Por Juan Sandoval, ex miembro del personal
Hace apenas dos semanas (al momento de escribir esto), algunos amigos compraban boletos de lotería con la esperanza de ganar el premio mayor: cerca de 1.4 millones de dólares. "Compartiré algo de dinero con mi familia y amigos, haré una donación a organizaciones benéficas y compraré una casa nueva", fueron algunas de las razones que dieron para comprar un boleto.
The odds were 1 in 292 million against winning the jackpot.
That made me wonder how many people would be willing to invest in starting their own business. According to the Office of National Statistics, nearly 4.1 million workers (that’s 14 out of every 100 workers) were self-employed last year.
Jamie Wong, author of the Rise of the Entrepreneurship Economy describes five reasons why micro-entrepreneurship is so appealing:
- Flexibilidad: The ability to focus on what’s important (family, health, self-care) and bring more flexibility to your schedule.
- Following your heart: The opportunity to spend more time doing what you love.
- Ganar dinero: Being able to cash in on the goods, knowledge, places, skills, and passions you already have.
- Enriquecimiento: Looking for ways to enrich your knowledge, skills, and experience in life.
- Creatividad: Being the visionary behind your own business, rather than following marching orders.
Perhaps this is why many Latinos and other minorities are looking at micro-entrepreneurship. In the last 6 months, our REAP Latino Business Center trained and counseled 927 Latino individuals in Nebraska. Over 100 business owners received business support. And loans totaling $371,100 were approved.
To meet this growing demand for self-employment, we’re developing new products and services. I think betting on small business is a bet for success!
Feature image: This group of entrepreneurs invested in themselves by attending a Computer Basics training through our Latino Business Center.
