Can Entrepreneurship be Taught?

As mentioned in my last post, I am now taking the Foundations in Entrepreneurial Management course.  It's the first class of the Entrepreneurship Certificate at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies.  Heading back to classes while pregnant takes planning and focus as I attend classes with my ever growing belly (maybe the baby will be able to pick up a thing or two in utero too) .  Hitting the books and doing homework while still working full time is not easy.  For one, I get tired or hungry easily which diverts attention when I had wanted to research, do my readings or homework....

As I finish my banana and juice I start to get an energy boost to ponder some of these changes and the things I've learned in class and my readings so far.  How will they help me on my entrepreneurial journey?  I start thinking about what opportunities are available to me that might make a good entrepreneurial venture, looking internally to see if I have the characteristics needed.  What are my strengths?  What are my weaknesses?  If I am missing a certain skill that would make me a successful entrepreneur, is it something that I can learn?

Wait a minute, haven't there been many debates on this?  Are entrepreneurs born or made?  Think about all the business schools out there, from fancy Ivy League MBA schools to local colleges offering courses on business and start ups.  But then look at someone like Sir Richard Branson who didn't go to business school, in fact he only went to school until he was 16, yet he has created many successful businesses.  I'm no Richard Branson so I think there is valuable stuff I can glean from this course.

Do I have an entrepreneurial mind?  My instructor, Keri Damen wrote an article called "The Entrepreneurial Mind: What's the Secret Sauce of Successful Innovators".   Do I have the secret sauce?  Risk management, resilency, effectuation....

I guess figuring out how to make an interesting blog post for readers who are used to seeing my pictures of tea fields, shops and festivals while meeting my obligation for the course is a worthy challenge.

Photo: Raymonde Drolet

Will this work?  What if i fail?  What if my dear readers get lost or bored and leave me?!  One thing I do know, I'm not about to quit.

The course so far is much more interesting than the "intro to business" class I took in my university days.  I feel encouraged to think and see things a little differently.  e.g. Seeing problems as opportunities, that entrepreneurship is not a solo effort, but requires interaction with others and an interdependent relationship.

  Wow, all this brain work is making hungry, I think it's time for a tea break.  Bear with me dear readers.

Photo: Raymonde Drolet

Follow #StartUpEdu, @rfongtea, @entrepreneurSCS on Twitter to join in on the entrepreneurship conversation.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies Certificate in Entrepreneurship program; however, the opinions provided are my own.