|
|
|
|
Entrepreneurialism Okanagan Style You are a real risk taker, a brazen Okanagan entrepreneur. You arrived in Kelowna a few years ago with much excitement and anticipation, like Columbus on the shores of the new world. The Okanagan was your oyster and your mission was crystal clear - to create a new life by concurring all frontiers with your new business. You thought long and hard about the decision to move here. Likeminded entrepreneurial friends made the transition to the Okanagan and were doing very well. The Okanagan Valley was booming in all areas. Real estate prices continued to climb. The kids were getting older and you knew that the longer you waited, the more difficult your decision would be. You were at a crisis point in your life. You were determined to make your life different at any cost. You needed more balance more choices than ever. You had to claim your life back, to rescue it from the restraints of employment. The truth be told, you felt much like Moses at the Red Sea - you felt that you had to step out in faith and act now or things would never change. There, right in front of you, was the golden Okanagan opportunity, drawing you like a warm summer breeze on a cloudless day. You took the plunge! Some friends, still clinging to the "mothership" of employment security, still have little understanding about the enormous risk you took. They still think of you as rash and foolish. Of course you tell them a very different story of growth and success. They find it hard to believe. I have a blunt question for you, a dagger that strikes deep into your entrepreneurial heart. How has your reality been compared to your Okanagan entrepreneurial dream? Did you dive into a refreshing Okanagan Lake or a pool with only 2 inches of water? Are you leisurely swimming at your own pace, enjoying your business or gasping for breath wondering why you moved here in the first place? Is your business creating more life for you or sucking the very life out of you? Most Okanagan entrepreneurs know your experience intimately - they call it "The Entrepreneurial Seizure - Okanagan Style". They know the struggles of starting a new business here. They appreciate the long hours, the second guessing yourself, the putting on of a brave face in the midst of low cash flow and the sleepless nights wondering why things are as difficult as they are. They have been there. They know that sweat equity is a long term investment that doesn't always translate into cash in time to pay employees. While they know the ups and downs but also know that the rewards are both long term and permanent. Over the next few weeks we are going to examine more closely the issue of "Entrepreneurialism Okanagan Style". We will look at how the dream of living a different life often clouds our vision to the economic realities of operating in this marketplace. We will talk to Okanagan entrepreneurs who have been there and share their war stories that both involve extraordinary success and deep failure. We will pull no punches. We will examine the core issues about what makes the Okanagan a totally different place than anywhere else in Canada to start a business. We will look closely at why Okanagan businesses do or do not live up to our expectations and what to do about it. From my perspective, this may be the most critical series of articles ever published on Okanagan businesses. It will be a must read for now and years to come. The very survival of your Okanagan dream is at stake. Don't miss it Steve Burns, CA, CMC, CFP is the President and CEO of Burns Innovation Group Inc. and Steve Burns Inc. Chartered Accountant, which provide innovative consulting and accounting services to Okanagan entrepreneurs. Steve can be reached at 763-4716, via email at steve@burnsinnovation.com or steve@steveburns.ca |
|
