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Entrepreneurship Knowledge: A key to unlock our career opportunities
 26th Sept 07 (Published by the Business Post Magazine - August/Sept 2007)

IN the month of May, I woke up to a beaming face of Kimani Maruge, the octogenarian primary school student, thanks to a Central Bank of Kenya calendar hanging in our sitting room. It was a picture of the old man carried shoulder high by fellow students. Mr. Maruge is the man who a few years ago decided to enrol in primary school at a ripe age of 84 years. When the government introduced free primary education, this amazing old man saw an opportunity to seek knowledge. What is it about knowledge that would lure someone like Mr. Maruge into its embrace?

Knowledge is defined as the awareness and understanding of facts, truths or information gained in the form of experience or learning. It is also regarded as an appreciation of the possession of interconnected details which, in isolation, are of lesser value. For the former freedom fighter, his driving force was to be able to read the Bible and count the expected proceeds from a compensation case Mau Mau fighters have filed against Britain, which had colonized the country. Mr. Maruge’s character is rare. Many people stop seeking knowledge once they are through with studies at primary, secondary or university. They think they have what it takes and it is time for them to work not learn. Professionals have not escaped this trap and this is the reason why schemes such as continuous professional development have been introduced by most professional bodies.  Their main goal is to encourage their members to keep learning.

Some people view learning and studying as tiresome, time wasting endeavours. There are other more exciting, pressing and fruitful things to do, they tell themselves. It is a false belief. “You are old at 20 if you stop learning; you are young at 80 if you continue learning,” writes Frank Bettgar, a top American insurance professional. Psychologists have found that the functioning of the brain depreciates by only 3% if one exercises it through learning and study.

Failure to develop a knowledge seeking culture both at the individual and national level is dangerous. Without knowledge to guide them, many enterprises and projects will fail. As Alexander Pope wrote, fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Knowledge is also important because it provokes innovation. It is hard to innovate, if you don’t understand. Lack of knowledge easily leads to misinformation. Imagine being misinformed on what you do for a living or your business. You will end up doing the wrong things or making products that no one needs or which have no future

Ignorance is a major contributor to the high rate of failure of new businesses. People venture into business with the wrong objectives, without the necessary knowledge and skills. Then they wonder why their business fail or do not grow. Any profession or form of knowledge must essentially be converted into an enterprise. This is why we have different types of entrepreneurs—religious, medical, social and even political.

For professionals, or those specializing in a particular field, it is important to acquire and ceaselessly develop entrepreneurship knowledge. It is this knowledge that aligns professional skills with the demands of the market. In the course of their training and work, professionals like doctors, programmers and accountants rarely learn critical skills such as motivation, leadership, marketing, customer care, team building and change management all of which contribute to entrepreneurial success. There may be many exciting things to do in this world but if you are after success and excellence, you will do well to arm yourself with a large body of knowledge—both professional and entrepreneurial. A good starting point is attending an entrepreneurship training seminar. In most cases, you will find it worth your while.

The Writer is a management and Entrepreneurship Consultant

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