Is Owning a Small Business For You?

Tough economic times got you down? Many Americans are reacting to unhappy stressful working environments or no working environments at all by opening their own small businesses. Have you considered this option? Here are some considerations before taking the leap!

Are you an entrepreneur? There are several ways to evaluating whether or not you have the personality or drive to run a small business. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. This line can help you determine if you have what it takes. Go to http://isquare.com/qualities.cfm.

What kind of small business would you like to own? Evaluate your own professional background and your transferable skills. Then do your market research. Is there a niche to be filled by your business idea?

Evaluate your financial situation. Where will start up funding come from? How will you sustain yourself? It might be better to keep your day job and work on your small business at night and on weekends. Be careful. Have an exit strategy that is ethical. Do not steal customers, employees, etc. Leave as friends. Your present employer may be a source of subcontracting business in the future.

Your own community may have sources of assistance for you. Have a look.

She Has The Contacts!

A returning client to me with whom I just finished working reported that she has secured a wonderful new opportunity in a new industry. How did she find it? She leveraged her contacts. She kept in touch, added them to her LinkedIn profile, used them as her "board of directors", and in a short while, found a new position. It also helped that she has great skills, which she has not only kept up but added to all the time. So what do we learn from this? In this economy, more than ever, a combination of great, current marketable skills plus an active networking plan can spell success!

Is Staying at Home With Children "Real" Work?

The latest war of words in this year's presidential race http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/04/mommy-voters-in-dc-talk-careers-staying-home-and-the-economy/ spotlights our continuing national debate about whether or not staying home to raise kids is "real" work. I am not going to enter this fray; however, what I am going to say, as a career coach, is that every one of us has the choice to make over whether  to step out of the workforce  and concentrate on raising our children, or stay in the workforce and do both. There are a lot of factors to consider; ours is not a society that makes it easy on the family to do both. The input from a career coach can help you make the decision. It is worth your time and effort.

Are You Still Waiting?

Recently, I saw another client who had worked with me about one year ago to try and identify a new and different career. She was unhappy in what she thought was her present sales career; however, what was really going on was that she was unhappy with her present employer. Once she realized that, she decided to stay and try sculpting her job to better meet her needs...and it did not work.  However, she managed to add  new skills during her extra year on the job, and now she is back again, ready and able to search within her current field, but with the addition of newer and better skills. She is bright, saavy and a go-getter with excellent  skills. She understands the power of both social and in person networking and instead of whining about her problems (her present position will be eliminated by the end of the spring), she is best positioning herself for a fruitful job search, and I will be there to assist her.

Can an Old Skill Become a Marketable Skill?

A client of mine disappeared for a year. Today, he was back. Why did he disappear--he says that he needed a break from jobhunting..but what he was really doing is being proactive in another area of jobhunting....developing his skills. In his case, he took an old, unused- for- a- while skill and started practicing it again, and earned a little money along the way. How did this benefit him? He redeveloped something that he had done early in life, he gained a new network, he added to his nearly empty coffers, and most important of all, he has a new career path. He was proactive, and good or him.

Figuring Out What is Next

My newest client now has her first real fulltime job out of school...but is having concerns about future education already. She knows that she wants to go on to an advanced degree but does not know in what. She realized that she needs several years of work experience before she figures it out, but is already concerned. While I am a big believer in planning ahead, I advise caution....one or two years of job experience can change one's perspective greatly. Unless you are sure of what you want to study, and are sure that at the end of spending lots more money and lots more time in school, there will be a good job, concentrate on building your professional background and leave thoughts of further education to the future.

She Has the Skills

A current client of mine just got a job only a few appts into her program with me; she is recently out of her undergraduate education. Why was her search so easy? I would like to say that it was because of my great coaching skills, especially in interviewing preparation but rather it was more likely the fact that she has the specific skills set valued by employers. In her case, as an undergraduate and in part time positions while in school, she learned grant writing skills growing out of her English major; that coupled with a background in volunteerism earned her a position with a local non profit and a very nice salary and benefits package.

What is the lesson here? Have the skills needed by the employer and make a case for it. Match your resume to the job description. Don't know what your skills are, what employers in your area are looking for, how to get the skills? Consult a career coach.