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  • If I Knew Then…

    If I Knew Then…

    Advice on careers, finance, and life from Harvard Business School’s Class of 1963

    Each month, JobsPeopleDo will be featuring a special quote from a graduate of the Harvard Business School Class of 1963. The following quotes are insightful and can be used to inspire and encourage the right career path for you…

    “Look for work in areas where you have built-in confidence based on your own experience or preferences. It’s not to say you can’t succeed in areas in which you never thought you had talent, but your shortest path will come through your strengths.”

    “If you like your work, your chances of success will be higher. In the workplace, make your first priority improving your organization, department, or work unit rather than worrying about how the company will help further your own ambitions. Take pride in making everyone better wherever you are. Success takes care of those who create success for others.”

    ~John H. Schwarz~
    Via http://hbs1963.com/wisdom/careers/

  • Is a Business Empire in Your Future?

    Is a Business Empire in Your Future?

    The world’s business landscape is changing. In the past, before people could be business moguls, they usually would have to work their way up the ladder or at least have several years of hard work tucked under their belt. However, as today’s successful young entrepreneurs like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and MyYearBook.com founder Catherine Cook have proven; you can have your own business empire even at the same time as you reach voting age. They have done it, so if there’s any shadow of a doubt that you can’t follow in their footsteps, always remember their stories to give you inspiration.

    The reality of kick- starting a business into commercial reality is not as easy as it sounds, and it is true that you may have to start small. The main trick is to pin down what your business idea is, and if it is viable. So, how exactly can you find that eureka moment?

    Know your passion.

    Figuring out where your true passion lies is a step in the right direction. For instance, Angelo Sotira had always been fascinated with graphic design, even dabbling in customizable WinAmp skins, before he founded DeviantArt, dubbed as the Facebook for digital artists everywhere. Michelle Phan, meanwhile, has always been passionate about creating different looks through makeup, and now she is a YouTube star and has her own makeup line.

    Find a need.

    You may pride yourself of being business-savvy, but you just don’t know where to put your skills to the test because you can’t seem to figure out what you are really passionate about. Don’t fret. What you can do is find a need instead. If you can make something that young people like you need, what would that be? For instance, it could be an app that can solve math problems in a matter of seconds.

    Build a network.

     Think networking is just for job search? Think again. You can also make use of this practice when you are in search of business ideas. Networking gives you access to people who have been there, done that—and these are the best people to look to for advice so you can get that inspiration and plan your business idea.

    Travel.

    This isn’t for everyone, but if you have tried the three above-mentioned suggestions, and you can’t still think of anything, consider traveling to find your eureka moment. According to an article in Scientific American, traveling allows people to be more receptive to new ideas, new rituals, and new perspectives. Maybe that business idea of yours is just waiting somewhere in exotic Bora-Bora or romantic Paris.

    SOURCES:

     http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-aha-moment/

     http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/22/photomath-app-solve-math-problems_n_6025948.html

    http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/startup/a/10startingtips.htm

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/student-life/10420855/Students-top-tips-for-starting-your-own-business.html

     http://www.wsj.com/video/michelle-phan-youtube-star-to-business-maven/916A1AEA-1D8F-498C-A659-67A8583BDF6C.html

    http://www.fastcompany.com/59441/facebooks-mark-zuckerberg-hacker-dropout-ceo

    http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217859

    http://www.incomediary.com/top-young-entrepreneurs

  • Starting Your Own Business in High School

    Starting Your Own Business in High School

    Every year as soon as the weather is nice enough, young businesspeople begin to earn money at lemonade stands around the country while they also learn a bit about what it takes to work with products and customers. Later, in high school, students can learn many of the basics of running a business and possibly begin to earn money to use for university, trips to other countries, or special things that they want to buy.

    Running a lemonade stand is a relatively simple kind of business, with only one product and just a few ingredients. Running other businesses can be much more complicated, however, and they can take up a lot of time and effort. If you are considering starting a business, you should make sure that you want to spend hours every week building up the business, finding customers, and taking care of supplies and anything else that you need.

    Many different options are open for high school students who want to start a business. Lawn care and snow shovelling are good for people who like being outside, and pet sitting is good for anyone who likes animals. Other options include grocery delivery, house cleaning, technical support for computers, and even teaching. Almost any business is possible for people with the time and skills and imagination.

    If you have an idea that you could turn into a business, the first step is write out a business plan of what you want to do and how you intend to do it. This step involves doing research to find out about your possible customers, the costs of your materials or tools, and anything else that you need to know. You will need to decide whether to work with another person or alone and make many more decisions about how to run your new business.

    Even if you end up working alone at your business you can get help in setting it up and getting it established. Some universities and other schools offer summer programs for students to learn how to become entrepreneurs, and information is always available at business centres and schools. Taking courses in business management is a good idea, even if you still have several years to go before you finish high school.

    Knowing the technical and financial aspects of running a business is important, but knowing how to deal with people is also essential. Most business programs include advice on business etiquette and customer relations techniques that can help business owners to deal with customers without driving them away. You can also learn some of these techniques on your own or by talking with established business owners.

    Do you have a business idea that you would like to pursue? Maybe you can already start, even in high school or earlier. You never know what might develop in the future, and even a bad experience can help you learn what you need to know to become a successful business owner.

    Bibliography:

    Alberta Learning Information Service.” Occupational Profile Motorcycle Mechanic.”

    http://occinfo.alis.alberta.ca/occinfopreview/info/browse-occupations/occupation-profile.html?id=71003095.

    Canada One. “Starting a Business in Canada.” http://www.canadaone.com/tools/startingabusiness.html.

    Ordoñez, Silvana. Summer camp teaches high school students to start their own business.”

    http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-08-08/business/fl-escape-camp-20110808_1_entrepreneurship-summer-camp-high-school-students-business.

    Services for Youth. “Starting Your Own Business.” http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs

    http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/businessideas/a/summerjobbiz.htm /business.shtml.

    Ward, Susan. 10 Best Small Business Ideas for Students.” http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/businessideas/a/summerjobbiz.htm.

     

  • Career Profile: Business Interviewer

    Career Profile: Business Interviewer

    Some people are good at asking questions and getting people to talk about themselves. They know how to get to the core of an issue and retrieve the right information Does that describe you? If it does, you might want to consider a career in asking questions. Business interviewers work to help people get the information they need to work with others.

    Suppose a business owner wanted to sell dog food to a chain of grocery stores. The seller would have to know a lot about the buyers before they could really be sure of what kinds of products or services to offer. Maybe the grocery stores are in areas with many more cats than dogs. The seller is unlikely to make much money in that case.

    How can business owners find out what they need to know before they spend a lot of time on something that is unlikely to work? They can hire an interviewer who can go to the other businesses to find out what they need. The interviewer then does research on possible customers for the product or service and asks questions about what kind of help people want.

    If you’ve ever answered a survey, you know that the questions depend on what kind of information the people want to know. The same thing happens with business interviews. Good interviewers will choose their questions to reflect the kind of information that the company needs.

    Business interviewing requires many of the same skills as employers need for interviewing possible employees. Interviewers have to choose their questions carefully to get the right kind of information. They also have to be good at understanding what is not being said. In job interviews, people often leave out a lot of information, possibly because they are embarrassed about it or maybe they just think that it is not important. It is not mandatory to answer certain questions in a job interview, however. For example, it is illegal for an interviewer to ask how old you are when interviewing for a job position.

    Part of the job is to take the information that comes out of interviews and to assess it, deciding what to pursue if another interview is necessary. This step might require repeat visits to the company’s office to talk to people and to learn more about it. Business interviewers often work at whatever time suits the other person, and they might spend little time in their own offices.

    Becoming a business interviewer requires a thorough knowledge of the type of work that the company does. The interviewer has to know how well the products or services match with what other companies need. Being able to talk easily with other people is also necessary, and technical knowledge might also be required in some cases, especially for companies that deal with computers or other technology. Some full-time business interviewers earn about $12 per hour or more, but it depends on the company.

    Do you like to talk with people and to ask them questions? If so, you might be well suited for a job as a business interviewer.

    Bibliography:

    Business Interviews.com. “Our M.O.” http://www.businessinterviews.com/about/.

    Call Centre Job.ca. “Business Interviewer.” http://www.callcentrejob.ca/en/job-offer/qc/montreal/greenwich-associates-19272/business-interviewer/690610.

    Entrepreneur.com. “How to Conduct an Interview Effectively.” http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225960.

    Statistics Canada. “Job Description (Interviewer).” http://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/employment/otheropp/interview/description.