American comedian and actor Milton Berle once said, “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” This quote is particularly relevant today when mainstream opportunities seem sporadic and unpredictable. The real challenge is to leverage what you already have—your skills, capabilities, and passions—to create your opportunities and make a living from them.
Gone are the days when entrepreneurship only looked like a middle-aged man with a suit and tie; pardon the stereotype. Today, entrepreneurship takes many forms, exemplified by young innovators like Rabia Ghoor, founder and creative director at Swiitchbeauty, and Jonathan Liebmann, the property developer behind Johannesburg’s Maboneng Precinct. These young entrepreneurs have leveraged their resources to create products, services, and employment opportunities for others. There are countless others like them—perhaps you are one of them too.
What Do You Have in Your Hands?
You, the youth and future leaders of South Africa and the world, possess many tools to unlock new entrepreneurship opportunities. You have the potential to drive innovation, economic growth, and community development. Empowering yourselves to become entrepreneurs opens doors for personal and professional growth and contributes significantly to the success and advancement of our future society.
Over the next several weeks, we will delve into the significance of entrepreneurship and the necessity of business support systems, particularly for the youth. We’ll examine the critical role of mentorship, access to resources, overcoming barriers, the crucial first 1000 days, and much more. Join us as we create a platform for you to evaluate your current resources and explore the possibilities ahead. Mentorship programs, competitions, seminars, shadowing opportunities, and research are among the many avenues to foster the growth of youth-led businesses.
Are you ready to take on the challenge? Then sign up for our Pitch Your Business competition!
Written by Kabelo Milton.
The views expressed herein are those of the writer and not I Am Youth.
