Intrapreneurship is it!!!

There is plenty of news about entrepreneurship these days, encouraging people to start their own companies. Admittedly, I did not achieve that goal. Today, I want to write about the fact that I was a happy intrapreneur throughout my business life and share with you how successful intrapreneurship can be.

In this process, it may make sense to look at some realities of entrepreneurship: starting your own business is hard, with plenty of uncertainty and worry.

But instead of convincing yourself that you need to make a great leap towards your entrepreneur dream, you can actually start right where you are.

If you want to be a self-made person, you can start by thinking of ways to improve the skills you’ve got right now. You can do that by looking around you in your current place of work and asking yourself: “what skills would I need to enhance this place?”

You can become an entrepreneur within your current place of work with just a shift of mindset. Why not use your time to think about business ideas you’ve got in your head?

Why not use that time to search for a better way of doing things. If you would do something different if you ran the place, test it out in this place. Try out your meeting facilitation skills, your negotiating skills or your managerial skills right where you are.

Build a mindset of productivity and growth; think about what annoys you today. That’s all an entrepreneur is, he is someone who solves problems. You can do that right now. Build a mindset of finding problems and solving them.

If you’re a manager, figure out how to build an environment where people feel good about innovation and contribute actively.

If you’re a team member, figure out a way to add more value to your team. Practice your presentation skills, practice your ability to teach, practice everything and anything you will need to be a successful entrepreneur. If you can prove value, well you’re pretty much set. Use the time to build your way of working.         

Of course, it is trusted that management will appreciate your endeavors and will guide you up the value-chain.

And here’s the thing. Use it all to add incredible value to the place you work right now. Find the problem and work on building something that will successfully solve it. Practice being an entrepreneur right where you are, that’s an intrapreneur. It’s a shift in mindset.

You want to get better at creating ideas? Start every morning off by writing down three random ideas. The point is to get your brain thinking in different ways. Build your creative muscle. Work like you are working for yourself but instead stay right where you are.

Becoming an intrapreneur gives you time, takes on lower risks and it might be just enough to scratch your entrepreneurial itch.

 I would be delighted to see how you successfully manage the important transition to intrapreneurship and – at the same time - decide to add integrity to your tasks, leaving corruption and other unfair business practices behind.

I look forward to your responses; you can reach me at [email protected]