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Recent research commissioned by Google revealed the surprisingly negative perceptions young people hold around entrepreneurship. In a survey carried out by YouGov, only 22% of those aged between 15 and 18 are interested in starting their own business. For many young people, entrepreneurship is not presented as an option whilst at school, and Miriam Dervan aspires to challenge this with her new book To Be An Entrepreneur: Just Get On With It.
Miriam Dervan is the CEO of MD Events Ltd, a WEConnect International certified women-owned business and a leading global life sciences and corporate specialist meeting planning and patient service agency. She hopes to encourage budding young pupils, from secondary schools, to university and third-level college students to think about a free enterprise career. Just Get On With It is the personal story of an entrepreneur who overcame low self-esteem and self-doubt to establish a global, multimillion-dollar business. Intertwined with personal recollections of founding and expanding her business from scratch, Miriam Dervan offers practical tips and sound, straightforward business advice for anyone considering going it alone.
Filled with honest, down-to-earth anecdotes, the book explodes the myth of what entrepreneurship is all about, and opens the door for budding business owners to give it a go. Many people have heard the term ‘entrepreneur’ thrown around on The Apprentice or Dragon’s Den, but most will only think of big businesses built from scratch by ambitious leaders of business. Miriam wants to remind young people that being an entrepreneur is more than wearing a sharp suit and calling the shots – it is about having the passion and determination to roll up your sleeves, get down with some hard graft and take the risks that come with doing something yourself.
Miriam explains why she decided to write Just Get On With It: “My one aim is to get more young people starting to think about entrepreneurship in a different way. We have so many false preconceptions and I wanted to let you in on the reality of owning and running your own business. I wanted to openly and honestly share the ups and downs, the excitement and the frustration so you can see what can be achieved with a dream and some hard graft. I hope this book helps to dispel some myths and even inspires you to think differently.”
To Be An Entrepreneur: Just Get On With It (£12.99) launches on 5th July 2016 and is published by Panoma Press. To order from Amazon, click here. Also available at all good bookshops.
