Connect better

Bangladesh is a major producer of tea. But it has not been able to create a culture of tea drinking.

It may not be an exaggeration to say that laziness is a national disease of this country. Most of us, professionals in particular, detest physical work unlike the western world. For them it is dignity of labour or unavailability of cheap labour. This could be a reason why they have an edge over us in social entrepreneurship. This is because the little pieces of physical work, however menial, constitute the total work into product or service, can help if one can quickly address an issue right at the source, such as cigarette butts on the floor. In my university years there was a professor who would just do that in the class room and bin them. Those were Marlboro days when smoking was a fashion. Though there was no shortage of such butts on the floor initially, the Professor's effort gradually got the floor clean. Unfortunately, there was not any other like him.

An entrepreneur is a person who brings new things to life. This is done in two different ways. One, through technical prowess, and two, through an ability to better understand the needs of life. That is social entrepreneurship.

The developed world has an advantage in the first case and hence people migrate to those countries to learn better. But the social needs vary between countries. Hence, no country can claim superiority over another in terms of social needs. The concept of Grameen Bank was developed in a less prosperous part of the world. In either case a bright and inquisitive mind is necessary.

We have no shortage of bright minds as can be seen from the number of golden GPAs earned. After this glorious attainment students normally move on to the next ladder of education before embarking on a career. The system has its flaws. We look at an example.

Sir Terry Leah is credited with transforming the supermarket Tesco in the UK to a leading supermarket of the country. Not long ago it was not a desirable place for people to shop. This transformation has been made by this man who started to work there as a stacker. There are many more like him such as Steve Jobs. These are people, in spite of being capable, took a break from their studies to connect better with the societal needs. Sir Terry later completed his graduation, but not Jobs.

The undergraduate programmes in most universities today have an internship requirement to help students learn how the world outside works. People such as Terry Leah had this exposure earlier as he took a break from studies before joining the university. This is a kind of voluntary internship. Could this be turned into a requirement before one enters the university or the like?

Physical work has never been a culture of our life. Though we happily clean the table top at the KFC, we detest work in our personal lives such as making a cup of tea at home. One example is the helping hands, who follow with the shopping cart as the ladies shop at the supermarket. And then there are those who cannot do without helps such as carrying personal attaché as they alight from their cars.

There are variations in the styles of entrepreneurs. One, those developed elsewhere but successfully carted into the country such as Pathao. Two, an idea developed within the country such as Grameen Bank. Unfortunately, there is not any more example set on the world stage.

We are a nation of food lovers willing to give up both arms for a plate of biriyani. Yet when it comes to naming one particular brand, one has to scratch the head to find one. However, simple items such as Baba Jarda from neighbouring India have crossed the ocean. It is a failure of local entrepreneurs for not being able to touch the heart of people in a similar manner. Consider our tea. We are a major producer of tea. But we have not been able to create a culture of tea drinking. Yet, it is doable such as done by Starbucks for coffee. Doing so requires connectivity with societal needs and desires. Paan is another example for which many people go rave after a meal. With such a large diaspora of our people I wonder why Bangla Paan is not a crave elsewhere. Demand for Paan in a few Bangla Town restaurants in London is a miniscule compared to the Jarda. Could Paan be turned into a franchise?

Is it so difficult to think different, a prime requirement of entrepreneurship? Consider the restaurants, for example. One is not allowed to consume any food brought from the outside. Yet for some, a meal is not complete without a paan and the restaurant does not serve it. How about allowing such an item to be brought in under supervision? There are many such simple items that would make a difference to a decent meal in an upmarket restaurant. Would it be a sin to allow one such item brought in? This is just a thought how differences can be created to benefit a business a la society.

[email protected]