Since my pursuit of my BCom degree and before, I’ve been considering becoming an entrepreneur so that I can make my own decision and take my company to lengths and further that allow me to support my community. however, I haven’t had the chance to figure out exactly what kind of business, when and where i’d like to open it, but a recent visit by the Sauder alumni ranted me the opportunity to look forward nonetheless.

The owners of Zimt and Tagga were present in our halls and told us of their journey how they got to where they currently are. Many terms that were coined during their presentation, terms that we had learnt in class that ensured me that my education was definitely going to prove worthwhile. They spoke of how they weren’t always on the path they were and ‘pivoting’ (which is the change in business direction) was a normal practice. Yet each decision created a collective to responsibility to allow them to be in the position that the were, making them grateful for their experiences.

So what i’ll ask my readers to do is to not be let down by small failures but to look for intellectual groups with whom innovation is possible.

Reading an optional reading for one of the Comm classes made me realize, as humans, how dependent we are on the technology we develop that enables to conduct our daily activities. The question to really ask is whether or not we have a fail safe or back up in case this technology ceases to function?

As is seen with the case of Hurricane Sandy that destroyed a lot of infrastructure as well as technology, not having a contingency plan can prove to inflict more damage than just what meets the eye. Not only does actual infrastructure make it difficult to conduct business activities but also their online application (such as data storage systems and servers) whose failure can cause issues online as well.

Loss of online information causes delay in orders as well as loss of information such as past records or future strategies. These situations can easily provide competitors with an advantage, so what should firms do in order to be not as affected by tragedies like these. Companies must engage in developing contingency plans to ensure a much safer future.

Reading one of the options for our sustainability class made me very optimistic about our future as I discovered that many companies digging, processing or funding such projects are putting the plug on their extraction of natural gases, oil sands and coal. What I’m concerned with is what are these individuals going to do next especially with the millions they’ve made from exiting the natural resources market?

Rockefeller and a dozen other companies have declared to phase out the use of fossil-fuels addressing to the natural resource consumption issue since it is non-renewable. This is expected to turn into a snowball effect causing many other companies to exit the market. However, as I asked before, what direction to these individuals plan on heading towards? I can only hope that they make use of their experience and knowledge of the market and industry to help innovate and develop other forms of energy. They may consider supporting technology advanced companies such as Tesla and fund their research or initiate their own projects and pursue a different source. It is up to people like us to envision this future and make it possible.

We recently discussed in class the impact that innovators have on businesses and the world but we also hinted the importance of having a partner, co-founder or team to support you on your path to success. This idea lead my curiosity to discover what others had to say on the topic and this blog in particular proved to be worth my time.

Mr. Fox presents his view that innovation is initiated by intellectual circles with each member having a specific characteristic/role. I would agree with him, on the overall general idea that one’s idea must be criticized or encouraged by others for it to improve. As for the detail he goes in to regarding each members participation i wouldn’t say for sure is accurate, but fairly plausible.

Not only does he provide historic examples of such cases but has shown modern intellectual circles actively involving themselves in their peers ideas, but also encourages his readers to develop such groups for the greater good of the community.

If the United Nations was fully funded why would we need the Arc and Social Enterprise?

To answer the question above I would first like to introduce the term Social Enterprise. This term refers to projects initiated by entrepreneurs for the the greater good. They help the weak and poor by providing them with the means by which they can further provide themselves. it is similar the the fishing idea where one can be taught to fish to feed themselves multiple times. Social Entrepreneurs are futuristic and strategic, they see opportunity where other see ruble.

Answering the question, there is still a need for organizations such as the Arc and this is because the United Nations is not a Social Entrepreneur. They may be able to fund projects but unlike the Arc, they see the end result of their efforts after they’ve begun the project. This does not mean that the United Nations is incapable of doing the same, but rather their funding is more crucial to the need for organizations such as the Arc as Social Entrepreneurs need financial help in order to achieve success. The United Nations should fund projects initiated by such ambitious individuals who excel in positive directions.