By definition, an entrepreneur is an individual who organizes and operates a business/businesses, and takes on a much greater financial risk when compared to other people in order to do so. Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the world. They create things, they solve problems, and they strive to get things done the way that they want them done. Entrepreneurs are powerful individuals who will stop at nothing until they’ve completed what they have set out to do. In 2016, the entrepreneurial spirit is stronger than it has ever been. Thanks to sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, the ability to turn an idea into a financially supported company is easier than it has ever been. While crowdfunding your idea doesn’t necessarily mean your idea will turn into the next great product or service, it does give aspiring entrepreneurs the additional boost that they may need to really hit the ground running. It’s an absolutely wonderful age to live in.

President Obama on Entrepreneurship

As you’ve probably been reading and seeing in the news recently, the United Kingdom has left the European Union. During all of this commotion, United States President Barack Obama spent the other day at Stanford University. During his time there, President Obama spent quite a bit of time praising the success of the community of entrepreneurs at this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit. Also in attendance at the Summit was Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who delivered a very inspiring message:

“The world needs your creativity and your energy and your vision,” he said in his opening remarks. “You’re going to be what helps this process of global integration work in a way that works for everyone and not just some. I believe we are better off in a world where we are trading and networking and communicating and sharing ideas. That also means that cultures are colliding and sometimes that’s disruptive and people get worried. You’re the bridge. You’re the glue.”

Remarks like this truly capture the essence of entrepreneurship as a whole. He really drives home the point that, because of the way businesses are being conducted nowadays, we are able to work and collaborate with a group of people across the entire world. When this happens, cultures, races, and different ethnicities collide to create something that is truly special and unique. All of this is possible because of the digital age our world currently exists in. Zuckerberg decided to make this point even clearer when he said that, when he initially created Facebook, one of his main goals was to bring communities of all types together and to ensure that each person out there had a voice of their own. Thanks to his work, that is now more possible and more realistic than it has ever been.

“It’s not something that we’ll make money from for a very long period of time, if it works out. But it’s this deep belief that you’re trying to make a change, you’re trying to connect people in the world, and I really do believe if you do something good and you help people out, then eventually some portion of that good will come back to you,” he said. “I hope that the work that we do can play a role in empowering so many entrepreneurs to build great companies.”

The Mind of an Entrepreneur

So often people think that entrepreneurs only do what they do because they want to make a quick buck. However, Mark Zuckerberg makes it very apparent that that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Entrepreneurs don’t care about any of that. While making money is crucial to the success of their business, what they really care about is changing the world for the better. Whether that involves creating a service to give everyone a voice, developing a product to help better the world in some way, or whatever other shape or form it may take, entrepreneurs want to change the world. It’s as simple as that. They look into a problem, determine how it can be fixed, and you know what? They fix it. They don’t listen to the degrading comments of others around them. They don’t listen to the negativity that may result from their idea. They keep striving forward, they keep pushing on, and the end result can be absolutely beautiful.

What Are You Waiting For?

If you share this entrepreneurial spirit, there couldn’t be a better time to start making sure the world is aware of who you are and what you have to say. With the way the Internet is shaping our world, so much more business is being done online than in person. Because of this and the new tools that are constantly thrown at our disposal, you have a greater chance to make an impact on our society than ever before. Your idea might be to develop something that already exists, or it could be something entirely new that we have never seen before. Whatever it may be, you have a much greater chance at turning that idea into a reality in 2016 than at any time in the past. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t face any struggles at all.

The life of an entrepreneur is still hard work. It requires a great deal of time, talent, and capital, but at the end of the day, when you look at what you’ve created and see how you have made an impact on the world around you, you’ll know right then and there that all of the time you spent was worth it. Let this article be a reminder to you that anything is possible. We may live in a crazy world but it is possible to cause change and to make a difference. If you have the passion and the desire to better our planet, you can make it happen. Keep pushing on, don’t let up. Build a company and change the world.

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