These are the six
traits that will encapsulate the ways you have to think and behave if you
want to make a successful transition from being employed in someone else’s business
to starting a business of your own.
The six traits you
need to move from being an employee to self-employed.
1.
“You have to be flexible to be self- employed”
If
you start a business of your own, you no longer have one job with clearly
defines duties and responsibilities. You will suddenly have multiple jobs,
which will be often interrupted by unforeseen crises (particularly in the
startup phase). Many employees are used to having days filled with predictable
activities, many self-employed people don’t.
As
a self - employed business owner, you are the one who will have to deal with
whatever the crises is and solve the problem. You are the one who will have to
deal with whatever the crisis is and solve the problem. You are the one who
will have to make decisions.
2. “You have to be a self –
motivated initiator”
When
you are an employee, other people tell you what to do, either directly or
indirectly. You get used to having your actions directed by others. But you
have to direct your own actions as a small business owner. You can’t just sit
there and hope that someone will drop by out of the blue with inventory for
your retail store.
No
one is going to drop work on your desk or point out what needs to be done.
3. “You have to be able to recognize opportunities
and go after them”
Most
employees do what they are assigned to do. There’s someone else who’s assigned
to look out for opportunities, either a boss in a small business, or perhaps a
sales representative or a managerial team in a large corporation. If you start
a business, you need to be the one constantly watching and looking for
opportunities and be able to recognize them when you see them.
4. “When you are self-employed,
you have to be able to plan ahead”
Your
last job may have involved no planning at all, as that was someone else’s job.
If you want to start a business, you need to develop expertise in both
short-term and long range planning.
When
you start a business, one of your first tasks will be to work through a
business plan.
5. “You need to be prepared to
put in a constant and consistent effort”
We
have all seen employees who are just going through the emotions, or who were
just “putting in the time” until retirement. Starting a business takes energy,
and you need to be able to give it 100 percent.
You
can also say goodbye to the holidays that many employees enjoy, both the annual
and the statutory holidays, at least until your business is established to the
point that you can manage your own time.
6. You have to be able to deal
with uncertainty.
As
a self – employed entrepreneur, there is no guarantee that the products or
services you offer will be in demand six months from now. There is no guarantee
that your customers will pay their bills on time or even pay them at all.
There’s actually no guarantee that you will make any income this month or the
month after.
Are
you still asking? “How do I start a business”? Good! Because the above points
are not to scare you off, but to make you aware of how you have to readjust
your thinking to make the transition from employee to self-employed business.
To be continued...
See you at the top!
Talented Olayinka ( +2348139000088 )
