Entrepreneurship Month Spotlight: Benjamin Watson on Building a Business Through Teamwork

Image caption: Ben Watson of Watson Metal Company brings an entrepreneurial mindset to building teams, solving problems, and creating a culture employees are proud to be part of.

For Benjamin Watson, entrepreneurship is an opportunity to build both a business and a team united by a common purpose.

That motivation helped lead Benjamin and his brother, Jon Watson, to start Watson Metal Company at the end of 2025. Drawing on experience in their family’s sheet metal business, they began a new chapter with an emphasis on collaboration, problem-solving and long-term growth.

This Entrepreneurship Month, Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa is highlighting Benjamin, a JA board member, and the lessons he has learned about pursuing opportunities and bringing people together.

From Family Business to a New Beginning

Benjamin began working in his family’s sheet metal business in 2014 as an estimator. Over time, his responsibilities expanded to include project management and managing the financials. After the family business was sold several years ago, Benjamin and Jon decided to launch their own sheet metal business. For Benjamin, the appeal of entrepreneurship goes beyond overseeing projects or managing operations. It includes the opportunity to shape the workplace itself.

“Being an entrepreneur allows me the opportunity to build that team and establish a culture that everyone in the organization is proud of,” he shared.

Meeting Startup Challenges Together

Even with industry experience, moving from a long-established family business to a startup brought new challenges. Staffing, setting up a shop, purchasing equipment and building a customer base all required attention—and sometimes presented obstacles they had not anticipated. The experience reinforced Benjamin’s belief in the importance of having the right people working toward the same goal.

“I learned that any of these challenges can be overcome as long as you have the right team in place and everyone is working together with a common purpose.”

It also taught him patience. Progress does not always follow the original plan, and an approach may need to be adjusted before it succeeds. Asked to complete the sentence “Being an entrepreneur has taught me…,” Benjamin responded, “to be patient and that not everything works out as planned the first time.”

Recognizing Opportunities—and Believing in Them

Benjamin describes an entrepreneurial mindset as being open to new opportunities and willing to pursue them. That might mean launching a business, but it can also mean helping an existing organization make a change. He believes the starting point is having confidence in the idea itself.

“If you don’t believe in a new business plan or changes to an existing, it will be very difficult to convince the rest of the organization that they should spend time and energy on implementing that idea.”

His perspective highlights the connection between belief and leadership. Moving an idea forward requires helping others understand its purpose and why it deserves their effort.

Skills Students Can Use in Any Career

Benjamin believes entrepreneurship education matters because the skills involved are useful at every stage of a career. Being open to change, believing in an idea, working hard and collaborating with others can help young people succeed across many roles and industries. Those habits give students ways to contribute, whether they eventually own a business or work as part of a larger organization.

Through Junior Achievement, students have opportunities to explore entrepreneurship while practicing teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making. Connecting those skills to real-world experiences helps students see how their ideas and efforts can shape their futures.

His Advice: Share Your Ideas

For a young person considering entrepreneurship, Benjamin recommends talking with people who have experience building businesses.

“Many entrepreneurs want to help each other and the next generation successfully pursue their ideas,” he said.

Sharing an idea can open the door to useful questions, encouragement and perspectives that make it stronger. Benjamin sees value in seeking that feedback throughout a career.

“It is always helpful, regardless of your age, to get feedback from others that care about your success.”

Benjamin’s experience at Watson Metal Company shows how much entrepreneurship depends on people: the team that works through challenges, the leaders who believe in an idea and the peers who offer guidance along the way.

Throughout Entrepreneurship Month, Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa is sharing stories that help students explore entrepreneurship and recognize the value of their own ideas.