I welcome you to BUAD 306 - The Sustainable Entrepreneur course. The work is challenging and rewarding for those who want to be successful entrepreneurs. With the intent to set you up to be successful, we will explore and learn essential entrepreneurship knowledge and skills.

In January 2020, I joined the ranks of entrepreneurs with the startup of a consulting company as I reflected on the next chapter of my career. I completed a course that taught us how to become a recognized expert. The first step was to develop our breakthrough idea. As I reviewed my work experience, education, and the current marketplace, I decided to focus on helping manufacturing companies become initially more sustainable and eventually regenerative operations. My company is Emmanuel Strategic Sustainability LLC, where you can learn more about what I offer clients.

As I worked through the process of setting up my company, I had to make a lot of decisions. What were my vision, mission, and values? What steps would I need to take to turn my breakthrough idea into a viable ongoing business operation? What support would I need from others to make this a reality? Was my wife okay with this plan to start a business at this point in our lives?

Through advice and observation of the success of others, I saw that I needed to build social proof that I was an industry thought leader. The basis is that I have significant experience and education to build upon. However, I was unknown to those I wanted to reach as clients. To become known, I saw the first step was to begin writing a weekly blog in January 2020, where I have posted without fail each week for almost three years. The content in the blog was the basis for a book I have written titled Humanist Manufacturing: A Humanitarian Approach to High-Impact Plant Operations, which launched on January 10, 2023.

These are just a few details I am working through as I develop my business. I am not sharing this as a humble brag but to provide some social proof that I am experiencing what you will work through in this course. Entrepreneurship can be lonely at times, so we are fortunate to have the opportunity to do this together over the fifteen weeks we are together. I look forward to taking the journey with you!!

I have included content below to give you some insight into what it means to be an entrepreneur. Those that choose to become entrepreneurs are part of the following:

90% of new American billionaires are self-made.
15 million Americans are full-time self-employed.
62% of adults believe that entrepreneurship is a promising career.
There are 582 million entrepreneurs in the world.
55% of entrepreneurs say their biggest motivation for starting their own business was being their boss.
30% of entrepreneurs only have a high school degree.
In Brazil, 53% of entrepreneurs operate on their own.
The most self-employed professionals (19.6%) work in the construction/trades.
With a Global Entrepreneurship Index 83.6, the US is the best country for entrepreneurs.
59% of entrepreneurs who apply for a loan use it to expand their business.
83.1% of US business owners started their companies.
Only 9% of entrepreneurs have a Bachelor’s Degree in business.
26% of entrepreneurs turn to the Internet for business-related advice.
Studies show middle-aged men start the most successful businesses.
Business and food are the two most popular industries for entrepreneurship.
The number one reason why businesses fail is there’s no market need.
20% of small businesses fail in the first year.
46% of people who start small businesses are between 41 and 56.
62% of small businesses don’t have any staff.
In 2015, small business employment comprised around 45% of total private work in the US.
Small companies were responsible for 97.6% of exported goods in the US in 2015.
In a period of 21 years (from 1992 to 2013), small businesses accounted for 63.3% of new jobs in the US.
Small business failure rate has declined by 30% since 1977.
62% of small business owners use personal funds to deal with various financial challenges.
79% of small businesses have an outstanding debt.
Office of Advocacy statistics show 60.1% of small businesses without paid employees are home-based.
39% of business owners use cash to start their companies.
55% of Americans believe they can start their own business.
Businesses faced significant challenges in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 23% of the cases, the biggest of these challenges was the lack of capital.
For 43% of employees, the most significant benefit of being self-employed is control over one’s career.
54% of self-employed entrepreneurs say they make more money now.
97% of self-employed professionals say they would never return to traditional employment.
For 27% of entrepreneurs, finding talented staff or contractors is the hardest.
The majority of entrepreneurs in the US (64%) are white.
61% of baby boomers say they would work through retirement by choice.
For every ten male entrepreneurs, there are seven female entrepreneurs.
There are 8 million minority-owned businesses in the US.
Data from 2017 tells us women own an estimated 11.9 million small businesses in the US.
Minorities accounted for 46% of women-owned businesses in the US in 2017.