An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome. A description as dry and colourless as definitions tend to be, not indicative of the blood, sweat, tears and sheer courage involved in translating a brainstorm into a concrete venture.
Tata, Birla, Mahindra, Ambani and industrial giants that began with the vision and self-belief of a single individual...the names read like an honours list on the history of India’s emergence as a global player in world economies.
These well established names may be very inspirational, but for a new entrepreneur, reality checks are vital. Small and new businesses may not have the market clout and cash of large MNCs who may initially overshadow indigenous talent but their agility and adaptive powers to think out-of-the-box helps them capitalise on market opportunities faster. Being a small organisation, the work space has a familial atmosphere leading to great inter-personal relations. If the idea promoting the business is new enough to fill a gap in the market, the sky is the limit. A vital trait for an Indian entrepreneur is fearlessness, required to overcome hurdles like low capital and labour availability, inadequate overhead, lack of parental support and so on. An innovative mind with the courage of his convictions should be able to fly over these obstacles. After all, as saying goes “no guts, no glory.”
Mr Manish Malhotra, an entrepreneur who has set up a successful medical agency spells his formula for success, “My 5 point formula for success is simple: ensure viable profits, good customer relationships, reliable service, excellent performance, and acquiring the right support and capital.’
Some institutions where entrepreneurs can find training: IIMA IIMB: for women entrepreneurs Nurture Talent academy Entrepreneurship Development Institute, IIM C
Singapore: A tangible dream!
Aishwarya Garg, XI G, AIS Noida
Who doesn’t fantasize being a part of the fun-filled life of the most happening cities of the world? You’re away from any sort of parental coaxing, gallivanting to your heart’s content and fulfilling your wildest dreams. Well, the grass is always greener on the other side. Singapore has become an education hub for the Amitians. With infinite students pursuing multifarious streams, numbers have been swelling year after year touching exemplary figures.
Singapore universities provide the perfect blend of academic excellence as well as an impressive co-curricular background. NUS (National University of Singapore), NTU (National Technical University) and SMU (Singapore Management University), being the top 3 universities, provide extravagant facilities for the young minds to venture out and earn a name in this competitive world.
MUN, global debates, musical choir world championship are a few of the many prestigious events hosted by these universities to foster students’ confidence levels and provide them with a superlative platform to showcase their talents.
Moreover, unlike the exorbitant western education, Singapore universities reach out to a larger section of people and make foreign education feasible, accessible, and economical.
With an 80 % tuition grant and assured three year employment right after graduation, it paves a bright future for the youngsters. Singapore is also a full fledged package of the most stupendous tourist destinations. One of our ex-Amitians, who is now a NTU student, Vasundhra Garg, wholeheartedly savoured the education system in Singapore which is quite distinctive from the CBSE course. Ashima Khanna, another Amity student remarked, “It places more emphasis on current affairs, creativity, global scenarios rather than bookish and factual theories. The system is very well catalogued and extremely student friendly.” Admission in Singapore is not everyone’s cup of tea, however, where there’s a will there’s a way. It’s for you to hunt your way!
Academic qualification
ensures Success
GT Debate
For
Rhea Mehta, IX B, AIS Noida
In the organised sector, in a world full of uber achievers, all vying for a share of the same limited pie, isn’t it better to have a head start with an academic qualification and make your own destiny thereafter than start at the bottom and risk remaining there forever? Does it make sense to carpet the world when one can wear shoes? Why condemn oneself to a life of struggle when a few years of hard work can smoothen out the road ahead?
Success is the fulfilment of one’s necessities in the most defined, streamlined and non-resistant path. Without an academic qualification or a formal recognition of talent or skill, how does one imagine the unpredictability of the work place? What does one fall back on in cases of turmoil?
An academic qualification offers a degree of security... the knowledge that one has validated skills and success would eventually be within one’s grasp, come what may. Or rather give one the feeling that ALL IZZ WELL!
Against
Shefali Menezes, XI-J, AIS Noida
Do school and college examination results really provide a way of predicting or ensuring future success? If that is true, then we should encourage as many young people as possible to go to universities and work hard to gain formal education. But is it true?
I don’t think so. Academics have become a rat race where every student chases grades and therefore the entire perception of success has changed. Instead of learning, we now study because we think it indispensable for a successful career and spend precious years of our life getting impressive degrees. Even after that we may find ourselves in the wrong profession and lacking job satisfaction. Then comes a time when we go to work with a constant fear of losing a job we don’t enjoy. This is not success for sure!
If grades were the only thing that mattered, the corporate world would not interview the prospects to know them as people, they would just select the best qualified. If an engineering student gets perfect grades but is not effective in relationship-building, team working and problem solving, he will never achieve success.
So qualifications alone are never enough, success depends upon physical characteristics, personality, team spirit and the willingness to work hard.
Counsel’s Korner
Self Esteem
Geeta Mehrotra Counselor AIS Noida
You can’t touch it, but it affects how you feel. You can’t see it, but it’s there when you look at yourself in the mirror. You can’t hear it, but it’s there every time you talk about yourself. What is this important but mysterious thing? It’s your self-esteem!
I write the following three magical words every evening before I go to bed. I will tell you what these powerful words are, so that you can use them to raise your own self-esteem: GOOD: I want to focus on the positive things in life and the positive things in me. To raise my self-esteem I want to focus on the things that I do well and the things that “prove” that I am a valuable person. THANKS: To keep a high self-esteem I want to not just focus on what is good about myself, but also on what I am grateful for in my life. To keep myself in a grateful attitude I write down some of the things that have happened each day that I am grateful for. WANT: Who I am right now and what I have in my life right now are great, but I need to know where I’m heading to next. I need to know what I WANT. Writing down whatI want is like setting the compass to show me the direction in which I’m supposed to go. I want to do all the things that raise my self-esteem.
Get a small notebook. Every day before you go to sleep or in the morning when you wake up, write about what is good about you, what you feel grateful for and what you want. It will keep you on the right track towards higher self-esteem.
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