Stimulating Entrepreneurship during the hard times, starting it at the least

I remember a joke between my cousins over beer, if one would be president, he would put to death anyone who wants to be given help by everyone except him/herself, which would probably be everyone above the age of 3. Not one of the best jokes I've heard, not even close to being funny, but it got me thinking that it is true how a lot of our brothers and sisters refuse to see tha fact that self-help, as I would lazily term it, would do them good. Waiting for rain, and if it doesn't rain, they would blame everything to that black cat eating a full bowl of cat food most enjoyably given to them by the one now pointing a finger at them for their misfortune... "You cat, you!!! if you weren't so cute and adorable, great with excuses and if you weren't so easy to get along with... I'd be rid of you once and for all", funny...

Now relating to unemployment and the reportedly 5,000 OFWs who came home from being laid-off by their employers, I just hope that this won't multiply the above mentioned point to an even more frightening scale. It's a good thing Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has launched a package of assistance. A tight program, offers them a Php50,000 non collateral loan. But what's most interesting about this is the pre-requisite of a business proposal and a free bussiness course.

Providing a good start for our brothers and sisters, but the question now is, how will our OFWs respond to this? Relating to an interesting blog post by Jon Limjap, the problem will be if they decide to start up a business, how will they make use of the funds and what kind of business or project would they venture in? Filipinos being one of the most entreprenurial in the world commit a common mistake when going into business, not planning with the end in mind. Sustainability and the potential of the business to be profitable is ofcourse top in mind, but the bigger part of it, is to know when to grow the business further and to know what needs to be accomplished.

An easy thing to say, of course for me who still insn't an entrepreneur. But an very challenging and motivating thing for me to consider on my plans.