What can Mountaineering Teach Business Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship is a skill that you cannot learn by simply completing different business courses. There are various analogies that are helpful while learning to run a business. Experienced industrialists have found quite a few resemblances between the sport of mountain climbing and entrepreneurship, thus making it the latest tool for teaching business skills to young capitalists who have recently started their venture.

Correlation between Mountaineering and Business

Here are some of the factors that are common to mountain climbing and business. A careful study of all these components will be useful for a budding entrepreneur.

1. Planning-

When you are going for a mountaineering expedition, you have to ensure that the food supplies, first-aid kits, insurance and travel arrangements etc are taken care of well in advance. Similarly when you have to start your own business, it needs proper planning with regards to the capital, land, human resources and other parameters.

2. Risks –

Mountaineering is a dangerous sport and involves the risk of slipping off or suffocating due to lack of oxygen at high altitudes. Still this sport has many takers and is equally popular too. In the same way, every business comes with its own set of risks that the entrepreneur is quite aware of. Risks are an inevitable part of any new business setup and the entrepreneur should be ready for managing them.

3. Team work-

Mountaineering expeditions are made successful due to the efforts of the whole team involved in it, right from the expedition leader to the Sherpas and the medic. Likewise, an entrepreneur can accomplish the desired success when he works in tandem with his team mates and respects their contribution. He should have team building skills to develop interpersonal relationships between team members.

4. Working beyond your perimeter-

Mountain climbing needs a lot of grit and determination to reach the peak along with immense physical stamina. It is indeed a test of your physical and mental boundaries. A business venture, too, requires complete exploitation of your mental and physical capabilities. You might have to drive yourself to stretch these limits for achieving the desired results.

5. Real life implementation-

Mountaineering and business schools might have hordes of students, but not all of them emerge winners in their field. A successful mountaineer is one who takes the road less travelled and is also ready to make way for him to reach the peak. Correspondingly, an entrepreneur has to develop his own methodology for winning as the theory learnt in business courses is not going to make him triumphant.

6. Prior study of terrain-

Any mountaineer must know the terrain very well before he ventures out for an expedition. This helps him to know about any risks beforehand and helps him to plan accordingly. Similarly, an entrepreneur has to conduct a market research to find out his target audience, their tastes and other credentials prior to beginning his venture.

The association between mountain climbing and entrepreneurship proves that even if you have a chapter on ‘decision-making’ in your curriculum, it does not mean that as a mountaineer or an industrialist, you are capable of taking the right decisions at the right time. You might know the theory quite well, but your knowledge is proven only when you are able to implement it in difficult and trying situations.

Michelvar Smith - About Author:
Author is recognized for its high educational quality standards, and expert in Business Courses, Hospitality Management, Travel & Tourism in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Article Source:
http://www.articleside.com/college-articles/what-can-mountaineering-teach-business-entrepreneurs.htm

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