Individuals and Enterprise: CREATING entrepreneurs for the new MILLENIUM through PERSONAL transformation

If you have the potential to be an entrepreneur, the University of Luton has the professor who can get you started.

Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas is at the University’s Centre for Competitiveness to help budding entrepreneurs assess their potential, decide whether entrepreneurship is for them and get them started.

All this is covered in his book Individuals and Enterprise.

The professor travels the world, spreading the entrepreneurial message and recently he has run programmes as far away as South Africa and Russia for ambitious, high fliers.

“It is possible to make money and be true to oneself,” argues Professor Coulson-Thomas – his handbook focuses on achieving both commercial success and personal fulfilment.

“Many people are creating profitable businesses while doing what they enjoy doing and do best. Individuals and organisations can both benefit if they understand personal aspirations and respond appropriately.

“From time to time many individuals consider their future or a change of direction. Some seek a more equitable balance between work and life, or want more control over their destiny. Others harbour a desire to become entrepreneurs. They are fed up being a piece on someone else’s chess board and want to play their own game.”

He explains that people can experience a range of emotions, from apprehension on starting work, to a mid-life crisis. Some come to question what they are doing with their lives. Sometimes imagined or available alternatives seem to bring their own problems and uncertainties. “People weigh the advantages and disadvantages of different courses of action. They assess whether the risks and costs involved will outweigh desired benefits. They wonder whether the grass really will be greener on the other side of the fence.”

An investigation into emerging opportunities for entrepreneurship has examined how people can best respond and the findings – along with self-assessment exercises and checklists – are set out in Individuals and Enterprise.