Third Tuesday Seminars

Join us for our series of 3rd Tuesday Seminar, Presented by The University of Adelaide-Singapore.

Topic: What Is Entrepreneurship and Why is it Important?

Date: Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Time: 7 pm - 9 pm
Presented by: Professor Noel Lindsay

For registration, please email Ms Angelina Law at angelinalaw@naaec.com.sg or call 6738 2910.
Location map

Synopsis

Entrepreneurship means different things to different people - there is no one universally accepted definition. Many people think that anyone in business is an entrepreneur; unfortunately, this is not the case. Many businesses are not entrepreneurial. 

Entrepreneurial businesses are founded upon exceptional business opportunities, innovative products and/or services that help to differentiate them in the market, and extraordinary entrepreneurial teams who know how to grow the business and play the entrepreneurial game.  These businesses exhibit rapid growth and, in the process, generate wealth for their owners and their communities and create employment. 

Entrepreneurship is relevant in both business and social contexts. In a business context, entrepreneurs establish new businesses and develop existing businesses. Entrepreneurs also can be involved in larger public and private sector organisations where they assume the role of corporate entrepreneurs (“intrapreneurs”) while working as employees. In this environment, they help to identify and develop business opportunities for their employers.

In a social context, entrepreneurial principles are just as relevant in helping social entrepreneurs develop their not-for-profit entities providing them with a basis of generating funds from non-traditional sources. Social entrepreneurs are also involved in developing socially disadvantaged communities, helping unemployed individuals in those communities develop businesses that can form the basis of employment and revenue generation while, at the same time, helping them to feel empowered and socially included.

These and other topics will be addressed in this Third Tuesday Seminar presentation including what characterises exceptional business opportunities, characteristics of winning entrepreneurial teams, can we differentiate entrepreneurs from non-entrepreneurs, and what are the financing strategies that entrepreneurs use to grow their entrepreneurial pie (increase the value of their businesses). Real-life examples as well and as the results from various research projects will be used to provide insights into these topics.

About The Speaker

At 16, Noel Lindsay dropped out of school to start his first business which initially succeeded but then failed. Learning from this failure prompted him to complete his high school education and enter University. After completing his PhD in Commerce at The University of Queensland, Noel co-founded and developed businesses in Australia, South Africa, and Malaysia. He also worked in corporate insolvency and then private equity as a Director of a successful venture capital firm that invests $1m-$3m in growth-oriented entrepreneurial ventures. 

As Professor of Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation and Director of the Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre (ECIC) at The University of Adelaide, he leads a team that teaches and undertakes research in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, technology commercialisation, and project management. Noel is a Fellow of, and holds a Practicing Certificate with, CPA Australia. He also is an Affiliate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.