Personal Reflection
What do you consider your personal skills and qualities, and how do these contribute to or hinder your ability to act entrepreneurially?
The ability to start and sustain the growth of a successful business is the overriding motivation of many entrepreneurs (Jayawarna, Rouse, and Kitching, 2013). However, becoming an entrepreneur is not a walk in the park; one must possess certain personal skills and qualities that will aid in realizing this goal. According to Kirby (2004), personal attributes, behavior, and skills determine and influence an individual’s decision to pursue entrepreneurship in the future. I have a strong yearning to become a successful entrepreneur in the coming years. There are certain skills that I have identified in me, and which I feel would go a long way in meeting my entrepreneurial needs. One of these skills is resiliency. An entrepreneur is expected to withstand the ups and downs that often accompany a business as things do not usually go according to plan. I have experienced this spirit of resilience when I have had to attend school and at the same time work part-time. This has been a very demanding schedule both physically and mentally but I have sailed through triumphantly. I also tend to focus on achieving that which I have set my eyes on. When I first came to the UK from Russia 4 years ago, I was not very fluent in English. I took it upon myself to attend English classes to enable me to improve my spoken and written English as this would in turn help me to focus on my studies as all the lectures are done in English.
Another important skill of an entrepreneur is self-resilience. Although an entrepreneur can get a lot of help from other people, ultimately, their success rests in their own hands as they will be frequently called upon to be resourceful so that they can depend on themselves (Fayolle et al., 2016). In my case, although my family was very helpful in terms of paying for my education and upkeep in the UK, my educational success solely depended on my effort. I went out of my way to learn other languages, including English and Spanish as I realised early on that being multi-lingual in a global economy is a desirable trait for an entrepreneur. I also have a lot of self-confidence in myself and my ability to succeed at what I do. According to Morris (2003), the motivation of an entrepreneur to achieve acts as a better explanation of their behaviors and motives “more than do other intrinsic and extrinsic factors (such as power, money, position, and freedom).” (p. 1) Accordingly, an entrepreneur may feel inclined to start a business since the drive associated with such an undertaking enable them to achieve the performance and experience needed to fulfill their human potential (Morris, 2003).
The motivation to succeed in what I have set my mind on achieving saw me start a degree course in International Hospitality Management at Plymouth University where I am in my final year. I have encountered a lot of challenges along the way, including cultural shock and communication barriers. It is this same self-confidence that has enabled me to juggle between class work and participation in extra-curricular activities such as partaking in sporting activities. I have also found time to hold part-time jobs as I realize that this would give me a head-start when looking for employment opportunities in the hospitality industry and the much-desired experience. Successful entrepreneurs have a lot of confidence in what they are capable of doing. They also have a conviction that they are worthy of the success that they yearn for. Hamidi, Wennberg, and Berglund (2008) have identified high confidence as a vital skill that influences an individual's success in entrepreneurship.
Another entrepreneurial trait that I possess is the willingness to learn. I identify myself as a relentless information seeker who is out to gain as much information about something as I can. I find that this helps me to have a better grasp of what I am dealing with, and on many occasions, this trait has helped me to resolve issues at hand for I am quite knowledgeable about it. Above all, I tend to be open to learning, including from past mistakes. This is yet another valuable trait of an entrepreneur in that gaining valuable information enhances the degree of success of an entrepreneur.
From a very early age, I demonstrated a high level of independence. I believe it is this sense of independence that my parents saw in me when they decided to send me to the UK where I had no relatives for my college education. Learners who demonstrate a strong sense of independence have also been shown to possess a higher intention to become entrepreneurs. This is based on the fact that they can easily identify business opportunities, and acquire the capital needed to venture into new businesses (Bergh, Thorgren and Wincent, 2011). Moreover, Hynes, Costin, and Birdthistle (2011) report that learners who demonstrate a higher level of independence are more likely to partake in entrepreneurial activities as this calls for solving real-world problems and such students possess the skills and expertise needed to do so.
How has your education to date helped or hindered your ability to behave in an entrepreneurial way? Would you need further development?
I am in my final year of pursuing a degree in International Hospitality Management. I am optimistic that pursuing this degree will enable me to develop the high-quality expertise and business skills needed to pursue business opportunities in the hospitality industry. I am also optimistic that pursuing this course will afford me the confidence that I need to transform business ideas into action and to motivate others as well, which is yet another desirable trait for an entrepreneur. Plymouth University is among the best in the UK. I believe that graduating with globally recognized credentials from this university shall grant me plenty of opportunities to cultivate professional contacts and make connections globally and at the same time, partake in international exchange and placement programs. This will in turn grant me invaluable experience in the global hospitality industry.
The course also enables one to learn and practice a foreign language. In my case, I have been learning Spanish. I am of the view that the acquisition of these new language skills shall further increase the entrepreneurial opportunities available in the hospitality industry as I will no longer be restricted to opportunities in my home country (Russia) but can also pursue business opportunities in English and Spanish-speaking countries as well. Furthermore, the degree in International Hospitality Management at Plymouth University grants students the opportunity to partake in fieldwork at various local and international locations, thereby developing and expanding the skills of students even further. Besides, the university has its own Hotel School where students get to learn practical skills as practiced in the industry. This ensures that by the time a student graduates, they will have been prepared to enter into the global hospitality industry as they have had a first-hand experience of the industry at the classroom level. The program has been tailored to meet the changing needs of the global hospitality industry.
I believe that the skills that I have learned while pursuing this degree program shall prepare me to adequately meet and deal with the ever-changing demands of this industry. My discussions and consultations with course and personal tutors have enabled me to reap maximum benefits from my studies. This not only boosts my employability but also elevates my chances of identifying viable business opportunities in the industry. Moreover, I am optimistic that the rigorous course content has prepared me to adequately deal with the ever-changing demands of business and consumers, which is also a desirable attribute for an entrepreneur. Besides, the course also involves training in technology and management skills and I believe that studying these has been influential in my choice of a future career in entrepreneurship (Love, Kim, and Akehurst, 2006).
How your background would help you to behave in an entrepreneurial way?
Some of the factors shown to influence an individual's inclination towards entrepreneurship from a personal perspective include various demographic attributes like gender, age, and individual human capital. Some of the factors of human capital include work experience, education, and past management experiences. Professional and educational experiences have been shown to have a positive impact on business formation and entrepreneurship. While I lack the necessary experiences needed to venture into entrepreneurship, I am convinced that the practical skills that I have gained through placements and internships while pursuing my degree course are sufficient to enable me to venture into the business world. Furthermore, the Hotel School is well equipped with the most current facilities that one can find in any international hospitality industry establishment, and my exposure to these facilities thus gives me an added advantage of possessing the skills and expertise needed to engage in entrepreneurial activities in the industry. Human capital also has a profound influence on entrepreneurship as it affects the subjective norms and attitude of an entrepreneur. Consequently, this is bound to affect the probability of the business venture to succeed. human capital in the form of professional experience and knowledge not only enables one to venture into the entrepreneurial world but also helps shape entrepreneurial ventures. I look forward to getting a job in the hospitality industry upon my graduation so that I can gain more knowledge and experience from the industry setting as this will enhance my entrepreneurial alertness in terms of identifying opportunities and exploiting these.
Family background is also associated with a positive influence on an individual's likelihood of venturing into entrepreneurship as a future career. This is because family members who are successful in business act as positive role models to budding entrepreneurs. A study conducted by Laferee (2001) reveals that children whose parents were either business owners or self-employed were more likely to become entrepreneurs themselves in comparison with children who had no such entrepreneurial experience. In this case, family background helps to transport valuable skills, knowledge, positive attitudes, and self-confidence, thereby enabling children to venture into entrepreneurship. My father runs a family-owned business and I feel that this helped to instill in me the much-needed motivation to also venture into business early on. I helped in running business errands for my father, and this got me interested in the business. I would also assist in balancing books of account and started watching keenly how my father would handle the various crises facing the business. I believe that having a family background in business has instilled in me such useful traits as self-confidence, the desire to know more, the quest to fill a need, and a positive attitude toward what I do. I am convinced that these traits will come in handy when I finally decide to start my own business.
If you were to develop a hospitality business in the future what type of business would you like to develop and why?
The hospitality industry is an exciting business sector with various segments like event planning, lodging, tourism, and theme parks, among others. If I were to develop a business in this industry, it would have to be in the line of event planning. This is because I possess the personal attributes manifested by someone passionate about this type of business. I am a very social person who also possesses strong interpersonal skills. This is a useful trait since events entail meeting and dealing with people. Events planning involves working around a schedule to make the event a success and as such organizational skills are a must. I can coordinate various elements of an activity to make it a success. Besides, I was actively involved in event planning while on placement and this helped to further my skills in this area. I am also good at developing and observing deadlines, and I can delegate duties to others and get the job done on time. These are valuable skills of an event planner as one will be required to send invitations to various attendees on time, coordinate and organize the activities of the events, and even arrange for the accommodation of attendees. To realize this goal, I plan on enrolling in a project management course immediately after I graduate from the university as the knowledge and skills acquired from pursuing this course will go a long way toward enabling me to become a successful event planner.
References
Bergh, P., S. Thorgren, and J.Wincent. 2011. Entrepreneurs Learning Together: The Importance of Trust in Learning and Exploiting Business Opportunities. International Entrepreneurship Management Journal, 7, 17–37.
Fayolle, A., Jack, S.L., Lamine, W., and Chabaud, D. (2016). Entrepreneurial Process and Social Networks: A Dynamic View. Camberley, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Hamidi, D.Y., K. Wennberg, and H. Berglund. 2008. Creativity in entrepreneurial education. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 15(2), 304–320.
Hynes, B., Y. Costain, and N. Birdthistle. 2011. Practice-based learning for entrepreneurial education. Higher Education, Skills, and Work-Based Learning, 1(1), 16–28.
Jayawarna, D., Rouse, J., and Kitching, J. (2013). Entrepreneur Motivations and Life Course. International Small Business Journal, 31(2), 34–56.
Kirby, D.A. (2004). Entrepreneurship education: Can Business Schools Meet the Challenge?,Education + Training, 46(8/9), 510-519.
Laferrere, A., 2001. Self-Employment and Intergenerational Transfers. International Journal of Sociology, 31(1), 3-26.
Love, N. F., Lim, L., and Akehurst, G., 2006. Guest editorial: Female and ethnic minority. entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Management Journal, 2, 429-439.
Morris, M., 2003. Entrepreneurship as experienced by the entrepreneur. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 8(1), 5-6.
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