What are you curious about in 2020?

Disruption is a wonderful way to shake people out of their complacency and I am curious to see who is going to flourish in this brave new world. I’m particularly curious to see how those that do well will be perceived by the general population. Will it finally be the Era of the Entrepreneur?

2020 is forcing us to embrace new ways of interacting with our communities and doing business. Some of it is good and we’d be crazy not to keep doing it. Some of it is bad but necessary to survive. I wonder why so many businesses and communities are hesitant about change and reluctant to embrace innovation. Should we try and take them with us or just hope that they get out of the way? Quickly!

In the conversations I initiate with rural businesses and communities, my aim is to encourage them to think about how they can take control of their own destiny. Why should anyone else invest in their business or community if they are not prepared to do so themselves? Who is rolling out the red carpet to welcome newcomers and entrepreneurs to their community? Who is encouraging and supporting young people to become their own boss?

It starts with us. There was a very good reason why I named my first book Entrepreneurship: It’s EVERYBODY’S Business!

Collaboration is wonderful, but so too is collective impact. We need to be able to join the dots and look at the big picture in different ways. It is not just about the numbers.

Business and community go hand in hand. Why then do so many people paint the business sector in such a negative light?

Why aren’t we celebrating the success of entrepreneurs and businesses like we do our sporting heroes and celebrities?

How can we generate a better understanding of the important role that business plays in generating government revenue to benefit all Australians?

My biggest fear is that we are nurturing generational reliance on government. But then I hear another positive story of a rural entrepreneur or ‘civic-preneur’ who is doing amazing work without seeking recognition, and I realise that we will be OK.

So many things to be curious about.

So many positive stories to share.

So many conversations to have.

More about Kerry

Raised in a small business family, Kerry Anderson is founder of the Operation Next Gen Program, working with rural towns and businesses across Australia encouraging them to look at existing landscapes with fresh eyes.

Committed to sharing positive stories and practical ideas, Kerry is the author of Entrepreneurship: It’s Everybody’s Business (2016) and Rural Entrepreneurs Australia (working title for publication 2020). She writes a popular blog and is a frequent speaker at national and international forums.

In 2017 Kerry was one of only two Australians invited to share best practice in building collaborative entrepreneurship ecosystems at a global forum in the USA. In 2018 she was recognised with Regional Australia’s Innovation Ecosystem Leader Award and named a Top 50 Australian Regional Agent-of-Change.

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