entrepreneurship


Monday, August 10th, 2009

Stepping into Entrepreneurism

Polaris- Blog 7Does making a fresh start really mean starting over? If that was the case, it would be rather daunting.

I read a recent article in the Los Angeles Examiner that gave some great insight into what it means to take the leap from employee to entrepreneur.

For some, the idea of starting their own business after years of working for someone else is both exciting and scary. After all, if you’ve spent years climbing the corporate ladder only to find that the ladder never ends, then all the work you’ve already done seems for naught.

Good news! All the work you’ve done does matter. Sure, it may not have produced the outcome you may have envisioned…a grateful company, consistent promotions, a nice heft paycheck and security as you look towards retirement. What it has given you is experience…lessons learned through trial and error that make you the perfect candidate for entrepreneurship.

For some, it’s the only option. Baby boomers currently in the marketplace are finding that companies tend to hire younger, less experienced employees who will settle for a smaller paycheck leaving the optimally experienced, well versed individuals frustrated in their job search.

Alas, all the years of proving your worth and value to a company can bear fruit. Now it’s time to put your skills into action and prove your worth and value to yourself. A fresh start doesn’t mean starting over, it means starting fresh. Consider that your life could, from this moment, be a blank canvas that you can paint as you like. Have your own business? Check. Make more money? Check. Feel confident and self-assured? Check.

Time to pick up the paint brush…what picture will you paint?

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Monday, August 10th, 2009

Entrepreneurship and Social Responsibility

Polaris- Blog 6Awesome video on the impact of entrepreneurship. Love your computer?
Enjoy driving your vehicle? How about electricity? Cell Phones?

All the products of entrepreneurship.

Watch now:

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Posted in Entrepreneur Success | 5 Comments

Friday, August 7th, 2009

Can Becoming an Entrepreneur Reduce Stress?

Polaris- Blog 4With today’s economic roller-coaster, many people have been experiencing increased stress. That’s no surprise. Stress is caused when a person develops anxiety or fear about future events that may occur…potential adversities that are relatively unknown and unpredictable over which a person feels no control.

In many cases, stress is caused by financial worries, family obligations, relationships, job concerns etc.

So, can becoming an entrepreneur help reduce stress? Yes and no.

On one hand, becoming an entrepreneurs has it’s own set of stressful factors. Learning new things, stepping away from the “guarantee” of a paycheck (as though paychecks are ever guaranteed these days), becoming one’s own boss which eliminates someone else in charge, and the risk of making it (or not). As an entrepreneur there isn’t anyone to tell you what to do or when to do it, so it’s the ultimate responsibility.

Yet, when we consider why most people experience high levels of stress, it’s because they feel they don’t have control in their life.
Many people feel very much at the “effect” of the economy and their job. After all, at any given moment someone can be deemed “redundant” or “unnecessary”. Companies push forth lay-offs, often without warning. And, with the ever increasing advancements in technology, a person’s skills can quickly become outdated. So, consider that when one chooses to become an entrepreneur, they choose to take control. As an entrepreneur, a person has the ability to “make it go right”…to take a higher level of responsibility for their own future.

They step out of being at the “effect” and take a step towards being “at cause” in their life. The feeling of freedom, confidence and certainty that comes from “making it happen”, is in itself a stress reducer. Entrepreneurship is not without it’s own challenges, however, being an entrepreneur puts an individual in control of their time, their finances and most certainly their future.

The first step towards entrepreneurship is an accomplishment that brings with it a sense of power and freedom and a heightened sense of well-being. Can it reduce your stress? That’s up to you.

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Monday, July 27th, 2009

Entrepreneurship: This is a Classic Story

EntreprenuershipIt’s a classic story.

Two men graduate from the same school on the same day.

One follows the conventional path of interviewing for various job positions, sending out resumes, and eventually finding his way into an employment position.

The other decides to go into business for himself. He has a vision or an idea he wants to chase through life. A service he wants to provide. An impact he wants to make. And through confidence and belief in himself, he takes the challenge of being completely responsible for his own financial results.

The scenario is clear and obvious. The world is made up of two groups of people: those who live their dreams….and those who work for people who live their dreams.

This is not to say that employment is bad or wrong. Certainly our world would be a place of complete chaos if no one were willing to cook food, build automobiles, teach our children and build our roads.

But, it’s also true that entrepreneurs are the people who make the world go ’round. We provide the leadership, the vision and the possibility for the growth and advancement of the rest of society. And we get paid very well for doing it.

Ultimately, it all comes down to “service”. It was Earl Nightingale who said, “Our rewards in life are always in direct proportion to the amount of service we provide.”

Why does Jim Carrey make $20M for a motion picture? Why Sir Richard Branson one of the richest men on the planet? Why is Carlos Slim worth billions of dollars?

It’s because of two things:

A. How much service they provide
B. And the number of people to whom they provide it.

These are entrepreneurs.

They “get it”. They understand that every dollar they will ever earn comes from — and through — PEOPLE. There is no other way.

Entrepreneurship is a noble and profitable choice that has created every major convenience, luxury and advantage that we enjoy in modern society.

And the people who engage in it can become very wealthy.

And the best part about being an entrepreneur is that — in today’s society and technology — it’s never been easier for people like you and I to choose this path and see remarkable results in a short amount of time.

Two men graduated from college on the same day. One is living his dreams. One is working for someone else who’s living theirs….

….which one are you?

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