Josh Cote - What entrepreneurship means to me

The label of ‘entrepreneur’ is often handed out to any person who has started his or her own business, but EAW Consulting owner Josh Cote believes that this basic qualifying yardstick has moved, as it now barely scratches the surface.

As a consultant specialising in business development, team building, motivational speaking, and sales & acquisitions, Josh Cote believes he has a lot to offer budding entrepreneurs across many different industries.In a recent interview held in London Bridge, Mr. Cote expressed what entrepreneurship means to him, and how he sees the previous definitions match up to present day.

In its simplest modern definition entrepreneurship is concerned with getting from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ in a way that others have not previously considered or attempted.Steve Jobs used a ‘zoom out’ technique to look beyond how industries are presently defined to see what other potential possibilities there might be for innovation. Josh Cote believes this is because knowledge in a particular area cannot be absolute until we understand it in more than one way, or from more than one perspective.

EAW Consulting owner Josh Cote believes thisunderlying, unrelenting pursuit of finding better ways of doing things is the most accurate definition of ‘entrepreneurship’ at present day 2017;

“To me entrepreneurship is about having a mind-setand approach thatis constantly questioning ‘why’ in a variety of situations. Even the most successful business owners out there are always looking for alternative solutions and the next big thing.Entrepreneurship is about disrupting the status quo by finding new and unique challenges to traditional values, bringing a new lease of life into your industry.”

Josh recently wrote an article on his LinkedIn page about alternative lessons that can be learnt from some of the world’s top athletes, and he cited Serena Williams’ true grit and determination. Sporting attributes can often transfer seamlessly into business environments, and Mr. Cote believes Serena’s resourcefulness is what gets her from staring at a potential defeat after being broken on her serve, to winning her ‘match point’;

"Entrepreneurs run into tricky and stressful situations all the time, its how you weather the storm, and bounce back from setbacks that will dictate how successful you or your venture will become. I think that being resourceful during these times is what gets people ahead of their competitors. It's imperative to stay optimistic when you do encounter a bit of business turbulence.”

Talent is essential in driving companies forward, but is often not mentioned in the same sentences as entrepreneurship. EAW Consulting owner Josh Cote finds this odd, and links it to a business owner’s ability to be resourceful;

“For many years the focus was on, and still slightly is on the individual, but now I think we’re seeing the importance of the collective. The importance of people – not just ideas – in your organisation is what helps startups survive, and thrive. I see it as part of being resourceful. There is a reason that the overused phrase ‘you are only as good as your people’ still exists, because it is still true.”