Ask an Expert: Entrepreneurs' similarities form a global bond

EVIAN, France -- If I asked you what two issues vex entrepreneurs the world over the most, whether those entrepreneurs hail from Argentina, the U.S. or Belarus, what would you say? Finding the money? Sales? Nope. Not surprisingly maybe, the answer seems to be "taxes and government regulations."

Boy do those issues bug us!

I am writing to you today from the site of the World Entrepreneurship Forum, sponsored by the Emlyon Business School and KPMG. I was invited to attend this conference, which brought together about 80 entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and academics from all over the world in order to compare notes, share ideas, and learn from one another.

What we have found is that the things that unite entrepreneurs across the globe are many, while the things on which small business owners disagree are few, albeit mighty.

Here's an example: While at a session near the end of the three-day conference, we were given the task of figuring out how best to take various entrepreneurial ideas out to the world (for instance, the importance of creating entrepreneurial curricula for grade and high schools.)

One gentleman in the group kept insisting that, before we ever get to that place, the idea of what "entrepreneurs" are and what they do first had to be disseminated. "There is no word for entrepreneur in my country," he explained. "People think we are simply selfish, profit-hungry businessmen." A woman from the Indian sub-continent agreed, noting "in my country, only people who fail to do well in school want to start a business."

Now, in the U.S. of course, that would never be an issue. Here, as in many western countries, entrepreneurs are admired, envied even. So that is a big difference.

Another noteworthy difference had to do with corruption. Many of the entrepreneurs in attendance from the developing world explained how graft and bribery were major impediments to getting anything done. That is simply less of an issue for us.

But far more interesting for my money was how much more we had in common. Almost without exception, the entrepreneurs who attended this substantive and fascinating conference were impressive, both in terms of their talent and achievements, but equally, with regard to their commitment and vision for a better world.

In fact, the stated purpose of the World Entrepreneurship Forum was to look at both how entrepreneurs are initiators of economic wealth, but equally, how they are creators of "social justice."

That second phrase does not normally get a lot of ink when it comes to analyzing entrepreneurship, but it should. As the participants at this event showed, entrepreneurs are a creative, energetic, idealistic bunch who like to take the initiative, whether it is for creating a great business, or for creating a great business that also serves a public need.

Consider, for instance, Kah Walla, an entrepreneur from Cameroon who insists that 70% of the employees at her international consulting business be African women. As she explained to me, "One employed person in Africa is often financially responsible for five to 10 other people, so employing African women makes a big difference." For her, business is not just about making money, but about giving women opportunities. "I really enjoy that," she said.

Or what about the charming Brit Matt Simmons who sold his trade show business last year? He and his wife decided to take their 10 year old twin boys to assist a remote village in India for several months.

I could go on, but the point is clear. Entrepreneurs around the world tend to be committed to something bigger than themselves (and not without a little ego). So when we were asked to list the entrepreneurial traits we share, no matter the continent, the list looked like this:

• Entrepreneurs are risk takers

• They are creative and innovative

• They are proactive

• They create value to society

• They see problems as opportunities

That certainly was the case here.

Today's tip:By the end of the conference, the participants had created a list of 12 recommendations that would further the promotion of entrepreneurship worldwide. Many had to do with creating entrepreneur-centric policies, regulations, and tax structures, but my favorite was: "Encourage the creation of entrepreneurship educational curricula and programs targeted specifically to the needs of women, minorities and the disadvantaged."