BUS110 W14 Reflection: Entrepreneurial Journal Final

 

• If you had one final lecture to share with a group of students on what you have learned from this course, what would you share?

• This has been an interesting and very informative course. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I registered for it but am surprisingly pleased. The most important lesson or idea that I learned over this semester is to find and then do something you love. When you do something you love, it can make weathering the storms seem a bit easier because you are doing work that you enjoy. Life is short and there isn’t time to waste being unhappy. Being an entrepreneur can be something exciting if you make it exciting. It doesn’t mean that it will always be easy but learning how to work effectively is important when owning your own business.

• What would be your last bit of advice to someone wanting to begin the entrepreneur journey?

• Networking! Networking is extremely helpful in any career you choose. If you are able to build a stable and wide network it will help you be able to do better in your business. There are often times that you can help another business and then they in turn can help you. Keeping track of your network and staying involved with them will and does improve your business as well as your ability to work effectively.

• What words of advice, direction, or caution would you give him or her if you had only one chance to give your own last lecture?

• The most impressive words of advice that I could give to someone is slow and steady wins the race. This is a common phrase that most people know about. But they don’t always take it seriously. Many people want to take the easy way in their personal and professional life. It may work for some but that is an exception to the rule. When you start your business it’s normal to not see much growth or earnings right away but if you run your business honestly and truly work your hardest, it increases your chance of success. Many people want to give up after the first difficulty because they want things to be easy or thought that it would be easy. But nothing that is worthwhile will be easy. Take your time, follow your gut, and trust the process.

BUS110 W13 Reflection: Entrepreneurial Journal

  I really enjoyed President Monson’s talk, “An Attitude of Gratitude.” I have had a hard time with gratitude at different times in my life. I didn’t believe that you could always find something positive in life despite what you may or may not be going through. But as I have gone through many trials and celebrations I have learned that there is a way to see something, even if it is a small something, good in every situation. This doesn’t mean what I’m going through isn’t hard, it just means that I can see past the trial and see that this is just temporary and I will be happy again. I learned that using gratitude helped me to grow and learn from trials and at some points it helped me get through them faster! President Monson stated, “We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.” We are taught and commanded to be like Jesus Christ and try to emulate Him in everything we do. He was gracious and so we must learn to be gracious as well. Being able to see the small things to be grateful for helps us see the positive in hard situations. Plus it helps us become closer to our Heavenly Father and our brother, Jesus Christ. There is so much to be thankful for and if we open our eyes then we will see what surrounds us. The things that I’m most grateful for are my Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Spirit, my family and my friends. I have been blessed with a lot of great people around me that have helped support me and in return I’m able to support them.

BUS 110 W12 Reflection: Entrepreneurial Journal

 Based on what you read in the first two pages (pages 3 and 4), why are virtue and integrity so vital to an economy?

In the article, “What’s a Business For” by Charles Handy, he states, “Trust, too, is fragile. Like a piece of china, once cracked it is never quite the same. And people’s trust in business, and those who lead it, is today cracking.” There are many businesses that are not honest and trustworthy but they try to say they are. Charles Handy touches on the dishonesty of governments and the fact that they aren’t associated with honesty. When the government isn’t honest, some think why should I be honest? There are many times when the lies are exposed and it can be detrimental to a company. So while being honest and virtuous may be a more difficult and slower process, in the end it is so much better for the company and the consumer.  

According to Charles Handy, what is the “real justification” for the existence of businesses?

“The purpose of a business, in other words, is not to make a profit, full stop. It is to make a profit so that the business can do something more or better. That ‘something’ becomes the real justification for the business.”

What are two solutions proposed by Handy that you agree with? Why?

Charles Handy states that businesses need to take the lead in a variety of areas instead of waiting for the government to impose laws. The most important solution he provides is the importance of individual and environmental well-being. He explains that companies need to allow their employees to have a healthy work/life balance in their lives. When your company has happy employees, it makes it easier for the employees to work harder and be more effective. This also ties back to honesty. Being honest with your employees and your expectations will help them to trust you and gain loyalty from them.