Tag: entrepreneur

  • Living the Entrepreneurial Life

    Living the Entrepreneurial Life

    Traditionally, we are hunters. In the modern world, we still hunt: for jobs, for apartments, for dates, and more. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors took a huge step in their evolution when they transitioned to farming. Entrepreneurs are also farmers. Instead of going out and mining existing resources for jobs, you are instead planting the seeds for those very resources.

    Entrepreneurs are able to gather together resources to make their products or provide their service, find the money to make it happen, hire the people they need, and set up the office space to get the job done. They fearlessly don many hats and juggle the roles as needed. To become one yourself, you have to be prepared to do all of these things. You will be free from the 9-to-5 world, but be ready to work evenings, nights, and weekends with a schedule that could change weekly.

    Entrepreneurs use their strengths to add value to the world around them. This can take a myriad of shapes and forms. As an employee, you must assess what is expected of you and utilize your strengths to make that happen. As an entrepreneur, you must assess your strengths and utilize them unexpectedly. You are not given work, but create your own work from the ground up. The freedom is frightening, but it also paves pathways allowing nearly any skill set to be utilized.

    To start, spend time sorting out your service or product until you are comfortable, but not to the point of perfection. It will inevitably evolve as you have successes, failures, receiving feedback, and experience the ups and downs that come with the entrepreneurial world. Social media makes it much easier to grab someone’s attention, but harder to hold on. You will want to make immediate impacts. Keep your website design simple utilizing a few select images. Pull out your best camera, or rely on a photographer to get you the shot you need.

    Corporate businesses live in a competitive world where the small can be devoured by the large. As an entrepreneur, you do not have to fret over your size. The elasticity of your business can mean uncertainty and struggles, but it also offers freedom. Do not dwell on whether your business is big or small, as the latter can be frightening and the former disheartening. You business simply is. Whether as a team or solo, as your primary income source or supplementary, as a part-time or full-time endeavour, your business is your baby.

    You must be able to create structure from chaos, be prepared to take on the initiative on a daily basis, and brave the unpredictability that awaits you. Above all, you need a strong understanding of your own skill set and the ways it could be utilized in the world around you. Take time to jot down some notes about what you would want to do and how you would go about it. The moment your thoughts hit the paper, you are an entrepreneur.

    Source

    Tracy, Brian. The Role of the Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/78478

  • Internships with Startup Companies

    Internships with Startup Companies

    Even during the height of the winter season, many students are beginning to set their sights on summer internships. If you’re one of the keener students looking to get a head start in the game, you’ve probably already begun searching for a position.  Ambition may have led you to some of the most well-known firms across the country. However, it’s important to understand that for these larger companies, hundreds of inquiries arrive at their doorsteps every year. Even with a wicked resume, it’ll be quite the challenge for you to stand out amongst such a large crowd. Your chances would significantly improve if you were to aim for a company that hasn’t made that big of a splash in the community yet. Startup companies are those that are slowly (and sometimes quickly) making their way onto the main stage. They may be in the process of developing a new product or they may be working to bring a creative new service to life. These companies are always eager for new talent to help raise their entrepreneurial ventures off the ground. In fact, most of these companies are so busy with day-to-day operations that they haven’t even thought about hiring interns. This would be the perfect opportunity for you to showcase your initiative by reaching out to them first. If there’s one thing that entrepreneurs love, it’s a self-starter!

    There are several benefits to working with a startup. For one, these companies tend to be more willing to give you a significant role within their ranks. Of course this isn’t true for all startups, but it’s definitely a noticeable trend. With limited human resources on deck, these companies often have employees conducting tasks that would usually be shared among several other people. If you have the appropriate skillset, it’s likely that you’ll get some of these responsibilities placed on you, which would be the perfect opportunity to gain some real-world experience! In the long-term, your role may prove to be so substantial that you’ll be deemed a necessary fixture within the company. Of course, this would require a great deal of work on your part but it’s definitely a realistic possibility for interns working with startups.

    If you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur, interning with a startup would also be a great way to spend your summers. You would get the unique opportunity to see the various challenges that startups face on a regular basis and see how they maneuver around them.  This would definitely give you a leg up when starting your own company in the future.  Even if entrepreneurship doesn’t seem like a likely option for yourself, you can benefit from the educational experience of working within a newly-formed business.

    It’s also important to make note of some of the potential downfalls of working with a startup. For one, it’s likely that the internship will be unpaid since startups often operate on tight budgets. Moreover, if you have long-term aspirations, it’s possible that the company many not exist in the future if their operations are unsuccessful. Beyond this, entrepreneurs often work long, irregular hours and it’s possible that they may have similar expectations for you. At the end of the day, it will be your responsibility to decide if working for a startup is right for you.