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Attendees benefit from business retreat 06-25-09
Attendees from near and far benefit from business retreat 06-25-09
By HAYLEY COX
Herald Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, June 25, 2009 2:11 PM CDT
Plainview Daily Herald
By HAYLEY COX
Herald Staff Writer
Dr. Ernesto Sirolli has been impressed by Plainview's passion for entrepreneurship.
The founder of the Sirolli Institute has spent the past 30 years helping entrepreneurs across the globe. People traveled from several states and as far as Mexico to hear Sirolli, who lives in Sacramento, Calif., speak at a three-day business retreat wrapping up today at the Plainview Civic Center.
After arriving here Monday, Sirolli has formed a positive impression of West Texas and its passion for entrepreneurship.
"I know a number of local ideas that can be easily taken to the next level," Sirolli said.
Plainview has many opportunities for entrepreneurs, including a historical downtown area with a good stock of empty buildings. The availability of land and buildings is important for entrepreneurs, he said, because it is more difficult to start a business if you have to build a facility.
Another advantage in Plainview is its solid employment base from several large industries located here, Sirolli said.
Tough economic times are important for entrepreneurs, who can see opportunities to improve the economy when no one else can, he said.
Sirolli offered a specific example of the benefits of entrepreneurship. In 1860, a group of experts gathered in New York City and imagined what the city would be like 100 years in the future, he said. The consensus was that by 1960, New York City would not exist.
It would take 600 million horses to transport the city's growing population, and all that horse manure would have been impossible to manage.
But a new invention came along. By 1900, there were 1,000 car manufacturers, which solved the horse manure problem.
Now that fuels and vehicles are creating a burden, it's up to entrepreneurs to create a new way to move around, Sirolli said.
Laura Hardin said Sirolli taught her new techniques for helping businesses flourish.
"(I learned) business is a team sport -- you can be the pitcher, but you can't also be the third baseman and the coach," she said.
Hardin is the enterprise facilitator for WesTex Allied Communities, a project of the Sirolli Institute that was started four years ago in Littlefield and has since branched out to include Hockley and Hale counties.
Karina Eichner came all the way from Leon, Mexico, where she is the director of a non-profit group that deals with rural development, to learn how to be more successful in her enterprise.
"I heard that Dr. Sirolli is a genius -- and he is," she said. "(This seminar) has exceeded my expectations."
Bob Beck traveled from his home in Arlington Heights, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, to learn more about enterprise facilitation. He hopes to bring back lessons from the business retreat to encourage his community to do more to help entrepreneurs.
"I think a lot of this seminar and this area of Texas," Beck said. "It's amazing to see how much they help people who want to start a business."
Jacque James and Margot Hardin didn't have to travel as far to attend the seminar. The two Crosbyton residents were amazed by the success of WesTex Allied Communities and its three participating counties.
"The key to survival for rural West Texas is partnership," Margot Hardin said.
(Contact Hayley Cox at hcox@plainviewdailyherald.com or 806-296-1352.)
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