The following guest post comes to us from Amy Klimek, an experienced HR recruiter and VP of Human Resources for ZipRecruiter. Enjoy her insights and expertise on the topic of entrepreneurship. Be sure to visit her author’s bio below to learn more about Amy and her business and to connect!
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Entrepreneurship in 2015
Insights and Encouragement from an Expert
Entrepreneurship is equally rewarding as it is difficult. Though you may be free from the shackles of retail and corporate, such freedom comes with a price. As far as 2015 goes, the time has never been better for you to finally build that start-up you’ve always dreamed of having. Just be sure you understand the responsibility that is inextricably linked to power.
Start It
Too many people talk about their dreams but never act on them. They dedicate hours of the day envisioning that perfect business but never actually take the steps to achieve it only to regret their failure to act in their older years. For most, it’s fear that holds them back. Because we no longer have anything to fear, our mind makes up some that exist outside of our comfort zones. Anything that is not part of what it is used to is deemed impossible and not worth it. If you’re going to successfully start on your own path, it’s time to learn how to overcome that negative voice. Instead, use it to guide what precautionary steps you want to take to give yourself a safety net to fall into should something go wrong.
Understand the Competition
Now that you are putting together the research, you will inevitably come across blogs that give you reasons not to go after your dream and, specifically, the dream in your field. They all decry the sheer number of people vying for the same thing as reason enough to give up. Never listen to these people. If you wind up falling down a rabbit hole of negativity, stop researching for the day. What you need to realize is the reality of the situation. Those that generally enjoy what they do will share useful knowledge and be very positive about their accomplishments. The other 90% lack the talent and discipline required to succeed, no matter what credentials they try to throw at you. Instead, focus only on the 10%. These are the experts in their field. Though it will take you years to achieve what they have accomplished, they are great examples to look to for motivation and ideas.
10 Year Rule
Overnight sensations are a dream. The only people that earn this title are children that appear on television shows. What the media never reveals are the years of hard work the professionals put into their craft before they finally caught the public’s attention. Dubbed the “10 year rule”, John Hayes researched this phenomenon by taking the lives of famous artists (think Mozart) and statistically looking at how long it took each of them to begin producing their most famous pieces. In the end, 10 years was the magic number. Each and every master required a decade of dedication to their concentration before major success came into play. You are no different. Accept this and use it when you feel like you should just give up. Success takes time. It is a slow and steady pace that will get you to where you want to be.
Be Flexible
You might be the personality type that obsesses over every little detail, and with a venture into entrepreneurship, you’ve already plotted out every modicum of possibility. Unfortunately, this still won’t be enough to prepare for the future. Think big, plan small. Have a single goal in mind but do not be dead set on the path you take to get there. What may seem like something out of left field could turn out to be a well-placed opportunity that opens even more doors for you. Basically, pursue every avenue. As an entrepreneur, this translates into how you find your first clients. The importance of this lies in a single word: experience. If you haven’t already built a career in the corporate world, you are still young and lacking resume fodder that potential clients use as a means to judge your credibility. In these beginning years, you will not have much behind you and need to be willing to take on projects that don’t fit your ideal match but still bring some value to the brand.
Build What You Believe
As an entrepreneur, the world is your oyster. You are now free to pursue anything. While scary, it is nonetheless a freeing feeling. No longer are you wasting your time for someone else. You are working for you. A popular quote entrepreneurs cite describes that they would rather work 80 hours a week for themselves than 40 hours a week for someone else. When you focus on something that means a lot to you, 80 hours is still not enough time to devote. Yes, there will be days you wake up and wish you could just spend the day in front of the TV, but there are never days where you wake up and want to disappear. The stresses between business and freelance are different in many ways, but at least with freelance, success relies on your ability to work hard.
You Are Accountable
You are accountable for everything that happens, especially if you begin your run with just you heading up the fledgling business. This means that before you start reaching out to clients or hiring others to manage your affairs, you better have your own self-importance under control. Don’t think you can continue to take out your frustrations on others. They will no longer work with you. Don’t assume you can make excuses for a poorly completed project. You were the only one working on it. Instead, turn this accountability into a positive. Use it to continually better yourself and what you offer. If something goes wrong, assess what happened and make notes on how you can avoid the situation in the future. If you feel like berating others, take time away to understand why you are frustrated and what you can do to ease the tension. Turn everything into a learning exercise and you will be amazed at how far you can go on your own.
About the Author: Amy Klimek is an experienced HR recruiter and VP of Human Resources for ZipRecruiter, a company that simplifies the hiring process for small to medium size businesses. Prior to that, Amy has held similar roles at Rent.com, eBay and US Interactive. For Amy, corporate culture isn’t about dogs and free lunches, it’s about empowering employees and creating an enriching environment for people to excel. Connect with ZipRecruiter on Twitter or Facebook.
