Entrepreneurship a learning experience for young and old

A MEMBERSHIP base of experienced and up and coming business leaders is key to the success of the South Australian chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO).

A MEMBERSHIP base of experienced and up and coming business leaders is key to the success of the South Australian chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO).

New chapter president Stephen Ahrens — general manager of family business Lyndoch Motors — joined EO nine years ago and said SA had a dynamic culture of entrepreneurship.

One of the main benefits of being a part of EO, he said, was having members from different industries and age groups.

“I am in the older age bracket and it’s really great for me to be able to listen to the younger ones and hear about how they go about things,” said Mr Ahrens.

“I get feedback from younger members that they are really happy to be able to talk to someone who is perhaps facing different sets of challenges and can offer a different point of view.

“My aim is to continually build and develop this group of like-minded individuals (by) encouraging communal sharing of information, innovation and ideas.”

A younger member of the local EO chapter, Danny Elassaad, is a director and second generation operator of automation and roller shutter business CW Products.

Mr Elassaad joined EO in his mid-20s and said the wealth of knowledge among members was invaluable.

“I had started to face some significant challenges within my business and I didn’t know how to address them and didn’t really have the support network around me to see the light,” he said.

“In EO, they are people who just get the challenges you face on a day-to-day basis and they get the complexities of running a business.

“One thing we are really big on in EO is not actually giving advice because advice is really just one opinion ... what we do is share experiences.”

SA chapter members represented industries such as automotive, financial services and retail.

Mr Elassaad said the differences in age and occupation of EO members was a benefit.

“Running a business it can often be very lonely at the top and you are constantly managing and dealing with issues,” he said.

“It’s really important to create the space to step away from your business and have the space to share your world with people who have gone through the same sorts of things.”

EO is a global network of more than 11,000 entrepreneurs, with 150 chapters in 48 countries.