The Passion and the Dream of Being an Entrepreneur: Is it a Mistake?
- Cambodianess
- March 14, 2021 10:13 AM
Sothie and Samnang are still worried about the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the two friends started to sway a bit from the topic of the pandemic and began discussing the topic of business even though at the moment many businesses have gone bankrupt. Is having the motivation or the passion to become an entrepreneur a mistake?
Sothie: Hey, Samnang! I have noticed that these days, many young people want to become bosses. Do they know that running a business is a very challenging thing? At the same time, there are also many business people who go bankrupt.
Samnang: What you are saying seems to be a discouragement of their motivation and passion.
Sothie: I do not mean to discourage. I want to say that being a boss is not easy. Bosses have to work longer than the employees. Bosses have to think further than the employees. There are hundreds of issues that bosses face. You know what: I once met a person who told me that, if he had known in advance that running his own business is actually that hard, he would not have quitted his job in the first place. When you work for others, you only need to focus on pretty much one thing. However, when you run your own business, you have to focus on hundreds of other things. He also told me that he felt regrets for making this decision. His previous job provided him with quite a good amount of income. However, for now, he does not have this income anymore. To make matters worse, he also needs to take part of his family’s income to pay for his employees’ salaries.
Samnang: Well, it is what it is. Nevertheless, people will always have their own motivation and passion to do something that they want.
Sothie: Why do they want to become bosses or entrepreneurs?
Samnang: They may think that, by running their own business, they can express their own ideas and thoughts. If their business succeeds, they may earn more income than by working for others. If their business succeeds, they may have financial freedom and independence. They do not need to work under the pressure of other people. Also, if their business continues to succeed, they may offer it to their younger generations while maintaining it as their pride.
Sothie: Well, that is the case with success. But what if it does not succeed?
Samnang: Well, failure is another thing. At least, the attempt may also provide them with some life experiences.
Sothie: Speaking in terms of percentage, how many people actually succeed in running their business?
Samnang: I have heard that less than 20 percent of business people actually succeed in running their business. The other 80 percent goes bankrupt. Nevertheless, we should not discourage young people from having the motivation toward the things they want to achieve. Motivation or passion brings upon creativity.
Sothie: Even though that is the case, we still need to take some time to remind them, the young Cambodian adults and some older Cambodian people, in the Cambodian context. If we always close our eyes and allow them to do whatever they think is correct, it is like waiting for a preventable disaster to happen. What do you think, Samnang?
Samnang: Well, that can be considered a life lesson, Sothie. I have heard a lot of people say that “if there is no pain, there is no gain.” In my opinion, we should let people follow their dreams and get fulfillment. We do not need to discourage them.
