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Career Article 178:
Unleashing Your Entrepreneurial Spirit
By Brian Kurth, Author of Test Drive Your Dream Job: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding and Creating the Work You Love.
The realization you're in the wrong career does not hit like a lightening
bolt. Rather, it festers within you for a long time, slowly worming its way
into your consciousness, until one day you realize you've known it all
along. For years, I sat in a ninety-minute-each-way commute in Chicago rush
hour traffic to/from my telecom job in product management. I dreaded every
Monday. It never occurred to me I could start over. It never occurred to me
I might be an entrepreneur at heart, and I could create my own destiny.
However, after the dot-com bubble burst left me on my own, the thought of
another position in my field was finally too much to bear. I left my career
and my horrible commute behind, and embarked on a new journey filled with
questions, uncertainty... and elation.
It's romantic to think the heavens will offer up a sign letting you know
when the time is right to unleash your entrepreneurial spirit and start your
dream business. Unfortunately, reality often doesn't work that way.
Launching a business is risky, and those risks can easily overwhelm your
senses and weaken your confidence. The fear of failure pervades your psyche,
and when the safety and security of your family is on the line, happiness
seems like a selfish luxury you can't afford to indulge.
Many people live their entire lives this way. For others, their work
frustration grows a little every day until they realize their need for
happiness is suddenly greater than the fear that comes with making that
change. Once fear can be overcome - or at least overwhelmed - that's when
great things can happen.
However, merely conquering your fears is not nearly enough to ensure success
in starting your own business. You might have all the desire and motivation
in the world, but there are still many steps that need to be taken, and many
questions that need to be answered. So once the desire outweighs the
fear... then what?
- Start Researching - Starting a new business demands acquiring a vast
amount of information that literally no one can figure out entirely on his
or her own. Luckily, our modern world is packed with resources and
assistance for dedicated and passionate entrepreneurs. If you're willing to
take the time, you'll find the facts you need.
- The Internet - As recently as ten years ago, compiling information on a
given topic would mean an exhaustive process of scouring books in a library
and talking to strangers on the phone. Luckily for entrepreneurs, the
Internet has blown it all wide open. It is the entrepreneur's best friend.
The business you are considering might be new to you, but it's important to
realize that it's not for others. Get on the Internet and find everything
you possibly can on your newly chosen field. Read it all, take notes, and
write down questions that arise. Any piece of information you can get is one
tiny step closer to being ready for your big change. But don't get stuck in
online analysis paralysis. At some point, it's time to take the next step
toward becoming an entrepreneur.
- A Mentor - There are people who work in your dream business who are
willing to help you on your journey. You may need to find them in another
city and may even have to sign off on a non-compete clause to get their
advice, but they're there for you. Find several people who work in your
newly chosen field, and initiate discussions with them. Tell them you admire
what they do, and ask if you could learn from them as you look to make a
career change. When someone agrees to be a mentor, schedule a visit to their
workplace where you can observe the process in action, take copious notes on
all you see and hear, and ask a ton of questions. When starting a new
business, there are absolutely no better lessons than those taught from
someone within the field. They'll tell you everything you want to know, plus
much more you need to know.
- Raise Money - One of the reasons why people so often fail to leave
unpleasant work situations is the money; they simply earn too much in the
job they hate, and fear a dream business of their own wouldn't provide the
same level of security. This is a legitimate fear, but there are things that
can be done to mitigate the risk until the income matches the level of
happiness and desired lifestyle.
- Save Up - Change doesn't have to happen all at once. Merely planning for
the switch can improve the situation in the short term. Put money aside out
of every paycheck so you'll have a nest egg for when you finally decide to
take the plunge.
- Find Outside Funding - No matter how much money you're able to save, it
might not be enough to get a business off the ground. Luckily, there are
other avenues for raising the needed capital. Look into finding government
grants, private investors, or even bank loans to help you get started.
- Set Some Limits - No matter how strongly you believe in your new business
and your ability to make it work, you don't want to throw all your eggs into
that basket. Be careful about putting up your personal assets as collateral.
Keep some of your assets - be it your home, your pension, your 401K, etc. -
off the table. Don't invest your entire net worth into your business. In the
event that something goes wrong, it will be a HUGE comfort to know some of
your assets are protected.
- Get to Work - Once the research is done and the money is raised, it's
time to get to work. New businesses take an extraordinary amount of time and
effort if they're going to make it. Don't be afraid of the hours, and don't
shy away from the commitment. Remember: eighty hours in a job you love is
still FAR more rewarding than forty in one you hate.
There will, of course, be obstacles along the way, but with enough passion,
dedication and foresight, anything can be overcome. Keep reminding yourself
you deserve to be happy, and your dream business is ultimately worth the
time and effort it takes to get there. And once you do, you'll never dread a
Monday again... and as I like to say, everyday is a Friday!
Brian Kurth is the founder of VocationVacations and the author of
Test Drive Your Dream Job: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding and Creating the Work You Love. Kurth is a sought-after expert on how to pursue
and attain one's dream job. He has shared his wit and wisdom in appearances
on NBC's TODAY Show, CNN, and FOX News, and has been featured in articles in
the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine. Many more
regularly turn to Brian for his comments, advice and insights. A native of
Madison, Wisconsin, Kurth lives in Portland, Oregon.
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