Suppose I came to you seven years ago and said I wanted to start a multiplex right here in sweet T&T.

What would you have said to me?

Would you have said ’Go for it’ or would you have said, ’Have you lost your mind? - that will never work!’

If you guys out there are being honest, I’m sure most of you would have said the latter.

So imagine how Mr Derek Chin (chairman of MovieTowne) may have felt when he pitched this idea to those around him.

I’m sure he was met with varying degrees of apprehension.

But Mr Chin, a visionary, saw something that very few others around him may have seen. Mr Chin recognised that the landscape of entertainment in Trinidad and Tobago was changing and saw an opportunity to add tremendous value through his unique offering.

Thus, MovieTowne was born.

That’s the power of non-traditional thought, and to be successful as an entrepreneur in these modern times, such thought is mandatory.

Most of the companies we admire, and most of the entrepreneurs that we have aspired to be like define themselves through their non-traditional ways of thinking.

That’s what makes them great.

Companies such as Google, Apple and Nike are classic examples of organisations that have redefined their respective categories and continue to push the envelope in showing what can be achieved through non-traditional thought.

Entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Bill Gates are also often cited as the minds that have shaped the modern business world.

However, inherent to these companies and these individuals is their ability to see beyond the present and look into an unchartered future.

Developing and establishing this non-traditional way of thinking is not rocket science but it cannot be done unless (as quoted by Morpheus in the Matrix) ’you free your mind’.

LOOK AND SEE

The world is filled with individuals who look but don’t see.

And trust me, there is a huge difference.

People who conform to traditional thought only observe what takes place on the surface and don’t care to dig any deeper.

They are aware of the changes that are happening around them but don’t care to be part of it, or for that matter create it.

As such, they miss out on opportunities to create value and increase their bottom line. Non-traditional thinkers however look AND see.

They are able to conceptualise the activities that are taking place around them in very unique ways, and thus are able to see opportunities where others see nothing more than the obvious.

They are the change makers.

For example, the makers of the BlackBerry smartphone recognised that the cellphone could be more than just a device for receiving calls and sending text messages.

They dug beneath the surface of mobile technology, studied the direction in which that industry was trending and as such they were able to unearth a whole new realm of possibility by creating their own ’smartphone’.

Today BlackBerry is the titan in its industry.

That’s the power of non-traditional thought.

Ultimately, as an entrepreneur it’s your responsibility to create opportunities that may not be so visible to others.

The non-traditional mind will always find a way to do that.

LET GO OF PRE-CONCEIVED NOTIONS

A free mind does not allow itself to be jaded by events of the past.

Thus, a non-traditional thinker does not allow himself to be bothered by the failings of others.

If we hold on steadfastly to things that came before us or allow the enormity of a situation to overwhelm us, we cannot capture the benefits of non-traditional thought.

Time after time people have preconceived notions of what can be attained and very often they fail to capture all the real possibilities.

For example, have you ever heard someone say ’that can’t be done, too many people are doing that’?

Or what about, ’people are not ready for that yet it will not work’?

Well I certainly have and in such instances I often have to remind myself that people who say such things are often limited in their scope of thought and information.

Again, such ways of thinking go against non-traditional thought and a free mind.

The non-traditional thinker knows that because someone else is doing something similar, or because what he intends to bring to market hasn’t been proven as yet, that does not mean that he cannot be successful through his own innovative offerings.

The non-traditional thinker recognises that every Coca-Cola needs a Pepsi, and never allows the size of the undertaking or the experiences of others to make him miss out on lucrative opportunities.

PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE

To truly experience the benefits of non-traditional thought an entrepreneur must be able to display Zen-like patience while waiting for his business ideas to unfold.

Any businessman will tell you that no concept moves from idea to reality overnight.

In the early stages of any non-traditional concept, it is usually very easy to discard such thoughts.

We will always have a reason why a new offering may not succeed.

However, the truly great entrepreneurs remain patient while waiting for all the possibilities of a new idea to reveal themselves.

Though they may be brimming with anticipation to release their new offering to the world, they are often willing to endure the wait to ensure that their ideas materialise as they envisioned.

Andre Worrell is the winner of the National Youth Award in the category of Entrepreneurship.

He is the managing director of Cash Handling Supplies Ltd. He can be reached for comments at andre_worrell@hotmail.com.