05.12.2015 Ankara
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the way to provide employment and sustenance to people is through entrepreneurship during his speech at the MÜSİAD 5th International Young Business People Congress. Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that dreaming, setting goals, hard work, relentlessness, risk taking and innovation are very important for entrepreneurship.
Hisarcıklıoğlu, stating that a foreign author had observed in 1912 that
the Turks’ most favored careers were bureaucrat and soldier, said, “Whereas we
have a great spirit for entrepreneurship. We discovered this only later. The
most obvious example is seen in our citizens who migrated to Europe. They went
there 50 years ago to carry sacks of grain. Now, there are 150,000
entrepreneurs in Europe. When at first they were workers, now they are
providing employment to 750,000 Europeans.
If you want to prosper in this world and the next then the way to
achieve this is through entrepreneurship. The most beneficent of men is he who
is beneficent unto others.”
Stating that entrepreneurship means employment, Hisarcıklıoğlu reported
that 900,000 new youth join the workforce each year. Stating that
entrepreneurship if what enables countries to prosper, TOBB President M. Rifat
Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed to Japan and Germany as examples of the results of an
enterprising spirit, enabling these two countries to come to such greatness
despite the devastation they suffered at the end of WWII.
Touching on the matter of Women and Young Entrepreneurship Councils, the
TOBB President reported that the members of these councils have become role
models; women entrepreneurship has increased to 8.2% from 6.2%.
- Tips for entrepreneurs
Stating that the first thing necessary for becoming an entrepreneur is
to dream, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the freest we can
be is in our dreams. He emphasized the importance of turning these dreams into
goals as the second step.
Thirdly, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “You must work diligently in pursuit of
this goal.” He stated that risk taking and therefore courage is a necessity of
enterprise. “Another step is innovation. You must innovate. You must ask
yourself each day what you can do differently.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu also stressed the importance of branding and partnership
culture for success.