There are millions of very small business owners, for example street stalls, that have built up their businesses from pretty much nothing. They hold a vast amount of knowledge about business, a different kind of business than what is taught in business schools. This includes a deep understanding and relationship with customers, working through adversity, standing out from the crowd, tapping into locally available sourcing and supporting other micro businesses to name but a few. Have a special programme that runs through all of your certificate/degree/executive programme where you bring in some of the knowledge from these individuals’micro entrepreneurs into your programme. This shouldn’t be in paper based case studies but by inviting them in to speak, not just as business owners but as individuals with lives. Their stories are infinitely more interesting and real than most of the businesses focused on during business degrees and there may be some important life lessons thrown in to sweeten the mix even further.
