THINK of the word entrepreneur, and the first names that spring to mind are probably people like Richard Branson and Alan Sugar. They are undoubtedly inspiring figures to many. But as Enterprise Week 2006 gets underway, local CEO Ron Mounsey, who runs five South and West Wales McDonald's restaurants, including Carmarthen, Pembroke Dock, Haverfordwest and Swansea, is calling for young people to look closer to home for examples of entrepreneurship. Enterprise Week aims to inspire young people to be enterprising, and to turn their ideas and passions into something real and tangible. These young people will often never get the chance to see the skills first-hand that have enabled famous entrepreneurs to succeed. In fact, the best way to encourage and inspire young people is through real, live examples within their local communities - in the part-time jobs they have after school and college. Ron said: "Sixty per cent of McDonald's employees are aged between 16 and 21, and we provide first- time jobs for 25,000 young people each year. For many of these young people, McDonald's restaurants represent their first encounter with the world of business and enterprise, and franchisees like me who run these restaurants are the first real business people they will interact with." McDonald's franchisees like Ron are community CEOs - in charge of successful multi-million pound businesses in local communities across the UK and with 20-year contracts, they provide real-life examples of entrepreneurship to a diverse group of young people from a variety of social and educational backgrounds. These young people range from naturally enterprising self-starters to those who are less confident and in need of greater support and encouragement. Ron commented: "In the eight years that I've been a McDonald's franchisee, I've worked with around 600 young people. When they first start, many of them see it as a way to earn a bit of money and get some independence, but many are encouraged and engaged by the promotion and development opportunities they see and stay on to build a career. "Seeing someone like me, who has worked my way up to become my own boss, gives them a genuine belief that they can do the same one day. Encouraging entrepreneurship is all about having realistic examples to aspire to, and as one in five McDonald's franchisees started out as crew members, we can provide those examples."
