Book Launch for Everyday Entrepreneur – Saturday December 20th

I am a serial entrepreneur who believes that the free enterprise system is the best alternative for creating upward mobility, a growing middle class, the most efficient allocation of resources and the least costly production of goods and services to the benefit of society as a whole. But free enterprise is based on the principal of a free and open market. Theoretically the ease of communication today should create more opportunity and much greater competition. Free enterprise does not thrive in a monopoly or oligopoly both of which limit competition but in many cases that is what we now have. As a result the middle class in the west is in serious danger of backsliding into the poor class from which it came over the past hundred plus years.

Branding and Brand power are the main tools that are limiting competion, allowing capital to seize a much larger portion of the pie at the expense of labour creating the status of superrich and the growing disparity in the distribution of wealth. These are serious dangers because market control interferes with free enterprise and skews the results. Yes it is still possible to create a new brand but increasingly large organizations block the market and take advantage by acquiring up and coming companies and only then allowing them full market penetration.

On an individual basis it is now critical to become an entrepreneur allowing for self-determination and upward mobility that is in decline for employees. The most important skill anyone can learn today is the ability to create and manage your career. The problem is much bigger for society. We have created a society in the west with very high expectations and a philosophy of entitlement. A large percentage of the population will not put forward the effort and level of determination required to succeed as an entrepreneur – not without first experiencing serious pain and a major economic correction. We are vulnerable but collectively we remain in a state of denial.

The capitalist system which allowed the middle class to flourish in the west is broken. Rather than continuing to create opportunity it has begun to limit it. Rather than spreading the success to the developing world we are in danger of returning to a more rigid class system with the superrich having a disproportionate amount of economic power. Solutions are impossible as long as we remain in a state of denial compounded by governments which have become dysfunctional. A good start could come from consumers by becoming better informed and breaking the power of the brands. This should be happening through social media but it isn’t. Instead brand control of the market is being re-enforced by social media marketing.

I am very concerned that I have lived and worked in an era that has been optimum for the individual but is no longer sustainable. I am very concerned that my grandchildren will be denied the opportunity that my generation has enjoyed. One of the great challenges of capitalism is to moderate the influence of greed. If we don’t find a way to level the playing field it’s difficult to predict how social unrest will manifest itself in a society where expectations cannot be achieved.

There has been a rush to embrace entrepreneurship over the past ten years, especially since 2008. Every college, every university now offers courses in a discipline once perceived by the public as reserved for misfits, gamblers and tech high rollers. Of course that’s one of the many myths and misconceptions about entrepreneurship. Those mystical entrepreneurs so far removed from the average life have always been but a small percentage of those who take control over their lives and pursue opportunities at any level

Another of these misconceptions is that you can only become a true entrepreneur through trial and error gaining experience along the way. You could just as well say that about any group or profession. None of us are totally happy if our lawyer is conducting his first case. How many of us would enjoy the prospect of surgery if we found out that our surgeon was a novice. Of course like any other endeavour we entrepreneurs gain insight and judgement from as Nike says just doing it. However there is something to be said for better preparation through shared experiences. We need far more mentors teaching and sharing ideas with would be entrepreneurs.

My series The Entrepreneurial Edge is focused on doing that. You see I tell stories with characters that are making important life decisions that centre around being entrepreneurs. Would be entrepreneurs at any age and at any level of education relate well to these stories full of real life anecdotes from a forty five year career as a serial entrepreneur. Having run workshops on the book I find it works well with high school students right up to PHD graduates and from business novices up to people that have been in business for years. If you are an academic teaching or a business coach mentoring, the first book Everyday Entrepreneur will enhance your efforts.

In a world dominated by rapid change, still dealing with economic uncertainty, where job stability has vanished in the face of multiple jobs over the course of one’s work life, entrepreneurial thinking is critical whether within your own business, working within a large organization or most critical in managing your career. In the face of government gridlock and inefficiency social entrepreneurship is becoming essential for solving societal problems My goal in writing the series is to encourage as many people as possible to consider entrepreneurship and put aside the myths and misconceptions preventing them from making the leap of faith in their ability to solve problems and make things happen. In the process I hope to better prepare them by sharing experiences and potential problems in advance. Most of all I hope to help them understand the philosophy of being an entrepreneur – success is much more about the mindset than the skillset.

Fred Dawkins is an author and serial entrepreneur, currently writing a series on entrepreneurship for Dundurn Press. He is also a partner at the Creative Destruction Lab at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto

Fellow Entrepreneurs listen up! I read almost a book a day and rarely do I fall this deeply in love with the entire book. A delightful exception to that rule has been Everyday Entrepreneur. Fred Dawkins has a simplicity that is accessible by entrepreneurs at every level, including those who are paving new ways within organizations, not just those of us out in the business wilderness. If you want a fast read that you’ll be able to convert into massive action that will undoubtedly improve the way you do business then drop everything and read this book.

Sherri J Griffin
20 Year Training & Development Professional

“`The most important skill in the 21st century will be the ability to create your own job.” Fred Dawkins Author of Everyday Entrepreneur – my favorite new book – a quick read with all the common sense through the stories of people whose experiences ring so true to life. I suggest all students and young engineers I have worked with pick up a copy! You won`t be sorry!”

Maryam Latifpoor-Keparoutis
Senior Development Manager
College of Physical & Engineering Science (CPES)
University of Guelph

Misconceptions about Entrepreneurship – Time to end the nonsense!
By Fred Dawkins, author of Everyday Entrepreneur
We are entering a New Era of Entrepreneurship where there is no room for prison thinking in a world dominated by rapid change. Embracing change requires resilience and adaptability which are key characteristics for all entrepreneurs. Unfortunately the existing stereotypes for entrepreneurs discourage countless people from embracing the role. These perceptions prevent too many from taking the leap of faith required to become one. The first step in breaking free is to dispel some of the myths that are holding capable people back at a time when they need to welcome the opportunity to create and manage their own careers.
Two of the most flagrant misrepresentations that discourage people are that entrepreneurs are gamblers who take reckless risks to achieve high rewards and that entrepreneurs need to fail in order to succeed. Many people are risk averse and most of us fear failure. These traits do not disqualify us as potential entrepreneurs. In reality entrepreneurship is not about the risk that you take but entirely about the results that you achieve. Being entrepreneurial relies on the determination to make things happen especially when many others don’t see that possibility. Becoming an entrepreneur is all about the mindset not the skillset. Entrepreneurs find the way to make things happen they don’t always know the way. Too many good opportunities die prematurely because people are risk averse. More people need to make the leap of faith based on their determination and the foundation of a viable opportunity.
However, being prudent prevents you from taking reckless risk and directs you towards managed risk which is the hallmark of free enterprise. Entrepreneurs are proactive and solve problems through determination not by taking unwarranted risk. Successful entrepreneurs always have a downside plan allowing for adjustment which mitigates risk. When they make plans they analyze a range of possibilities rather than marrying themselves up to a single goal or result. In this way they build a framework which helps them adjust on a timely basis. Put your best foot forward: at the very beginning establish the viability of your opportunity. Too much time, energy and money are spent trying to convert whimsical ideas into a sound business. A high tolerance for risk is not enough to make a bad idea succeed. This is the essence of the lean startup. Test your premise. Talk to your potential market. Get feedback and adjust. Manage your risk from the outset. Don’t plunge blindly ahead on the premise that risk is an integral part of the undertaking. To be sure there is risk but recognize it and manage it as best you can.
The concept that failure is a prerequisite for success is more nonsense and stems from rationalization by those who fail initially. Successful entrepreneurs abhor failure. For many of them the fear of failing is a powerful motivation. Most manage their risk effectively, anticipate problems, adjust quickly, bounce back from setbacks and manage to avoid failure – if they do fail they learn and move on. We all learn more from failure simply because we take the time to analyze it. In that sense setbacks do make you stronger and they only constitute a failure if we give up. On the other hand success is exhilarating and it masks our faults. Just as initial failure can set the stage for success to follow; initial success can lead to a sense of entrepreneurial infallibility. When that happens, as it does to too many, the critical things that built those initial achievements are often forgotten and ignored.
In order to break down these established stereotypes we have to understand how they evolved. Both derive from two specific types of entrepreneurs. First are the misfits or rebels who either cannot or will not conform; the gamblers to whom few of us can relate. Second and even more prominent are the tech entrepreneurs immersed in the world of venture capital where risk is high, failure is frequent and the rewards for success are dramatic. However Silicon Valley is not the center of the universe and these are not the definitive entrepreneurs; they are but two types of many, both removed from the traditional economy and the rock solid problem solvers that collectively form the engine that drives the economy. Those are the achievers that do make things happen especially creating jobs while big business is chasing lower costs around the globe.
In this new era, defined by constant and rapid change, we must all become more entrepreneurial. We can choose to establish an independent business or we can choose to become disruptors within the culture of big business or within the bureaucracy of big government. Collectively we are defining a new normal; one that is less stable and more dynamic. Regardless it is in our best interest to embrace the mindset of an entrepreneur, an attitude focused on action fueled by determination. We must indeed create and manage our own careers. Job stability is disappearing. The distribution of wealth is favouring capital not labour. Upward mobility is in decline. All of this means new and different opportunities. We can become the architect of our dreams or the victim of others’. Whatever you choose; don’t let misguided and outdated ideas limit your choices. .
Fred Dawkins is a serial entrepreneur with over 40 years’ experience and achievements in manufacturing, retail, land development, consulting and import/export. He holds a B Com in commerce and finance and a M.A. in economics from the University of Toronto. His business has allowed him to travel extensively, giving him insight into the emerging global economy and making him a passionate advocate of entrepreneurship in the 21st century.
Everyday Entrepreneur [Dundurn Press] is the first book in Dawkins’ Entrepreneurial Edge series, and is currently available at all booksellers, including Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Barnes & Noble and Chapters Indigo. His novel, 2020 Hindsight, explores major contradictory trends in society in a compelling contemporary fiction narrative, and is forthcoming as an e-book on Amazon.com.
Website: https://fcdawkins.com/
Read More “My article: The Misconceptions about Entrepreneurship”

Entrepreneurship rests firmly on opportunity. But in the face of a rapidly changing global economy there is an overwhelming increase in entrepreneurship of necessity. Seniors need to extend their careers. Youth are struggling to launch theirs. Women are looking for flexibility to meet a combination of career and family needs. Individuals around the world are seeking freedom of opportunity. At the same time Big Business is pursuing profits around the world undermining the stability of employment markets. There is widespread decline in loyalty between employers and employees. Structural unemployment is a demoralizing prospect. One need only look to Detroit to see the impact.

The result? The most valued skill in the 21st Century may well be the ability to create your own job. Job creation rests clearly on individuals -first for themselves and then for others. It reflects the difference between Localization versus Globalization – small scale entrepreneurs find their opportunities locally creating jobs in areas that Big Business has abandoned for offshore savings. To compound this the fast paced rate of change driven by technology favours small flexible and adaptable businesses that adjust to changing circumstances. Large companies find their growth through acquisition not startups.

Around the world governments are finally recognizing the importance of entrepreneurs. Fortunately there is a great deal of talent that is suppressed and can be unleashed, whether through culture, education, gender , race, funding or other limitations. It will be up to government to remove the shackles Entrepreneurship has been the driving force behind the economic dominance of the Western world. It is the economic resource that puts other resources to work. Our economic future is moving to the hands of those who are driven to make things happen.