Entrepreneur Laura says the time is right for Indians to get more business-minded

She’s a “serial” entrepreneur, says the introductory note on Laura A Parkin, executive director, National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN). So you expect a toughie who power-dresses. That’s why when you see the friendly Laura Parkin who laughs about the various adventures she’s had in her career, you are forced to think differently.

     One of her first adventures was to make the change from biology to business. She held a BA in biology from Harvard University. What was surprising was that though her parents ran their own business, Laura’s mother wanted her to get into a “safe” job. That’s something Laura thinks Indians will understand, with their emphasis on a secure future for their kids.

     But Laura thought differently and went into entrepreneurship, which took her to south-east Asia, where “I lived in a sailboat for six months”. Because her then boss was “bored” of the business they were running together, he opted to go to Moscow. “He was excited about Gorbachev, and the change from the Soviet Union to Russia that had just taken place,” says Laura who accompanied.

     But now, she’s in Bangalore after some years in Mumbai, and excited about helping youngsters and new entrepreneurs here, going to colleges and spreading the gospel about entrepreneurship. And she feels “the time is now” for India.

     But do Indians want to run businesses? Aren’t they happier with a job instead? Laura responds, “We went to a local engineering college where I had to speak about about entrepreneurship. I anticipated resistance from some, but when I asked them how many wanted to be entrepreneurs, all of them put up their hands. The HOD nearly fell out of his chair”!

     And so, through NEN, a not-for-profit initiative that works to inspire, educate and support new and future entrepreneurs in India, Laura works at “helping launch thousands of new entrepreneurs, who in turn will create hundreds of thousands of much-needed valuable jobs for India.” This she does by bringing together Indian academia, industry and international experts to share knowledge, skills and resources to from a launchpad for new entrepreneurs.

     And knowing what resources one must spend on is important. Laura says when she came to Bangalore, the first thing she had to do when she set up shop for NEN was to shell out Rs 60,000 for a UPS! She says, “That was because we had to cope with power shut-downs. In other countries, all I did was plug in, and we were ready”!

     And if you want to know more, there’s NEN’s online one-liner campaign you can participate in. “This is to get non-entrepreneurs talking about entrepreneurship.” Also, NEN’ launching e-week or Entrepreneur Week (February 24-March 3), all over India, simultaneously. Membership’s free.