4 Things Amway Learned On Survey Of Over 40,000 On Entrepreneurship

Doug Devos,Amway,Co-Founder

 

For the past five years, Amway has been gathering data on entrepreneurs and what makes them different from other worker bees.

In the recently released 2014 Amway Global Entrepreneurship Report, the Michigan company surveyed more than 40,000 people to gain insight about the state of self-employment around the world. This year's survey questions explored the connection between education and entrepreneurship.

The report is intended to advance the discussion on entrepreneurship and lead to a deeper understanding of what can be done to encourage and better prepare more people around the world to start businesses of their own, said Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel.

Entrepreneurs play an important role in growing economies, said Van Andel in a statement. They create jobs, encourage competition and help communities grow and flourish. As the business environment has changed through the years, so have the reasons people decide to venture out on their own.”

 

Steve Van Andel and Doug DeVos on Amway's entrepreneurial report Amway co-CEOs Steve Van Andel and Doug DeVos discuss the company's entrepreneurial report.

The world’s biggest direct sales company credits its success to the entrepreneurial spirit of its more than 3 million “Amway business owners” who sell the company’s vitamin supplements, cosmetics and household products. The privately owned companyreported 2013 sales of $11.8 billion.

The first survey launched in 2010 as the Amway European Entrepreneurship Report, then expanded worldwide in 2013 to encompass 24 countries. This year's report reaches across 38 nations, with face-to-face and telephone interviews conducted with 43,902 men and women ages 14 to 99, who were not affiliated with Amway.

Here are four takeaways from the report:

• 1. Entrepreneurs can be made. The majority of respondents – 63 percent – reported that they believe entrepreneurship can be taught. That belief was strong among those under 35, with 70 percent of this age group saying self-employment is attainable for everyone. There wasn’t a gender divide on this topic, with majority of men and women – 64 percent and 63 percent, respectively – agreeing that entrepreneurship is more nurture than nature.

• 2. Education is key. What are the most crucial aspect of entrepreneurship education? Topping the list was basic business skills, according to 42 percent of respondents. Next was leadership and management skills and entrepreneurship in practice, which garnered the nod from 37 percent of respondents. Close behind was schools and secondary education, special start-up programs and universities or higher education.

• 3. Positive attitude. On average, 75 percent of respondents have positive attitudes toward entrepreneurship, reflecting an increase of 4 percent over past year’s report. Those under 35 years were the most optimistic, at 80 percent. Entrepreneurial potential remained high as well, with two out of five respondents, or 42 percent, saying they can imagine starting a business. Findings showed a correlation between these two factors: In countries where people were more positive about entrepreneurship, a higher percentage can also imagine starting a business. However, only 9 percent of global respondents are currently self-employed, creating an entrepreneurial gap of 33 percent.

• 4. Freedom is motivation. When asked why they wanted to be entrepreneurs, 46 percent said independence from an employer, being my own boss, while 43 percent identified self-fulfillment, possibility to realize own ideas. Independence rather than wealth was more important younger respondents, ages 14 to 34. Researchers noted there was a variation in responses by country: the lower a country's economic output per capita, the less important independence becomes as a driver for entrepreneurship.

Younger generations, regardless of what countries they call home, are most optimistic about entrepreneurship, said Amway President Doug DeVos.

The report points to their great potential,” DeVos said in a statement. “We must use this key insight to continue fostering the entrepreneurial spirit and create a global culture that unleashes the capabilities of younger people.

The survey was conducted for Amway by Isabell M. Welpe, chairwoman of Strategy and Organization at Technische Universitat Munchen. Fieldwork was completed by the Gesellschaft fuer Konsumforschung Nuremberg from April through July 2014.

Reported originally by mlive.com

Get more information, facts and figures about Amway, click here for the Amway overview.

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