Young entrepreneurs boosted by G20 nations

Most successful businesses start small with nothing but a great idea and someone who believes in its success. Jeremy Liddle says that entrepreneurial spirit is nurtured in the G20 global network of young entrepreneurs.

Young entrepreneurs are critical in the promotion of economic growth, creation of jobs, promotion of innovation and we are drivers of social change. Entrepreneurship is also an amazing vehicle to become master of your own destiny, and then use your profits to do some amazing things both for yourself and others. It is fun! It is empowering. It is liberating. 

Now just a few months ago I discovered an amazing initiative, the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance. A movement of non-profit organisations in the G20 nations focused on promoting youth entrepreneurship. They are the leaders in their local markets, initiating activities such as mentoring programs, incubation programs, funding initiatives, entrepreneurial educational programs, facilitating grants, shaping political policy and many other very exciting activities.

These non-profit organisations started meeting annually in Toronto in 2010 with a delegation of up to 30 young entrepreneurs from each country, in order to tackle the economic, political, social and environmental issues facing small and medium sized business owners. This meeting is called the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit, and it has quickly become one of the most powerful agents to create positive change for entrepreneurs in the world. The annual summits are facilitated by Ernst & Young and McKinsey (two of the most credible & influential world accounting firms), that each create official reports and communiqués. These communiqués are presented to the G20 leaders two weeks later, and are received with great importance. They are also brought back to the private and public sectors in order to create positive change in the local economic, political, social and environmental landscape.

After making contact with Vivian Prokop, the founder of the G20YEA, I was asked to attend the 2012 Summit in Mexico city June 2-5 and bring along 14 Australian delegates to represent our country. What an honour!

On June 2 I experienced my first day in a room with some of the brightest minds in the world, who are focused on creating an improved global economic, political, social and environmental ecosystem for young entrepreneurs. They say that in order to succeed in business then it is important to always be the least intelligent person in the room. Well if that is true then I am looking forward to some amazing success very soon! 

One word… WOW. The G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance, and now in Mexico city for the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit, is hands down the most amazing experience of my life to date. I don’t think there is a word in the English language that is capable of capturing the energy and potential in this movement (perhaps I’ll find one from the 15 or more languages represented here), however I’ll try to find a few…

Inspirational

Transformational

Powerful

Committed

Selfless

Global

Forward thinking

Social

Conscious

Collaborative

The summit concluded with the signing of a communiqué that called upon the G20 Leaders to focus on entrepreneurship as an answer to the issues we are currently facing around youth unemployment and slow economic growth. This communiqué was handed over to Mexican President Calderon, and during our audience I was given the honour of asking an official question and meeting this amazing man. What an experience!

The communiqué identified five key actions that would provide the driver for inclusive economic growth, innovation, job creation and social cohesion:

• Creating a continuum of traditional and innovative funding sources with incentives through all stages of business growth.
• Increasing access to simplified information and integrated youth enterprise support with strong knowledge and skills infrastructure.
• Promoting a collaborative environment across private and public sectors, civil society and academia, that enables young entrepreneurs to start, grow, learn and have a second chance in business, within their countries and internationally.
• Minimising regulatory and tax barriers for start-up and early-stage businesses to reduce costs and increase efficiencies.
• Fostering a stronger youth entrepreneurship culture through promoting and teaching entrepreneurship and raising awareness.

The communiqué concluded by stating that the G20 YEA, are able and willing to work together with their respective governments to help ensure young entrepreneurs and their businesses can play their role in being the architects of the 21st century.

The next G20 YEA Leadership Assembly will be taking place in Berlin, Germany in October of this year, which I will be attending as the new Australian Sherpa (2IC to President) and ENYA representative (www.enya.org.au). It will bring together leading practitioners in the field of youth enterprise and entrepreneurship from around the globe to look at how entrepreneurs’ and enterprise development can help provide a long-term solution to the current Eurozone crisis. Then in 2014 Australia will be hosting the monumental G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit.

I am calling on the entrepreneurs and business leaders of the country to get involved. Together we can shape the political, economic, social and environmental landscape.
 

Jeremy Liddle is an entrepreneurial maniac, passionate about inspiring other entrepreneurs to plan and launch successful new businesses, and maximise growth in existing enterprises. He is head of the Australian delegation to the G20 young entrepreneurs summit, and has been featured in media such as Channel 7 Sunrise, Channel 7 Kochie’s Business Builders, BRW and The Australian. Jeremy began his business career in the booming Australian juice bar trade. With his brother he opened up Australia’s number one Juice Station outlet, and was sent to Singapore to operate as stand in General Manager for 18 months. Named as one of Australia’s young guns Jeremy Liddle co-founded a natural health company called RioLife in 2004. In 2010, they were featured as one of Australia’s top emerging companies in BRW Magazine, and picked up a Fastest Growing Small Business Award from the My Business Magazine Awards. Jeremy has now authored his first book “From Idea to Start-Up”, designed to teach budding young entrepreneurs how to write a business plan and launch their ideas as a viable enterprise. Jeremy is also involved as founder, director and advisor to a range of new Start-Ups and established businesses.