Jumping from full time job to being an entrepreneur.

[Steve]

I was just reading another blog that was talking about the process of going from being a full time employee to becoming an entrepreneur and how is it best to do it. Here is my take, IT’S GOING TO GET UGLY. Did you ever see the Movie The Matrix? When Neo finally finds out that his entire life he has been plugged into this matrix that took care of everything for him? And once he was unplugged his body went into shock. Well I think the process is very similar. I talk to many new business owners or those who soon want to be a business owner. I get the feeling from many of them who ask me how to unplug from their full time job and go it alone, that they want an answer so they can keep everything in their life the same except now be an entrepreneur. My easy answer to them is the more hardcore answer. It’s quit that lame *** job. It’s sucking the life force right out of you. It’s making you old before your time. If you think you will be able to retire one day from your job and then really start enjoying your life, you are sorely mistaken. Life is flying by you my friend. Grab a hold of it. Get out of your car and get a motorcycle. Feel the rush of air and pavement race past you. Smile! FEEL ALIVE! If you don’t want to be too crazy or hardcore, read your butt off and ask questions. Educate yourself on a field that interests you. Start playing with some kind of service you can offer on the side from your home. Start getting paid for doing it. Then scale it up until you feel like you are about to break from the load of it. At that point, unplug from the matrix and go it alone. Most of us never develop a passion for anything because we don’t have the time to do it. Our brain, body and soul is sucked into that matrix. Start diverting that energy. Start spending more time with that hobby you always wanted to get involved with. Take that hobby and figure out how to make some money with it. You can do this. It is do able. You are going to change in the process. You won’t be the same person you once were. But if you are reading this now and thinking about doing this, you are saying you don’t want to be that same person. You want to change. Change can have an enormous effect on all your relationships, so look out! It’s gonna get more interesting as you go. What advice do you have for those looking to unplug from a fulltime job and go it alone?

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[CHEESE2009]

Lawn care business tips

That was beautifully written, I applaud you! It is true that we all follow a system in our lifetime, & we are all too worried to change it, to take a chance! We all go to school thinking we need to be a doctor, a lawyer, or even a teacher etc. Many people believe we need money to live, they are RIGHT, it's just how much money we actually need is where everyone gets it wrong. I feel alive when I'm broke, trying to make something of myself from scratch. What happens when I'm not struggling to become successful? I'm too young to have it easy. Now is the time to test my capabilities & know what my strengths are. I don't know about most people, but I like to get involved, get my hands dirty. With money to hire people to wipe my butt, I will have nothing to experience. I wanna learn about mower engines, I wanna learn how to drive the new ZTmowers, I wanna paint & design my trailer, I wanna hand out my flyers, I wanna resolve the worst case scenarios, I wanna solve problems instead of passing on the great experiences I have in front of me! I don't want to waste 8 years in school studying to be successful, heck I'd rather be mowing for 8 years & making what I have MORE successful. At least I can look back & say, "I did what I wanted & made something out of nothing without any outside assistance"

[CHEESE2009]

this is what the gopher forum will be like in the future;

http://itransform.abstraction.com/up...sVP-701573.JPG

[picframer]

Educate yourself is probably one of the major keys, it takes a lot of skills to be an entrepreneur from sales, marketing, human resources, finance etc.

There are a few online tests where you answer questions and it will tell you how likely you are to succeed, I am sure there are some that would score low and still do very well however having taken the test that our government has at the Business Development Bank, it is good. Just google self assessment entrepreneur test.

Some business's would be able to pay you a salary shortly after start up however the majority would need you to have sufficient capital set aside so that the money the business makes in the first 6 months to a year can be re invested, just don't expect the company to pay you the same salary as your previous job from the start.

Understand the client needs in your area, before launching a product or service it doesn't cost much to start the marketing and see what the feedback is, I still do this today with my business(s) before I buy the equipment to do it.

Do things by the book, register your business, carry insurance, workers comp, tax etc. running what is often referred to as an underground company will catch up with you in time and it could and quite often does ruin the owner.

Ask for help and suggestions and take the advise, not necessarily as gospel but have an open mind, those that are doing well or very well are doing something right, ask, consider and come up with a plan.

Buy quality equipment, once again use the Internet to research, it is critical IMHO.

Good Luck

Andy