Never stop learning is businessman Frederick Miller’s advice for youngsters who want to be entrepreneurs.
After operating Tint-It Inc for more than 30 years, he took up what he calls a hobby – making copper jewellery – because he had “a little more time and wanted to make jewellery for my wife so she could be different”.
“Most people in general usually go to school and study and their goal is to get a job and get their own home. When they’re finished school, they’re finished. They don’t read anything. I’m not like that. I’m always reading studying, I’m always absorbing something,” he told BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY.
After an initial four hour lesson with Angela Went, he said that he exposed himself to “so much information about jewellery”, learning different styles and their origins before starting CreativeCurls.
“If I learn something I always try to enhance something . . . . I chose to do what I want to do. Angela Went . . . taught me the foundation . . . and as long as I have the foundation, I do my own thing,” he said, noting that he has been making jewellery for “a couple months”.
“People have to have a mindset of this is what I want to do. If what we want to do is not going to give us a decent living, are you still going to pursue it? If you do, fine, but make sure you do other things that 10 years down the line you can still pursue that.
“People want to achieve things too fast and that’s a problem, they don’t have foresight. If you want to do clothes making and you have a job, think about it while at the same time learn all you can about it.
“A person doesn’t have to do something to learn about it. You can go on the Internet on your smart phone and your tablet and you can pull up clothes-making in all parts of the world and get the information. Keep on feeding yourself like a sponge, keep on feeding yourself information,” the entrepreneur said.
Miller is also advising people to learn new skills, which he described as a confidence booster, as well as to keep up with the times in order to grow their businesses. (Green Bananas Media)
