What Makes a Good Entrepreneur?

I personally have started 2 businesses and am currently helping another one get cooking right now. While it’s an almost overwhelming amount of work, I enjoy it the challenge of creating something from nothing.

As a SCORE volunteer (part of the Small Business Administration), I meet  a lot of wonderful people who have great ideas. Each of them is taking a step towards starting their own business. They are asking for help (by the way it’s free and available to everyone) and researching their idea. I tell them that even if this particular business doesn’t get off the ground, another one just might so keep learning, growing and exploring.

When people find out that I have started businesses or volunteer at SCORE, they inevitably talk about how much fun it must be. They don’t really think about how hard it is to start the business, find the customers, run the business and do the work. While it may sound a bit overwhelming, 20,000 new businesses start every year. I believe that if the United States is going to remain economically strong, we need more and more entrepreneurs to step up.

When I was looking for an image to include with this post, I realized that no photograph of a person or people would work. Entrepreneurs come in every size, shape, age, race, gender, religion and nationality.  This is an important challenge and even if you are not inclined to start a business, I ask that you to visit, support, encourage and cheer lead for local entrepreneurs. When picking a restaurant, pick a local restaurant instead of a chain. Eat local food, buy local goods and we’ll all reap the benefits. I’d love to hear from other entrepreneurs. We need to stick together!

Joyfully Jobless

To love what you do and feel that it matters, how could anything else be more fun? Katherine Graham

What would it take for you to be joyfully jobless? Think about it for a minute. Would $500,000 do it? Have you thought about being an entrepreneur? Have you wondered what it would be like to have your own business?

I have not only thought about it, I had a marketing consulting practice. I did a lot of research, wrote a business plan, rented an office and created a web site. It was harder than I thought. Finding the work, doing the work and running the business (legal, accounting, etc.) proved a good challenge. September 11, 2001 squashed my dreams. The good news is I learned a lot. The experience makes me a better employee.

There are so many options for self employment. Where should you start?
These books that help you begin to think about doing it differently.
• Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways For Creating Work That You Love (learn more about the author at: http://www.joyfullyjobless.com/)
• Caught Between A Dream and A Job – D. MacNeall II
• Feel the Fear…and Do It Anyway – Susan Jeffers
• Write It Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want And Getting It – Henriette Klauser

Today, I volunteer as a SCORE volunteer. SCORE is a national volunteer organization of experienced business professionals offering free, confidential counseling to new and existing businesses. If you are considering starting your own business, including franchising, service businesses, etc.; I suggest you visit http://www.scorerochester.org/) or contact me and I can help you get started with them.

Fun and Interesting Inexpensive/Free Things to Do in Rochester
If you haven’t explored the High Falls area downtown, I recommend it.
At the very least you will see the 96 foot drop waterfall and the bridge, Pont de Rennes which is dedicated to our sister city in France. The Triphammer Forge and, if you plan it right, a laser light show across the falls, make this worthwhile.
For more information: http://www.cityofrochester.gov/article.aspx?id=8589936508/)

High Falls Rochester, NY