format at
Girlpez.com. She hopes to use her influence to strengthen girls and their communities.
She likes challenges. The fact that drove her magazine was that she was so young and was doing
something that nobody around her was doing. That pushed her, to start her magazine.She can be a
competitive person.
Her mom and dad definitely pushed her as well. Her dad has published three books and he’s a very
determined person. If he says something, he’s going to do it. He’s also optimistic and he does not
procrastinate at all. Her dad inspired her.

YOUNG INVENTOR OF THE YEAR

Philip Hartman,15 is a home-schooled high school senior at the ripe age of 15. He won the 2008
Young Inventor of the Year award for inventing a new system for fusing optical fibers. His latest
invention emits steam onto a windshield and is capable of defrosting a frost-covered windshield in
about 15 seconds.
A brief about PhilipPhilip Hartman became an entrepreneur when he was eight-years-old. That’s when he started building
slingshots that shot both BB’s and arrows.
Today, a home-schooled high school senior at the ripe age of fifteen, Philip spends most of his time
cultivating two somewhat more advanced entrepreneurial ventures. One is a new system for fusing
optical fibers that is cheaper, more efficient, and more dependable – an invention for which Philip won
the 2008 Young Inventor of the Year award.
The other is called Steam Viper. It’s a device that emits steam onto a windshield and is capable of
defrosting a frost-covered windshield in about 15 seconds.
He had never taken a business course, but he has always had a bit of business intuition. He has made
business plans and had some different consultants, including his dad, but the best way to learn how to
do something is just to go ahead and do it. It’s the best tool that there is. Everytime you learn more.
He could never learn what he is learning at college. They just don’t teach it there, because it can’t be
learned in that way.
Reference : http://juniorbiz.com/worlds-most-successful-young-entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship has no bar on age, but nevertheless you get surprised to see some youngsters
making it big as entrepreneurs. In the age where these youngsters could have simply did the usual
things like high school, college, hangout joints, video games or bike rides, they went ahead and
founded companies, gave seminars, wrote books, and became inspiring figures for all aspiring
entrepreneurs irrespective of age.
They are young, they have great ideas, and know how to make them a reality. They use their
creativity and hard work to make things happen – bringing new concepts and products to market.
Probably they have learnt their business lessons sooner than later. These young business-minded
go-getters are not only moving one step closer to the life of a successful entrepreneur, they are even
earning global recognition in the process.

Now one example from India only

Sanjay Kumaran (11) and Shravan Kumaran (13), two brothers from Chennai build a mobile
phone applications firm that have witnessed over 10,000 downloads across the world already. Sanjay
is probably the youngest CEO in the world.
Shravan is in the eighth grade and Sanjay in the sixth at Vael’s Billabong International School,
Chennai.
According to Shravan, their first app ‘Catch me cop’, had more than 10,000 downloads in 45 countries
since it was made available on Apple’s App Store from January 21 in 2012. He adds that his company
is now developing more apps, all of which are now available on App Store and on Google’s Play Store.
The second app, ‘Alphabet Board,’ and third app 'Prayer Planet', have also received good response
from the users all around the world.
These young entrepreneurs now have plans to develop a tablet by 2015-16 and want to price it so low
that they become easily assessable to people of all economic backgrounds.
Reference:
http://www.thenextseo.co.in/news/startup/famous-young-indian-entrepreneurs-2012/27522.html