Will Your Child Get a Job or Will He Run a Business?
It all begins with that simple question in childhood. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I know it does not exclude being a businessman or an entrepreneur as an answer but how many kids will think of that? Most kids are asked regarding what they want to do rather what business they want to run or set up. And most Filipino parents, being employees, will most likely expose their kids to want to be employees as well.
Not that there is anything wrong with being an employee. Being an employee can pay well, provided you choose the right course or company, but running a business usually brings greater returns and allows you to prosper the lot of more people aside from that of your family alone.
“Study well so you can get a good job.” We hear a lot of parents say that. Even our courses in the university are geared towards people who will be employed rather than those who will set up their own business.
The Chinese are some of the most entrepreneurial people that I have met. There are a lot of Filipino-Chinese businessmen around and hopefully, it will only be a matter of time before their entrepreneurial skills rub off on more Filipinos around them.
Maybe when we talk to our kids, we can talk about businesses rather than jobs? My son has gone from wanting to be a chef, to scientist, to chemical engineer. The daughter has shifted from wanting to be a pilot, to a vet, to an artist. Am waiting for one of them to say that they will be a tycoon someday. Hopefully, I won’t wait forever.