As part of our Edology interview series, we asked three questions to young entrepreneurs to help shed light on their inspiration and challenges, and pass on some advice to aspiring individuals around the world.
Pavlos Symentis, founder of Unique Minds
Unique Minds is an innovative non-profit organisation whose purpose is to assist students and young adults to identify and follow their ideal career path, to help them make decisions about where, and what to study.
1. What inspired you to start your own business?
When people asked me "Where do you see yourself in ten years?" I knew instantly that I couldn’t see myself as an employee to someone else's business. I always wanted to try my own luck and see how far I could go by myself. By the age of 22, I founded my own company. The thing that played the most significant role in doing it was finding the right idea. Once I had the idea, I just knew deep inside me I had to make it happen. And that’s how I began my journey to a new and interesting world, entrepreneurship.
2. What challenges did you face?
Since we are in the area of social entrepreneurship, and we aim to solve social problems our biggest challenge is to deal with the society's suspiciousness on whether we’re the right company to tackle the problems that we say we want to solve. Although our intentions are the best, and our drive is to make our world a better place, for some stakeholders we are just a bunch of young people who have nothing better to do than try to be saviours. That's why we have to try twice as hard to prove ourselves, and show that we are the right people for the job.
Other than that, a big challenge is having to deal with bureaucracy, considering that Greece is one of the most hostile places to start your own business. Since the day we started, we have faced numerous challenges and there are still plenty to come in the future, the key is never to give up and to keep going.
3. What’s your top piece of advice for young entrepreneurs?
The most important piece of advice that I’d give to anyone who wants to start their own business is, first of all, take the big decision and begin right now! Entrepreneurship is less about thinking, planning, and wondering about "What if's", it's about acting, it's about taking matters to your own hand, and being a leader.
The second most important thing to keep in mind is once you go with it, then really go with it! You’ll have to put in not just 100% of yourself, but a1000%! Starting a company is like being married and having a kid. Is one of the most important commitments that you will have to make in your life. Like marriage, if you are not 100% into it then don't do it, because it's predetermined to fail.
Boris Emeka, co-founder of Tranzit Lab
Tranzit Lab is a tech-company that provides an innovative flash payment system for public transportation via road, air, rail, and taxi.
1. What inspired you to start your own business?
Firstly, for as long as I could remember, I always wanted to solve problems. Secondly, the transport system in my country is faulty and not particularly well run. Because of this I saw a vacuum that could be filled by creating a safe and orderly pattern of transportation in my city, and hopefully one day, globally.
2. What challenges did you face?
One of the first challenges I faced was the fact that there's no easy way for young entrepreneurs like me to start, because we face so many critics from friends and family, who may not believe in you. Secondly, getting together a like-minded team to drive the business forward is quite challenging.
3. What’s your top piece of advice for young entrepreneurs?
Challenge yourself. Do your homework. Try new things. Take risks. Believe in you dream. Get a vision. Be courageous. Take action. Don’t’ wait. Experience is your best teacher.
Would you like to learn the skills needed to boost your business profile, make your dreams of building a business a reality, and achieve career goals? Choose one of online business courses and apply today.
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