Job Search Series: A Job Search is Entrepreneurial

If you are, or ever have been, self-employed, you will instantly recognize the truth in this statement: A job search is entrepreneurial.

If you are not, and never have been, self-employed and you are currently involved in a job search - or expect be be soon - then this is your opportunity to experience the world of the self-employed and see how it fits for you.

How is the job search comparable to entrepreneurship? Here are the top three ways:

1. Visualization. An entrepreneur is a Visionary. He/she must pull together a long-term vision and plan in order to define what is wanted and how it will be achieved. A job seeker must do the same. The first step in a job search is to decide what type of job you are seeking - to identify a field, or fields, of interest, experience, or expertise; to determine the geographical area for the search; and identify the company - or type of company - you wish to work for.

2. Organization. An entrepreneur organizes and manages his/her time and tasks. A job seeker must do the same. There is no boss structuring the hours for the job seeker. You are the boss. And a rule of thumb is that you need to put in as many hours finding a job as you would in working that job. Job-hunting is really a 40+ hour/week job. You need to structure your work, put your schedule into a calendar or day-timer. Block out time for these various tasks: research, resume writing, informational interviewing (part of the research process, networking, applying, and job interviewing. Keep the same hours for job-hunting as you kept in your job (unless you've been working nights or weekends. You really need the traditional workweek hours for the job search.).

3. Multi-tasking. An entrepreneur wears many hats in his/her business, especially in the start-up phase. Self-employed workers, especially solo entrepreneurs, do everything in their businesses, though they may hire consultants with particular expertise from time to time. Job seekers, too, do it all, though they might sub-contract expert help from others, such as job coaches, recruiters, resume writers, placement agencies, and the like. A job-seeker is involved in administrative tasks, research, marketing and promotion, selling, bookkeeping, financial management, and other related tasks.

What does a job search require of a job-seeker? The same skills and qualities required of an entrepreneur: discipline, focus, vision, clarity, organization, project management, time management, productivity, multi-tasking.

A job search can become much more efficient, productive, and satisfying when you view yourself as a self-employed solo entrepreneur and view your business as marketing yourself and landing a job!

Good luck!!!

Entrepreneurship Series: Commitment

As we continue this series on Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial readiness, we ask the question, "What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur?"

There are many answers to this question. One of them is - commitment.

In many respects, starting a business is very much like embarking on a marriage. It is a long-term commitment that requires passion, enthusiasm, and love of the work, product, service, or field of that business. It requires a kind of stick-to-it-iveness that is reminiscent of the marriage vows - that is, you agree to stick with it in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, until death - or some other BIG factor (such as retirement)- does you part. It requires dedication, persistence, perseverance, perspiration, and a conservatively high degree of risk tolerance.

What are some of the secrets of maintaining an entrepreneurial commitment of this kind over the long haul - perhaps in times of economic challenge such as we currently face in this recessive economic climate? Here are some factors...

Imagination - Before you ever start your business, imagine yourself several years into it. Imagine yourself successful and growing. Visualize yourself in your business, through all seasons and business cycles, all the way to retirement.

Intention - Start your business with the very strong intention to stay with it and to succeed. Create the intention to do whatever it takes to make it work.

Challenge - Be someone who thrives on challenge. Embrace "mistakes" as opportunities to learn and to do it better.

Change - Expect and embrace change. Keep refining and fine tuning and growing your business. Never allow it to stagnate.

Time Management - The advantage of working for yourself is that you are in charge of your time and you can enjoy some flexibility in terms of time. The disadvantage is that there is no such thing as a 40-hour work week for most entrepreneurs. Owning your own business is a BIG time commitment, and it is best to plan on that from the beginning. Yet, it is also possible to be very efficient and savvy about how you use your time. Learn to Work Smarter, Not Harder.

Work/Life Balance - That being said, it is also crucial to find ways to balance your work time with your other priorities - time for family, for friends, for socializing, for exercise and recreation, for creative and spiritual pursuits, for managing your household - for all the pieces of your life that you value and enjoy. Balancing your life well prevents burnout and gives you the energy and zest you need to be with your business, day in and day out. Life and Work need to be FUN and energizing!


Question: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest, how able are you to commit to something for the long haul and stick with it?

Hint: If your answer was 7 or lower, then entrepreneurship is probably not for you.

Entrepreneurship Series: Risk Tolerance

Entrepreneurs, by nature, must be risk takers. How much risk are YOU willing to take? Contrary to popular belief, the most successful entrepreneurs are not over-the-top risk takers.

Here's what Kathleen Allen, author of Entrepreneurship for Dummies says about risk-taking and entrepreneurship:

Entrepreneurs are neither high risk takers nor do they avoid risk. They are moderate or calculated risk takers. They manage risk and make decisions based on what they believe their chances of success to be. Entrepreneurship is inherently risky, but so is driving a car and most everything else we do in life that has any significance. Entrepreneurs are just better at judging risk and finding ways to manage it.

Imagine a scale labeled Risk Tolerance. It runs from zero (no risk) to ten (extreme risk). On this scale, with 0 being someone who takes as few risks as humanly possible (probably an agoraphobic) and 10 being someone who takes enormous risks as a way of life (a James Bond type), where do you fall?

If your score is less than 5 or greater than 8 on this Risk Tolerance Scale, you may want to reconsider your decision to go into business for yourself.

Note: This article and the Risk Tolerance Scale are taken from Connie Komack's workshop,(c)2006-2008, Is Entrepreneurship Right for Me?

Entrepreneurship Series: Entrepreneurship Workshop - October 8, 2008

Is Entrepreneurship Right for Me?

This is the theme of the workshop to be presented by Connie Komack of LifeWork Enterprises in Partnership with The Entrepreneur's Source in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Are you at a choice point in your career?

Are you considering going into business for yourself?

Are you wondering if you have what it takes to be a successful business owner?

If you are contemplating going into business for yourself, or if you know of someone who is, register for this free event and join us for an evening of exploration and inquiry.

Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2006

Time: Registration: 6:30pm. Program: 7-9pm.

Place: 100 Cummings Center, Suite 221E, Beverly, MA

Fee: None. Advance registration is strongly encouraged.

To Register: Contact Tom DiGiuseppe at The Entrepreneur's Source. Phone: 978-524-9900. Email: tgdesource@verizon.net.

Choice Point - Get a Job or Start a Business?

So many people today face this decision at some point in their working life. Some right out of the gate, after high school or college. Some after being downsized or fired. Some in midlife, when a desire for change is at its peak. Some at retirement.

The question is: which is the best decision for You?

Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. There are many factors to consider. Some are internal, or are specific to you. Other factors are external, and are influenced by factors outside yourself, such as economics, business climate, competition, politics, family issues, social issues, finances, and other external factors.

In the next series of Blog articles, we will explore many different aspects of entrepreneurship and what it means to be an entrepreneur. We will start with some of the internal factors, such as personal qualities, risk tolerance, and financial readiness - all meant to help you answer the question, Is Entrepreneurship Right for Me?

Tackling this question, this decision, this choice point, reminds me of the Robert Frost poem, The Road Not Taken. It is a definite choice point in one's life - a decision as large as deciding to marry or to have children. It is a decision that deserves to be carefully considered, for entrepreneurship requires a strong committment. And perhaps, if you choose the entrepreneurial path, you will find yourself one day echoing Frost's words:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference.