On Being An Aboriginal Entrepreneur

As part of the Aboriginal Entrepreneurs Conference a few weeks ago, Jennifer David was invited to be part of a panel discussion called "The Pathway to Success". Jennifer, along with Derek Prue (Skyrider Developments) and Kevin Sebastian (Toolcom Technology) shared their experiences and thoughts on on what it takes to be an Aboriginal entrepreneur.

You can view the entire presentation here.  Some of Jennifer's excerpts:

Is there a difference between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal entrepreneurs?

Yes. I've seen big city consultants show up in remote First Nation communities and not have any idea about the context of what it's like to live and be part of a First Nation community, and provide reports and advice that are not helpful, not useful, not something that can be implemented. I wanted to see things done better, done in a cultural context, and that's why I was excited to start and lead Stonecircle, because I believe that is what we do.

Are mentors important to Aboriginal entrepreneurs? 

Yes! Mentors are important for everyone. As a consultant, I have a certain skillset and area of expertise; but being in business requires you to have knowledge of many different areas. For me, for example, the finance part of business is not my strong point, but I have mentors in this area who show me how to improve this part of my business. That lets me do what I'm good at while letting others do what they're good at and learn from different people.

Do you do annual business planning? 

Yes, this is a key part of our business. It really helps us focus. We are all on the same page and we know where we are trying to go in the coming year, so we can spend our time and energy on those things, and not get distracted by other things.

Would you encourage your children to become entrepreneurs?

Yes, as long as they as they don't mind living on the edge of chaos. Most days, anyway.