I am always glad to see Enterprise week come rolling around – every November – regular as clockwork – a neatly planned and managed government backed campaign delivered largely through public and third sector organisations to encourage people to start businesses.
The irony of it is wonderful. We, the salaried from the public purse will encourage you – the great British people – to do what we choose not to do.
An already swollen enterprise supply side co-ordinates resources to saturate the week with events, workshops, on-line surveys and other such paraphernalia to make Enterprise Week a success. We get to hear assorted dragons and government ministers telling us again how important ‘enterprise’ is.
Enterprise opportunities compete cheek by jowl for the attentions of the aspiring entrepreneurs – many of whom run a mile preferring to work in or on their business.
Enteprise Week reminds me of the local steam festival. The event is planned all year. The signs go up weeks in advance and the roads are blocked for days as lumbering steam engines and other pieces of heavy machinery crawl onto site. Of course the steam enthusiasts turn up in their droves and so too do a large number of the general public – attracted by the bright lights, the romance of steam and the smell of the hot dogs. But how many of them as a result decide that running a steam engine is really for them?