Young ENTREPRENEURSHIP (A Road Less Taken)

[Sol_Itaire]

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cirext: The path to entrepreneurship is not forced.
It has only been presented as another option.
And it can only be digested by an open mind.


an open mind should be on both sides. too often those who are hard-core employees shun entrepreneurship. they think it's too risky, unstable, and difficult. On the other hand, those who are entrepreneurs, especially honeymooner-entrepreneurs (much like those zealous but misguided religious fanatics), think too highly of themselves or those they imagine themselves to be.

i've outgrown my love for anecdotal writers (Zig Ziglar and the like). I prefer those who are 'positively realistic' . I was once enamored by Robert Kiyosaki until I realized rich dad was just a fictional character. too many words with not much to show for.

[cirext]

What pushes me to shift from employment to entrepreneurship?
My answer is frustration.

Ive been pushing myself to my limits. And when I encountered dead ends, I would really break the walls.
And then began to realize that behind the fence is a new world i have never known.

Born from poverty is never a hindrance to dreaming. Instead, it is my greatest challenge to uplift myself & my family.

My frame of mind then is to go to college at the best school, to take the challenging course, be a top student, pass a board exam & eventually got employed with best company, have high salary to uplift my family. That was the gameplan.

And so I went to USC. Take an Engineering Course. Life was a bit hard. But I dont think about it. Instead I just do my part. My mother was buried with debts to take me the farthest she could possibly do. I photocopied most books that I need. I am forced to buy new books w/c are required to be new. But I never force my mother if she cant buy nor did I even tell her I have requirements. I understand her very well. She would just look me in the eye and she knows that I need something.

Most are ashamed to bring lunchbox in college. But I did. I could save my money from it. I am not ashamed to be poor and study in a school of the rich.

Because of these, I am used to being alone. I study by myself. Eat by myself. USC has a lot of libraries so I go to which not most of my classmates will eventually go. Instead of the Engineering Lib, I go to Architecture or Science Lib or even Graduate School library at the main campus.

My parent's sacrifices eventually was paid. I graduated with an ace in college. Step1 is accomplished.

Now I need to pass the board so that I could put an "Engr." on my first name. Not only will it bring pride, I believe that it is a passport to get the best employment. I eventually passed the board with a real convincing grade and nearly top it. Step 2 is accomplished.

Now comes job hunting. Here my frustration starts.

I never go with anybody when looking for a job. I do things my own. That's my trait.
And lo and behold! After passing more than 20 application letters and nearly 6 months of walking & online hunting, I finally got a job. What happens to my credentials? What happened to the school I choose? What happened to all my achievements? It all seems unimportant.

I got employed at Lexmark-CA Plant in MEPZ2. I forgot about my frustration and focus on this new path.
It seems good prior to our actual start. Qualifying exam was tough and so I thought pay is good and the career is challenging. But then I eventually knew that my salary is 7k and moreover, i got bored with the routinary production job. This is not what I studied hard. I cant uplift my family with this salary. I applied for higher positions. I applied for LRDC because I heard the pay is better. I studied Masteral in Robotics to take me to LRDC. I studied CISCO Networking. I reapplied and reapplied. And eventually nothing happens.

That does it. I reached the limit of my patience after 2yrs & 2months. I eventually resigned immediately without nowhere to go. The gameplan is now over. I wont reach anything with this.

But this is not the end of everything. The gameplan may end but the dream never dies.

[cirext]

These are the lessons I learned in employment:

1. Getting a job is not about credentials. Its about PERSISTENCE & a bit of luck. With too many graduates with less businesses/companies, it is more than a rat race. You need to try drinking a drop of Harry Potter's luck charm as well.

2. Climbing the ladder is not about credentials. Its about connections to the higher ups. 'Pasikitay' is a trait Filipinos will never lose.

3. Routinary work in employment will make you dull. Doing the same things everyday let you lose sight of other new things to learn.

4. In employment, you are making the employer richer but not yourself. My wage could only go for 10 days on every 15th.

5. Employment is good but don't stay there foreever. Learn how the business is run. You can follow good practices from them. But your ultimate goal should be creating your own. They say that the best businessmen are those once employed.

So, its not bad after all. Just learn how to see things beyond our experiences.

[binarypill]

i tried this route and i crashed and burned. one warning i have for aspiring young entrepreneurs is that one of the biggest obstacles you have to face in the endeavor may well be your family.

the older generation have this idea that you need to go through a period of "employment" before you can try your hand at your own business. as such, they'll pressure you about that a lot and, even as they express their support, they will be constantly second guessing your decisions and trying to influence or even make your business decisions for you.

that's what i learned and what a costly lesson that was. i'm going to try my hand at running a business again but never again will i do it in close proximity to family.

[Sol_Itaire]

entrepreneurship spells hard work, sacrifice, risk. can be very lonely too.

there are advantages and disadvantages to both sides and the results are never the same. there are happy employees and miserable entrepreneurs and vice versa.

[cirext]

On my experience, entrepreneurship means -
a. hardwork
b. sacrifice
c. risk
d. a mental game
e. a chance to carve your name
f. a lot of fun
g. meeting all kinds of folks
h. a lot of travel & enjoyment
i. real achievement
j. leadership
k. decision-making
l. guts
m. the best challenge in professional life
n. freedom
o. financial empowerment

Yes, entrepreneurship are not for everybody.
But i dont agree that it is limited to a very selected few.
If i do, its just saying that less people have real guts & brain.
I believe Cebuanos has the word "diskarte"
And that poor people can become rich by striving hard & letting the brains work.

[Sol_Itaire]

Yes, entrepreneurship are not for everybody.
But i dont agree that it is limited to a very selected few.
If i do, its just saying that less people have real guts & brain.

are you saying those who choose to be employed have no 'real guts and brain'?

that's what i mean by entrepreneurs or honeymooner-entrepreneurs thinking too highly of themselves.

[maurellemejos]

Many individuals may have taken this route into consideration, but are unable to support the idea financially.

Ako gani', I spot a lot of business opportunities lying around.
It's just upsetting to realize two or three years later people came up with the same idea and actualized the plan I had in mind, simply because they have the financial capability.


As Filipinos, I think we are full of ideas especially with financial utilization - we just don't have the 'finances'.

Mao gyud bro, Ang datu, musamot kadatu ang pobre musamot kapobre.hehe

Cebu Jobs here

[cirext]

i think less and nothing are 2 different things..

im encouraging the youth to venture into business if they want the challenge in professional career..
in my experience, i really dont find any challenge w/ my employment in Lexmark...
routinary work w/o involving my brains makes me dull...

i dont think im still in my cloud9 in entrepreneurship..
i established my business when i was 25..
been running this company for 3 years now..ive experienced the ups & downs
With the expansions we have done in our business lines, things are so enjoyable & never been this fun.
Everything is just like a game.
Try to learn business. You'll never get old easily.

Peace to all.

[cirext]

Mao gyud bro, Ang datu, musamot kadatu ang pobre musamot kapobre.hehe

Cebu Jobs here

And do you know why bro?
Because f we continue to believe this without doing anything, everything would stay the same.

Nevertheless i have discovered some secrets why the rich become richer.
This is not based on any book. Only in plain experience.
1. The rich knows how to take care of money.
2. The rich practices savings religiously.
3. The rich always seek for opportunities.
4. The rich never stops learning.
5. The rich never stops "making money". Going into one business to another.

If we could emulate these values & practices then we could be able break our bondage of poverty.