Village Gamer

With entrepreneurs accounting for 50% of employment in most G20 countries, celebrating and advocating for these innovative businesses is more important than ever before, Ernst & Young said today while launching the 20^th anniversary year of its Entrepreneur Of The Year program in Canada. The firm is calling on Canadians to nominate local entrepreneurs from across the country who demonstrate outstanding vision, leadership, financial success and social responsibility.

“Entrepreneurs operate across a wide spectrum. They lead companies of all sizes in developed and emerging markets. But their goals are the same,” says Colleen McMorrow, National Director of Entrepreneur Of The Year. “They strive to push the boundaries of what’s been done and what is possible. And when they have that ‘light bulb moment,’ there’s no stopping them.”

These business leaders embrace innovation in ways never before thought possible, exploring and monetizing a pipeline of new ideas and business platforms — a drive we can all learn from.

“Companies at every stage and size can learn from entrepreneurs’ determined drive for innovation,” says McMorrow. “It’s not always about reinventing the wheel or uncovering the next big thing. It’s about embedding innovation into every aspect of your organization.”

McMorrow says the amazing practices we’ve learned from leading entrepreneurs through two decades are an important part of why programs like this matter. Among the leading practices for sparking innovation are:

1. Tailoring your strategy to your company
2. Factoring in the human component
3. Welcoming outside resources
4. Rewarding innovation at each staff level

“It’s the entrepreneurs’ mandate to reinvent the way we do business — and it’s ours to help them along the way,” says McMorrow. “We’re proud to celebrate 20 years of supporting countless Canadian visionaries and we encourage other organizations to do the same. Together we can create a truly thriving entrepreneurial environment.”