Facts About Self-Employment Would it surprise you to know that more than ½ of the U.S. adult population dreams of (or at least considers) self-employment? That amounts to better than 70,000,000 people! Chances are very good that you are in that population of potential entrepreneurs. But, with such numbers it is surprising that only about 1% of all the people who think about becoming entrepreneurs ever take the plunge. Why do you think this is? The answer lies in the common human attribute of “healthy fear”. Yes, good old “fight or flight” kicks in when it comes to putting time, money and life on the entrepreneurial line. And that’s a major insight for anyone thinking about self-employment. Your entrepreneurial SELF really knows what’s best for you, so listen to what you know “instinctively”. In the game of self-employment over two thirds of the participants fail, so fear and instinct may be saying “At this point, your chance of winding up a winner may be poor.” The better you plan the stronger you will feel about going forward. We tend to spend valuable time and money asking lawyers, accountants, SCORE representatives, SBDC staff, business teachers, and even franchise salespeople what we should do. Sadly, none of these people can answer the critical questions of “Is self-employment right for you?” and “Which, if any, business should you choose?” It’s ludicrous, but we do it because those are the resources we are channeled to use.
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If you’re among the really serious people for whom self-employment is the only cure for career boredom, pledge to be in the winner’s circle and do things differently than the crowd. Start by developing a personal plan, a plan that is all about you not about the business. Business plans aren’t worth a dime if they don’t support what you want. New entrepreneurs really tend to miss this critical point. Tough project? Yes it can be, but below you will find links to articles and programs designed to help clear up the confusion of getting started as an entrepreneur. The most important factor that separates those who “want to be” an entrepreneur from those who actually “succeed” as an entrepreneur is a clear personal vision of what they want, who they are, and how they are going to express themselves in self-employment. So … the first step to successful
entrepreneurship is to gain clarity about who you are as a potential
entrepreneur and then creating a personal plan that will drive
a business plan. Begin by being different – be yourself.
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5. Listen to, but don’t
lean too much on, the advice of others. Most have never been (successfully)
self-employed. Plus, only YOU can and only YOU should decide on
your future. Choose as you would a spouse. You may find the first part of the following quote similar to your thinking. If so, realize that most potential entrepreneurs feel the same way at first. Self-employment is a big step and most of us need help in taking that step toward becoming an entrepreneur. If you identify with what this lady was feeling, then you can also take pleasure in seeing that she overcame her fears and found entrepreneurial success. "I always knew
I could do something fabulous on my own, but only thought about
being self-employed and took no action. I finally got a plan together,
a personal plan that showed me who I could and should be as an entrepreneur.
I used "The Focus Program for Emerging Entrepreneurs"
and then went forward. After so many years of frustration and indecision
I found my calling, and it was right; self-employment was right
for me in every way once I had a clear personal plan of action that
helped me know myself as an prospective entrepreneur. Had I not
taken the first step I wouldn't be experiencing the pleasure in
my work that I have today." The Focus Program
for Emerging Entrepreneurs is found at this page: |
