Business owner by accident, Entrepreneur by design

Once upon a time there was a stingy King of a small kingdom. The kingdom was small, the King was rich, the people were poor. A port town and the king earned taxes on every thing that landed from the sea to his land. The port was busy and there was money to be made, the shacks for food, the pubs, from the tailors shop to the ship yard everything belonged to the king. The king managed his kingdom like a trading war zone, young outsiders ran his business while the people of his kingdom labored. One day a young sailor was having his ship mended and seeing the poor work, he asked the ship yard manager "is this ship yard yours"? The manager said "I am just the manager no one but the king trades in this town",.The sailor was puzzled and he said why do the people not have the need to progress in life? The manager replied "those with the skills and the will moved on, those who are here do not have either.

The sailor walked across town and found the same story every where, people labored while outsiders managed and the king filled his coffers. The sailor wend to ask audience of the King, and sent him a message, your ship yard looses 20 gold sovereigns every day. The King was perplexed and furious, he rode out of his castle to meet this sailor. The king asked him for the logic behind the 20 sovereigns loss because his ship yard earned 10 sovereigns, how could it loose 20?. The sailor replied for every day that you do not earn 20 Sovereigns its 20 sovereigns lost. The king was greedy and thought "this sailor knows how to run a yard", so he fired the manager and gave the yard to the sailor to run"

The sailor was happy that he had got a yard to run and worried that he knew how to mend ships but knew nothing about running a yard. He set down to work, mending ships by day and learning to manage a yard by night. As 2 years passed the King came to admire the sailor, the 10 sovereigns grew to be 100.  The King was worried that the sailor will run away and his shining yard will fall to ruins the sovereigns grew to 300 as another year went by. The King got restless, he called the sailor and promised him a share in the yard next year. The sailor was thrilled, for the 1st time in his life he would own a part of something he began to work harder. The sovereigns grew to 600 a year passed and the King never mentioned the share. The sailor patiently waited, he was enjoying his learning, the year grew in business and the sovereigns grew to 2000, yet the King never mentioned the share. 

One night the sailor went to to the town tavern, tired but happy with the days work. He ordered a beer, as he was about to sip his drink he got thinking about the last 7 years, about the sailor who was now the captain of a yard it struck him that he was no longer a sailor and that in this yard he could never be captain. The sailor made up his mind to set up his own yard. Time went in whirlwind as the sailor put together all his savings and then walked miles to a shore line farm which was ripe for a yard. He bought the land from the farmer and began to plan his yard. 

One bright Sunday morning after church the sailor announced to the king that he will be moving on. The King was aghast! He offered the sailor 5 times the money, a horse and a boat. The sailor politely declined "Sir Its time to move on" he said.  The King tried harder and offered the sailor 8 times the money, a horse, a house and a boat. The sailor politely declined "Sir Its time to move on" he said.  The King was angry and said what will you do sailor? If you refuse my offer I will destroy you!  The sailor politely replied "I am a small man sir not a great King but Sir Its time to move on". The sailor packed his bags and the king threw him a tearful farewell. The sailor saw the tears and thought "the crocodile cries for his sovereigns" and he politely said "its time to bid farewell sir". God be with you sailor said the king. As the sailor walked away the king sent his spies after the sailor. 

The word spread far and wide, the sailor had his own yard, captains turned their boats towards the sailors small yard. The king rehired the manager. The sailor worked day and night as his little yard bustled with ships big and small, the manager packed his bags and shut the yard at sunset. The King grew more vengeful with each passing day, his yard was the largest in the 7 seas, a mere sailor dare challenge it!  The king asked his manager, why are you loosing the ships? The manager said "the sailor works for pennies sire" the King hated the sailor and sent his army to scare away the sailor, but the sailor stood strong. The king ordered the manager to personally tell the ships that the sailor was a thief. The captains still went to the sailors yard, The manager began spending his waking moments conniving to harm the sailor and the kings yard saw fewer and fewer ships. As years passed by the kings yard looked deserted and the manager's waistline grew. The Sailor's yard grew from humble beginnings to become a a big yard famed across the land. 

One day the sailor and the king crossed paths, the king asked the sailor why did you give up the big yard! I was going to give you a share, you could have been rich. The sailor quietly replied, sir for every year you did not keep your promise I lost 100 sovereigns.