There are many benefits to starting a new business. But very few would count sleeping in their back seat as one of the benefits. I mean, what crazy type of managing director, CEO or self-respecting entrepreneur would get themselves into a situation in which an hour nap in the back seat of a car was a celebratory reward?
One who’s focused on growth, that’s who! And I am very, very focussed on growth. I know that it sounds pretty predictable, and is to be expected from any new project’s creator… at least until I tell you what growth I am actually focused on. But to do the explanation justice I need to first explain what I’ve witnessed in Cyprus over the last two days.
It started with me updating a live blog about a group of remarkable 13-to-19 year olds who, instead of lying on the beach or playing on their consoles at home, came to the University of Cyprus in Nicosia to learn and refine their coding skills. Over 50 youngsters (how old do you think I feel now!?) took part, and they left me driving back to Limassol feeling really confident about Cyprus’ next generation of potential startup engineers.
The following day, I had the pleasure of once again live blogging, this time from amongst the participants of a hackathon at the University. A hackathon on an island where the majority of the youth are sitting idly by, and complaining about the crisis from some coffee shop in town. But not these 100+ guys and girls… hell no, they were here to build things and to create businesses.
As the participants tired out and headed for bed, I snuck to my car at 04:30 for an hour nap before kicking off today’s live blog, and getting back to checking emails to write this piece.
These two spectacular groups of people were brought together by a third, equally inspiring group of people, the Cypriot Enterprise Link and their team of volunteers, to whom I’d pledged my full support for their string of events which included running the live blog.
And the reason I did so, brings me back to the type of growth I am so focused on. At my new role at Desk&Co, my mission is to enable entrepreneurial growth. Especially in a country where, without entrepreneurs, there is no hope for economic recovery and stability. I’ve spent every hour possible learning what these businesses need to grow, and being reminded that there are people who, given the chance and the means, want to build local companies that can span globally.
So for that reason I invite you, fellow entrepreneurs, to reach out to me personally or take a look at how Desk&Co can help you or your business. But most importantly, tell me (via email, twitter or fb message) how I can help you to start/keep building something you’re so passionate about, that you would even be fine sleeping in a car to enable it to grow.