Member Article

Tips on how to succeed this World Entrepreneurs' Day

Calling all entrepreneurs! To mark World Entrepreneurs’ Day, technology and business executives from the likes of Shopify, Slack, and DocuSign, have shared the following advice for entrepreneurs - whether they’re at the beginning of their journey, or looking to scale. Support is vital to keep entrepreneurship up, especially as small and medium-sized enterprises still make up over 99% of all organisations in the UK alone, according to the House of Commons Library.

Deann Evans, Managing Director, EMEA, at Shopify: “Being an entrepreneur takes grit and determination, particularly in the current economic climate. However, despite these challenges, entrepreneurship in the UK is in great shape. Our Entrepreneurship Index revealed that UK entrepreneurs in Shopify’s ecosystem generated £28.8 billion worth of business activity in 2022 alone, and contributed £14.3 billion in GDP impact.

This World Entrepreneurs’ Day we should applaud entrepreneurs for their hard work, creativity and resilience. In the commerce space, we believe one model for entrepreneurs to continue to grow is to connect directly with their consumers. This involves using all possible pathways to reach their customers, both online and offline – from social and community commerce to web stores and the high street – to put trust at the heart of every interaction and create more meaningful relationships between themselves and their customers.“

Sacha Michaud, Co-Founder of Glovo: “Europe’s complexity with 27 EU member states poses both an opportunity and huge challenge for entrepreneurs to start successful businesses. Europe is struggling to support its entrepreneurs, and falls behind the innovation seen in the US and Asia. That gap will continue to widen without prompt action.

But there is a wealth of untapped entrepreneurial potential that could compete with the rest of the world if we tackle this with a pan-European strategy. For that to happen, European startups and scaleups need the right framework and support from the continent’s wider ecosystem with a renewed focus on attracting capital, enticing and retaining the best talent, and facilitating harmonised regulatory frameworks that support startups, enabling them to have a meaningful impact and ensuring their sustained growth.

At Glovo, entrepreneurship is at the heart of our core business. 90% of our global partners are SMEs, founded and driven by entrepreneurs. We have implemented a series of initiatives to support entrepreneurship, including the creation of Glovo House - a springboard to help accelerate the projects of current Glovo employees and alumni on their path to entrepreneurship. We also provide learning and development opportunities specifically designed to provide couriers and SMEs with the training they need to start their own businesses.

Entrepreneurs in Europe have a unique learning opportunity. While there are challenges, these will create resilient global businesses that can rival those around the world and, at the same time, build these companies with a solid purpose that will leave nobody behind in this tech revolution.“

Chris Mills, Head of Customer Success, EMEA, at Slack: “If the last few years have taught leaders anything, it is that we live in an age of uncertainty. In this environment entrepreneurs need to be really thoughtful about how they are communicating and avoid creating information silos. By creating a transparent culture small businesses can create stronger and better performing teams.

Our research shows transparent conversations between leaders and employees nurtures a trusting and healthy work culture. This also benefits a business’ bottom line, with employees in transparent environments being 1.8x more productive - amplified by the use of a productivity platform. This World Entrepreneurs’ Day, leaders everywhere should embrace an open culture of communication and collaboration as this may help unlock their next stage of growth.“

Violeta Martin, VP Commercial Sales, EMEA, at DocuSign: “The rise of the ‘Anywhere Economy’* has unlocked a new breed of digital entrepreneurs. Those that rely on digital technologies to establish and run their businesses; and that aren’t constrained by physical location.

With 52% of respondents in DocuSign’s Economist Impact Report expecting the Anywhere Economy to accelerate, so too does its potential to further democratise and drive entrepreneurship. By embedding digital workflows into the building blocks of their business, entrepreneurs can work smarter, be more productive and invest more time in the passions that inspired them in the first place.

The Anywhere Economy is also enabling entrepreneurs to connect with talent like never before. With the research showing that an additional 25 million women could be brought into the workforce globally in 2030 alone, having a more diverse workforce with unique experiences and ideas will enable more entrepreneurs to create scalable and varied businesses that can thrive.“

the expectation that services can be available anywhere, anytime

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tech Expert .