Friday, December 07, 2007

Do kids make better entrepreneurs?

Do kids make better entrepreneurs? Does “growing up” kill the risk-taker inside of us?

These are some of the questions raised by a recent column by U.S. sales consultant Art Sobczak called, “We Should Be More Like Kids.”

He says most of us would be happier and achieve more if we acted more like kids every day.

Here’s why:

1. No's don't bother them. “My kids react to no's as if they were hearing-impaired, relentlessly firing off their next salvo of requests.”

2. Kids take risks. … “Most grown-ups are too risk-averse, traveling the warm, safe, beaten path.”

3. Their imaginations run wild. … “Unharness your imagination, and let your ideas run wild. You'll be surprised.”

4. Kids have high ambitions. “The neighbor kid, six years old, is facing a tough decision right now. He isn't sure whether he's going to play in the American League, or the National League when he becomes a Major League Baseball player. …”

5. They have great attitudes. “A trivia question on the radio the other day asked, “What do kids do about 400 times a day, that adults do less than 20 on average?” The answer: laugh.”

6. Kids are constantly active. …“Put a spring in your step, move more quickly like a kid, and that really does translate into a better attitude.”

7. They're curious. “I'm often exasperated trying to explain things that I've always taken for granted, like, “Why is there frost on the grass when you wake up in the morning?” In sales, we need to have that child-like curiosity because it helps us to understand everything we should know before we make a presentation.”

I would add one more point to Art's fine list: Kids forgive and forget. They can fight like dogs and cats for an hour and make up in a minute. They're not hung up on what happened yesterday, or who did what to whom. Every day is a new page.

Click here to read Art’s full column.
Click here for Art’s website, Business By Phone Inc.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I don't think I could be an entrepreneur without the help of my kids. They inspire me everyday!