There’s nothing better than seeing “real” entrepreneurs speaking with others about going out on their own to start a full or part-time business.  We have some great entrepreneurs in our communities and we’ll have several of them on hand to speak with folks on Wednesday, December 14 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at Fab Lab ICC in Independence.  We call the event “Entrepreneurs’ Showcase” and you are invited. 

Before becoming so busy building Fab Lab ICC, I used to set up a booth at area job fairs.  I always tried to have “real” entrepreneurs with me.   I would get out in the aisle between rows of all the businesses on display and greet people as they walked by.  Although many people attending job fairs have a kind of despondent look about them, several would return the greeting.  I’d ask them if they’d ever thought about setting up their own business and becoming self-employed.  Many said “no” and that says something about our society, however, if they showed any interest at all, I’d point to the “real” entrepreneurs at my table and say “Go talk to them.  They are real entrepreneurs, not paid actors and they have started their own businesses and are self-employed right now.” 

The real entrepreneurs in our communities differ from the stereotypical entrepreneurs we see portrayed in the media and on shows like “Shark Tank”.  Nearly all of our real entrepreneurs started very small and built their businesses from scratch.  Many were not experts in the subject areas of their businesses but they are all lifelong learners and have learned what they needed to know as they’ve needed to know it.  For the most part, the learning did not come from college degrees.  The learning came from a lot of hard work, trial and error and feedback from their customers.  They all have made mistakes and most will admit they still make mistakes; real knowledge happens when we learn from our mistakes. 

Nearly everyone has business ideas or thoughts of new inventions.  Most don’t think they can be like the entrepreneurs we see on television and read about in the media so their ideas languish in their heads while so many continue working for others at jobs they don’t like very well.  This is why we’re having the Entrepreneurs’ Showcase.  We want people to meet our “real” entrepreneurs, not paid actors, in a casual environment to see that these entrepreneurs are ordinary people who have stepped out on their own learning as they go.  We want people to see the spark in the eyes of entrepreneurs totally in control of their daily schedules, indeed, their destinies. 

The Entrepreneurs’ Showcase is a come and go, drop-in event from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on Wednesday evening, December 14 at Fab Lab ICC.  We’ll have refreshments and light snacks on hand (from one of our “real” entrepreneurs).  We’ll have several of our area “real” entrepreneurs on hand throughout the evening but a highlight will be the discussion panel we’ll have from 5:30 to 6:30 during which we’ll ask 4 or 5 of the entrepreneurs to share how they started small and grew their businesses by learning and making mistakes along the way.  If you’ve ever had any inkling of having a full or part-time business or inventing a new product, please come by and meet our “real” entrepreneurs.  Contact me for more details at jcorrell@indycc.edu or 620-252-5349. 

Jim Correll is the director of Fab Lab ICC at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship on the campus of Independence Community College. He can be reached at (620) 252-5349 or by email at jcorrell@indycc.edu. Archive columns and podcasts at www.fablabicc.org.