Entrepreneurs Are Everywhere

My sister and I recently celebrated my 46th birthday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was so nice to leave rainy Vancouver behind, catch some rays and enjoy the ocean.

I found it very interesting to walk the beaches and be approached by so many people selling their products or services. It amazes me how fearless they are in asking me to buy something. Imagine if we took that approach in Canada – so directly and with so much frequency. After all, sales is a numbers game. The most people you ask, the more likely are you are to get a sale.

One day, we headed to Bucerias, which is about a half-hour bus ride from Puerto Vallarta. Taking the city buses is great because the experience gives a real flavor for the Mexican culture. Each bus driver has the authority to decorate the front of the bus the way he wants. Each bus is decorated differently whether it be the flag of Mexico, a banner with the Virgin Mary, or colorful tassels. It became clear that the bus driver was truly in charge of who is allowed to get on the bus and make money during the journey.

At one point, a fellow started singing and playing his guitar. It was very enjoyable to hear his music while heading out of town. He performed at least four songs. After he was done, he walked around the bus soliciting payment from all the passengers. Many of us were happy to give him some change. I think he made a decent wage by Mexican standards for the length of time he worked.

This was a reminder to me that entrepreneurs are everywhere. In this situation, we had a chance to enjoy some wonderful music at a very reasonable price. It was much less than downloading one song on iTunes, yet just as memorable.

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