Despite the recession there are still plenty of entrepreneurs around. They have new ideas and new skills to offer the world and we are seeing an explosion in items like new style windmills. Think of all the packing around new washing machines or computers. Surely someone can come up with a dust free alternative to all that polystyrene?
Alternatively, they may take an old business and make it more suitable for today’s economic climate. The opening of a new store, for instance, may seem like madness but if it is selling good as new clothes or second hand furniture it may do very well. The same doubts may well apply to the opening of a new restaurant. If, however, it provides delicious and nutritious school lunches for busy working mums the owners may find a ready market. Obviously if we are to save the planet we need new ideas on how to generate electricity and to encourage eco tourism. If every person who reads blogs went out to plant a tree for instance think of the difference it would make to the environment. Maybe too we need a change of mindset. Think of all those air miles and perhaps you might decide vacations -you are better off at home.
When a recession strikes it makes us re-think and re-evaluate. There may be less demand for luxurious items but there is a huge need for innovation and sound common sense. Coupled together that means there could be plenty of speeches praising the Entrepreneur of the year.

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“Thank you, thank you, thank you. Those golden glob speeches get boring after a while don’t they? Actors and actresses love publicity and you can bet that they all hope to win an award. So why don’t they prepare for the eventuality by having someone else write a speech for them if they cannot do it themselves?
They can always hold on to it for another year if at first they don’t succeed.
There are others who win awards too of course and you can understand the modesty of the recipient of a person of the year award or, say, the nurse of the year. Neither may be a public person or used to speaking before a crowd. Even so it’s unlikely their acceptance would ever be as inane as those at the Golden Globe or the Oscars.
There are thousands of awards presented yearly the vast majority of which are not given under the glare of the cameras. The recipients often give witty, wise or profound speeches. Perhaps it’s time the Drama academies included a lesson in “How to accept an award gracefully”. They would be doing us all a favour if they did.

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The rally driver was thrilled to have his race but afraid that he would have to say a few words when presented with his prize. “I drive cars, I don’t make speeches” was his comment. I suggested that he began by saying the award was really a team award and to dedicate it to his crew and what they do for him. He should mention too how much it meant to him to be a winner. I mentioned the fact that there was a bad crash during the race and that he should wish his fellow rally driver well in hospital. I suggested he ended by saying that his speeches were over as fast as his races.

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This week I was unexpectedly presented with a sporting award and asked to give a speech. This brings to mind the problems of speaking off the cuff. Unless you are a very accomplished speaker it is wiser to keep it simple and simply say, Thank you I am honoured to be given this award. I shall treasure it.”

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Give credit in speeches, where it’s due. That’s right, I owe a lot of people. In fact the list is ‘this’ long. How am I going to fit it into this acceptance speech? I’ll do it alphabetically. Perhaps chronologically would be better. We’ll all be here till doomsday or at least until I have lost your attention and sympathy. But I have do it, otherwise I’ll be causing offence. Ok, I might just say ‘to those of you I haven’t already had a chance to thank personally’. Or what about, ‘to everyone who has helped me’? Or ‘for everyone who has worked so hard, inpsired me and encouraged me, I thank you all’. You could dedicate the award to them, or why not give them the award altogther?

Now, that’s going too far.

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