Entrepreneurial Inspiration - Milton S Hershey

Entrepreneurs often experience extreme highs anda job with a candy maker who taught him how to
extreme lows. It is not uncommon for an entrepreneurmake caramels. A year later, he returned to the East
to be sitting on top of the world one minute, but thenCoast and launched a second candy business,
feel like the sky is falling the next as market conditionsfocusing on caramels, in New York City. This business
rapidly change. For these entrepreneurs, it is alwaysalso failed.
important to keep the big picture in mind. Likewise, itDespite two failures in the candy business and on the
never hurts to have the experiences of otherbrink of bankruptcy, Hershey was convinced he would
successful entrepreneurs in their minds to inspire themeventually succeed. As such, he returned to Lancaster,
to persevere. This article discusses one suchPA and started another caramel business. This
entrepreneur: Milton S. Hershey.business was successful. But rather than continuing
For four of his teenage years, from 1872 to 1876,with caramels, Hershey become interested in
Milton Hershey served as an apprentice to achocolates and dedicated himself to learning about and
Lancaster, PA candy maker. After his apprenticeship,inventing ways to manufacture chocolate. As a result,
Hershey decided to start his own candy business.he sold his caramel company and launched Hershey
Armed with an in-depth knowledge of the business, heChocolate Company. Just over a century after
worked on building his business for six years.launching the company, Hershey's firm (now called The
Unfortunately, despite his hard work, the businessHershey Company (NYSE: HSY)) generates annual
failed.revenues in excess of $4 billion.
Undeterred, Hershey moved to Denver, CO and found