Peter Jackson column

Nov 3 2005 By Peter Jackson, The Journal

Encouraging the creation of an entre-preneurial culture is considered vitally important, not just in the North-East, but for the UK as a whole.

Indeed this month sees Enterprise Week - a Government attempt to stimulate interest in entrepreneurialism.

Much has been achieved. For those who were at school only a generation ago, there were no work placements and the worlds of education and business were kept strictly separate. Indeed, the word entrepreneurialism was unheard of outside university lecture theatres or right-wing think tanks.

But, however far we have come, we still have a long way to go, or at least we do if we are to give any weight to a survey reported in one of the Sunday papers.

The report shows that most Londoners would rather not run their own business for fear of the stress it would cause them.

Two-thirds of those surveyed said the pressure of running their own business and having the responsibility for making an idea work would put them off working for themselves.

There are two striking things about this. One is that it was conducted in the capital and Londoners are usually regarded as more entrepreneurial than the rest of their compatriots. The other is that people between the ages of 18 and 24 were most put off by the fear of stress.

It is interesting also that people did not cite fear of financial insecurity or even bankruptcy as the major turn-offs from the idea of self-employment.

So it looks as though self-employment has a big image problem. Clearly education about entrepreneurialism needs to emphasise the rewards of being your own boss and of the scope it gives for creativity.

We also need to educate people generally, not just youngsters, about the changing nature of employment. Not only is the job for life a distant memory, but paid direct employment is likely to go the same way.

Technological, social, legislative and demographic factors will mean the worker of the future is more likely to be a self-employed freelance than a salaried employee working exclusively for one employer.

This can bring great freedoms and great rewards as well as greater stress. But, either way, we have to get used to it.