Entrepreneurship
- Create opportunities
- Invest in (new) ideas
- Big risk, big rewards
Entrepreneurship on Curaçao
When I started out completely on my own, the term Entrepreneur was handed out to everyone who wanted to use it. I was no different: I thought that I was an Entrepreneur.
But what is an Entrepreneur? Does anyone comply to being one? What is an entrepreneur on curacao to be exact?
According to Merriam-Webster, an entrepreneur is someone who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. I would like to add to that definition if I may. It’s not only one who does the above, but one who also brings “something new to the table”.
Let me give you an illustration. A few days ago, I was speaking to Hello Skàlo where we discovered that not because something is logical [to us], it is logical to others as well. So it might be that you as an entrepreneur are not per definition bringing something brand new , but you are bringing a new vision of the old things already present.
How does entrepreneurship on Curaçao differ from other places? To be honest – I have no clue. What I can describe is what we encounter here as roadblocks which might not be present in other countries. For example receiving online payments. If you are a small enterprise, and you want to export your product or service, it takes some loopholes in order for you to receive money here. Maybe the decentralization of money (bitcoin and the likes) might provide a relief in the future but we’re not there yet.
Another example is how governmental rules and regulations are not always working with us but against us. If you want to get something done (get a permit for example) for anything really, you can NOT do something short term. You need at least a month to get through all the different departments before you get everything signed off. That can be a discouragement for many who want to execute certain ideas or plans that they have.
Now let’s get personal: would I trade my entrepreneurial spirit to go back into working for someone else? Not in a million years. Of course I’m not closing off any possibilities because I can not predict the future. But if it’s my choice, based on this moment in time I’d say no, thank you 🙂
What do you say? Entrepreneur yay or nay? Let us know in the comments below!