MODULE 3, UNIT 5: ENTREPRENEURIAL PRACTICES AND BEHAVIOURS

by Unre Visagie | November 5, 2010 11:44 am

5.1 INTRODUCTION

The objective of Module 3 Unit 5 is to introduce the career guidance practitioner to information and web sites enabling discussions with and the guidance of career seekers to entrepreneurship as a career option. This is not offered as a training course in entrepreneurship.

All over the world, the future of work and work creation include the concept of entrepreneurial behaviour. In South Africa too, entrepreneurial behaviour is seen as a means of creating more jobs and the desired increase in productivity. This entrepreneurial behaviour should contribute towards reaching the 2014 Millennium development goals. See the websites in Activity 1.

PCAR03X, Unit 5, Activity 1

1. Skim through these websites for the millennium development goals detailed in them:  http://ddp-ext.worldbank.org/ext/GMIS/home.do?siteId=2 and http://www1.oecd.org/dac/ictcd/docs/otherdocs/OtherDAC_MDGs.pdf[1].
2. As we can see in www.gapminder.org[2] (refer back to PCAR02W Unit 4) we have significant challenges to implement the 2014 Millennium development goals in South Africa.  Remember to use this information to create an urgency and action with your local resources and career seeker clients!
3. List the eight 2014 Millennium development goals from the first two sites above.
4. Find the life expectancy in South Africa on Gapminder.
5. Capture your personal experiences and discoveries in your MiCareerBook for the CV exercises.
6. Record your experiences from completing the above activities in your MiActivity Book as part of your assignments.

Feedback:

We expand entrepreneurship by adding entrepreneurial behaviours, otherwise called “enterprise living”, as a part of the solution. It means we are acquiring and creating a culture of urgency, action, entrepreneurial behaviour and a high work ethic.

Let us get the web sites where we can explain to career seekers what it is all about and create urgency for action with them.

5.2 WHAT IS ENTREPRENEURIAL BEHAVIOUR?

PCAR03X, Unit 5, Activity 2

1. Skim through these web sites for three definitions of intrapreneur and three definitions of entrepreneurs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrepreneur[3], http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrapreneurship[4], http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrepreneurship[5] and http://africa.smetoolkit.org/index.jsp?locale=1
2. We include many local sites in PCAR04X Unit 1.
3. Discuss your ideas about, intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs as a basis for responsible career choices, with your study colleagues, family or friends. Once you have done this, continue with the written tasks.
4. Write the three definitions, which you best understand and with which you identify. Do this for both entrepreneurial behaviour and for entrepreneurship. Highlight the definition of each concept which you prefer. Explain in two sentences why you chose each one of these two definitions.
5. Explain at least one difference between the two definitions
6. Capture your personal experiences and discoveries in your MiCareerBook for the CV exercises.
7. Record your experiences from completing the above activities in your MiActivity Book as part of your assignments.

Feedback:

1. I am sure this was a lot of new information and thoughts. I hope you find it as exciting as we did when we collated the information for you. Can you see that the competencies required for successful careers, services and businesses are almost the same? The level of responsibility, risk and return is higher in owner businesses. Live the entrepreneurial behaviour processes!  You will then be successful in the value you will add to others, in careers, services and businesses.
2. The purpose is to clarify the difference between the usual view regarding entrepreneurship and the idea of entrepreneurship as proposed in the PCAR. This will help your career seeker clients to understand entrepreneurial thinking. It will emphasise why most people can become entrepreneurial thinkers with knowledge and support from experts in the field. However, this can only happen once people accept the challenge to behave in an entrepreneurial manner.

5.3 ENTREPRENEURIAL RESOURCES AND BEHAVIOUR IN SOUTH AFRICA AND WORLD WIDE

You will need to have a look at what the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report says about entrepreneurial habits and the gaps found within South Africans presently. Jeffry A Timmons is a recognized guru on Entrepreneurship with many books used by many Universities in South Africa to teach Entrepreneurship. Do the following activity to get more information about these books.

Type “Timmons entrepreneurship information” into Google and choose South African web sites. From Timmons’ site, you will get solid information regarding the development of entrepreneurial behaviour. People should remember that gaining knowledge while working, even without pay, is cheaper than learning on your own. Such entrepreneurial behaviours or habits can determine career seekers’ level of success in a business or career. This means that career seekers should start working without pay in order to learn from existing businesses. It might mean that career seekers must work only to gain more knowledge and that only at a later stage, they might earn money. Remember to include the knowledge you gain from being involved with successful people when you calculate a career seekers’ wage. The wage itself might have a low rand value, but the knowledge you gain cannot be calculated in terms of money. Browse through newspapers to find out what training courses cost and you will realise how solid this argument is.  You will be able to apply the knowledge for the rest of your work life and in that manner; you will receive “backpay” many times over.

A great deal is being done in South Africa to promote entrepreneurial behaviour.  The government and business have done everything that can be expected of them and they are still trying to do more. It is now up to each of us to take action in our homes and geographical communities. In the following section, attention is given to three important actions to promote entrepreneurship (which includes entrepreneurial behaviour, entrepreneurial thinking and entrepreneurial habits). It is important to think about these three actions and apply them within the context of your own community.

Another entrepreneurial possibility of which you as a career guidance practitioner should be aware of, are franchise opportunities.  Franchising (from the French for honesty or freedom) is simply where you use a method of doing business wherein a franchisor licenses trademarks and tried and proven methods of doing business.  In exchange, the franchisee (the person to whom the permission has been given to use these “trade secrets”, has to make a a recurring payment which is usually a fixed percentage of gross sales or gross profits as well as the annual fees. Good examples of franchised businesses are MacDonalds / B P garages / Scooters Pizzas / etc.  Various tangibles (do you remember that all Wimpies have the same furniture and layout inside?) and intangibles such as national or international advertising (you can recognise the logo in foreign countries too). Training and other support services (for instance regular inspection of kitchens and service standards) are commonly made available by the franchisor, and may indeed be required by the franchisor, who generally requires audited books, and may subject the franchisee or the outlet to periodic and surprise spot checks. Failure of such tests typically involves non-renewal or cancellation of franchise rights.

A business operated under a franchise arrangement is often called a chain store, franchise outlet, or simply franchise.  Read more about franchising[6] on wikipedia.

We list a set of web sites regarding entrepreneurship and franchises to get you and the career seeker started. Follow the links on these web sites to find more resources for you and your career seekers to use. Don’t be disheartened if you bump into difficult web sites. Be aware that some sites are challenging. The processes and required criteria can be tough and even unattainable at a beginner level. (Remember how you battled to ride a bicycle when you were young?) Rather focus on working your way up. Do however take the time to familiarize yourself with these sites, and sift out the ones you can use for future reference.

Assistance in acquiring a FRANCHISED business

Assistance in buying franchises that hold relation with your interests and strengths is also available on the web, from banks and many local businesses near to you.

Not everybody who applies for a franchise licence is given one. Why not? The key is to be awarded the privilege to use a well-known name is your personal ability to run such a venture. You need to prove that you have the competencies required to run one!

• How can you connect to the franchising world? Find your local franchising body[7]. This is the official web site of the Franchise Association. All you or your career seeker client will ever need to know about franchising and franchises is here.
• Every bank has franchising assistance. Assist the career seeker to contact the bank of their preference for information.
• Wikipedia has a clear definition and history of the franchising industry[8].
• Access the Small Business Development Agency[9].

INTERNATIONAL SITES for entrepreneurial career seekers to use

• Business knowledge and support
• Our Google search presented too many sites to be included here, so go look at more sites and remember that the number of sites keep growing and the content is updated regularly.

LOCAL INFORMATION, SUPPORT AND TRAINING SITES WITH MANY LINKS

Get your client started with RESOURCES:

• Department of trade and industry
• Small business development agency
• Department of Labour gives support and Learnerships
• The International Labour Organization[10] supports programs with Chamsa
• Skills portal has the best summary of Learnerships

How will this help you?

Your client can do the following:

• The sites above and other specific sites contain opportunities for you and your career seekers.
• Search for your interest in work and industry in locations closest to you or even internationally.
• Look for franchises and other organized opportunities. The career seeker can gain competencies by working in a franchise of his/her choice.  Type “franchise” into Google and help your career seeker client find what they need to fit there personal exploration and discoveries from PCAR01V.
• Business and career opportunities[11]
• Sample career and enterprise access

Call centre agents and self-training.

Become competent in English spelling and pronunciation and typing skills, Also know your country and its cities. These are basic skills for a call centre operator (and many other jobs). Once you are qualified, you can even work from home or use your skills as a stepping-stone towards the career you really want.

Tourism support, marketing and self-training

Become proficient in English communication and the Internet.  Become knowledgeable about the tourist attractions and tour companies.  Then you can invite tourists to South Africa in partnership with the tourist attractions and tour companies and be part of their experience. Career seekers can use the Internet and local relationships as you did in tutorial letters PCAR01V/102/2007 and PCAR01V/103/2007 to make use of these opportunities.

Get your client started with BUSINESS RESOURCES

• Encourage people to contribute to business chambers and existing businesses while they learn.
• Look at the member organizations. Each one has chambers in most places in South Africa and their members can provide assistance to the career seeker. We recommend that you go to a meeting with the local chambers to announce your services and gain access to resources for your future clients.
• Banks: Have a look at various bank websites and familiarize yourself with the online services that they offer. Let the career seeker fully utilize these banking services – they are often available for free!
• Financial services industry: Contact local representatives of large financial institutions. They have much in resources, relationships and opportunities for access to business. The industry needs your clients for their business.

5.4 GET STARTED WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECTS

Remember that the reason there is such a big emphasis on entrepreneurial (thinking, behaviour, habits, resources and projects) is to empower you to be able to guide career seekers to a new way of living. In spite of there being many jobs available (go to a local job placement agency and ask them how many jobs they are trying to fill), your career seekers might find it better to develop the skills which they already possess by developing themselves into entrepreneurs, than re-skilling themselves to be suitable for existing jobs. The choice is theirs.

Your objective is to be a catalyst for flow of information, resources, opportunity access from existing programs to your constituency. Not to become an entrepreneurship trainer.

Help people get started using their current environment to take the initiative and action. Consider a possible ordinary day for yourself and the career seeker and ask:

• Do you buy your clothes, have them sewn or sew them yourself?
• Do you buy your food, or do you grow it?
• Do you prepare your own food, or do you pay somebody else to do it?
• Can you bake a cake?  On the other hand, would you prefer to buy a “flop proof”, ready-made one?
• Who looks after your children, your animals, and the old people in your family?  Do you sometimes need a part-time babysitter?
• When you travel, do you use your own car, hired transport, public transport?

You and the career seeker can do these and many other things for yourself and others. This is how you learn about service, contribution and self-development.

However, it is also simply clever and good marketing for your own personal career guidance services as career guidance practitioner when you introduce programmes into your own community. You can use school and university projects to access people and resources in your communities. Add great value to the educational programmes which schools and universities offer and in doing so gain powerful marketing for your career guidance practice.

We list a few well-known types of projects and activities below. These well-established projects make it easier for you to attract resources (such as financial assistance, training, networking, counselling, mentoring and advice). You might even be paid for the successful integration of you career seeking clients into the existing job market (this is the principle on which job placement agencies work). The results you achieve will speak for themselves. You can learn much more from established projects than from starting new ones.

• SIFE of University Students in Free Enterprise[12] helps their local communities. Find the South African SIFE students and contact them to offer your personal skills and your business as career guidance practitioner as a potential part of one of their projects.
• Business projects for schools are covered in your next activity.
• Work projects for school learners
• Work projects for people at home.
• An implementation in America we can learn from.
• http://www.sba.gov/gopher/Business-Development/Success-Series/Vol6/entre.txt[13]
• Many organisations, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), universities, colleges, technicians, technical colleges, and private persons offer courses in how to start a business and how to keep it running at a profit. They also offer financial assistance, training, networking, counselling, mentoring and advice. (Some of these courses are presented in South African schools).
• You will also find valuable information in the printed media. This means that you have to read your local newspapers. Most papers now have a section on small business and careers. A good source to consult is the weekly newspaper job finder “your national employment guide.” this newspaper focuses on jobs, careers, labour law articles, small business opportunities and self-employment opportunities.

5.5 WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMMES

You need to be aware and allow your clients to become aware of the many opportunities and the local and international resources that are available. Leaders and teachers in schools become aware of how they can earn more money while teaching the learners about enterprise projects. Use these projects to help local leaders raise the money. Perhaps you can explain to them that you need a small percentage of the raised funds, which reflects the proportion of the contribution you made. However, it might be better to first practice you personal skills without such a request.

PCAR03X, Unit 5, Activity 3

1. Type “What students say about entrepreneurship” into Google search and choose two of the sites that you like and say why you liked them more than you liked some of the others.
2. Type “School going entrepreneur’s projects” into Google search and choose two of the sites that you like and say why you like.  An example we chose is
3. Enterprise Northland[14] have a complete program that you can learn from for local projects.  You may even ask them for help.
4. Look at Life Long Learners[15] and use the information to encourage similar local projects.
5. Can you encourage Life Long Learner attitudes?
6. Discuss your ideas on enterprise or entrepreneurial programs at school with people already involved like the teachers and also discuss how such a project can grow your business while you help their learners and the school.
7. For the written part of this activity, do the following:

• Can you see how to implement such projects locally? If “yes”, state why. If “no” state why not.
• Which local projects can you share with others? Can you put the local project on a WEBLOG (The same kind of blog you created for yourself in tutorial letter PCAR01V/102/2007)?

Capture your personal experiences and discoveries in your MiCareerBook for the CV exercises.

Record your experiences from completing the above activities in your MiActivity Book as part of your assignments.

Here is some feedback from people who have dared to develop their entrepreneurial behaviour, thinking, habits, resources and projects:

Lional Brits ( Grade 7) “I’m glad I got the opportunity to start my own business.”

The Bafanas (four youths from Umbonambi) “We learnt how to voice our opinions, pool our ideas and use all our sources. Forward the entrepreneurs programme.”

Jafta Moloi (20 ) “The programme must be supported and it has got to spread around South Africa to create successful entrepreneurs of the future.”

Mpho, who was failing in maths, realised the importance of the subject when he started buying and selling T-shirts.

Siphiwe thought that buying something for $5 and selling it for $10 was like dealing in drugs – illegal. Up until then he was not aware that there is joy in serving others and making a margin for your effort.

These are examples that entrepreneurship educators provided of the experiences of learners who had been exposed to entrepreneurship programmes.  (Source: The International Entrepreneurship Education Forum held in New Mexico, 1995.)

School learner projects from across the world are brought to you via the Internet.  You can also take what you learn worldwide and earn a trip to any destination in the world as others have done working from incentives for doing just this! Students from the University of Pretoria were sponsored to recently attended www.MIT100K.org[16] meetings in Norway. This meant that they did not have to pay anything!  Apply on your own selected web sites and see what can happen when you align yourself with existing programs through being useful to them and to be noticed.

Feedback:

Small services such as delivering newspapers, washing cars, growing and/selling vegetables might be some of the business ideas that you might find around student entrepreneurs.

Keep on consulting the web to find knowledge, resources and opportunities. Become useful to the people and they will notice you.

We hope that this gives you some food for thought.

5.6 CONCLUSION

We challenge you to encourage people to use enterprise living, entrepreneurial behaviour, entrepreneurial thinking, entrepreneurial resources and entrepreneurial projects in all careers. Help people get connected to start careers and businesses.

In short, become entrepreneurial yourself.

In this unit, you gained information on how to help your career seeker clients to become aware of the opportunities to be entrepreneurial in growing careers and businesses. We showed how most people could use entrepreneurial behaviour while accessing knowledge, resources, and opportunities. We highlighted some of the processes to implement in your work life and your career seeker clients’ work lives.

Source URL: http://careerdevelopmentplan.net/module-3-unit-5-entrepreneurial-practices-and-behaviours-1207

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