Submitted by Matthew Spicer on the 2016 winter session program in Scotland sponsored by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics…
Back in the States, it is a common tactic of conservative politicians to attack liberal proposals like
universal healthcare or a higher minimum wage by labeling them “European style
socialism”.
Such policies, they warn, will render people dependent and dissuade them from going out and
starting their own businesses. When I signed up to study entrepreneurial marketing in Scotland,
I was curious to get a feel for the business culture in a place that embraces socialism to a much
greater extent than my home country. Was there any grain of truth in all that “European style
socialist” rhetoric, I wondered?
Now one week into my internship at a Scottish startup incubator, it seems to me that the spirit of
entrepreneurship here is anything but stifled. According to Kevin, one of the co-leaders
of my incubator (his official title is Business Enabler), the number of entrepreneurs coming there for
support continues to far outstrip the number he is able to accept. Successful applicants receive
free office space and are enrolled in a program that is specifically designed to help them make
their ideas a reality. Entrepreneurial Spark, the group behind the Glasgow incubator, runs
several others across Scotland and the rest of the UK and is continuing to expand at a rapid
rate.
When I asked Kevin to sum up the business culture in Scotland, he responded with a single
word: resilient. He said that despite a tough economy and lack of venture funding here
compared to other countries, more people than ever are going into business for themselves. He
added that the Scottish are a proud people and love to support their own when it comes to
choosing where to spend their money.
The passion for entrepreneurship that I have encountered here is extremely exciting, and I
cannot wait to continue my work at the incubator in the coming weeks.