If I'm being really honest, I'd like to be an entrepreneur. My husband and in-laws have been telling me that from the beginning and friends have suggested it. During a bought of unemployment in 2010, I even began to build the pieces of Fuller Fundraising (yes, I can do better with the name), a consulting company focused on strategic communications, events and development efforts for non-profit organizations. Ultimately, the risk and a job offer stopped me from seeing that idea through. And really, the initial set-up and research was a bit off-putting (read as: terrifying). Building a business is not an easy process and the steps from idea to reality leave a lot of room for self-doubt. Can I really do this? How long will it take to make a profit? Will it be enough profit? How much do I need to spend to make a profit? Can I really afford to spend anything on this? I know I have great ideas and am skilled at what I do, but will other people buy what I'm selling? Can I even sell? It was an incredible self-dialogue of worry.
But in the last six months or so, I have really taken to the idea of entrepreneurship. Both of my parents were entrepreneurs at various points in their careers and at varying degrees of success. I have seen them both have that faith in themselves and take a risk, invest in all that they are capable of. Glenn Llopis, a media personality and frequent speaker on diversity management, would attribute my parents entrepreneurial spirit and my recent peeked interest to the "Immigrant Advantage." There might be something to that idea. Entrepreneurship is the key to success in most third world countries, including the Dominican Republic where my parents are from. And as a first generation American, perhaps I've inherited some of that. I like the idea of a direct connection between my hard work and my bottom line (i.e. my bank account). I am desperate for some flexibility; WAHM status would provide that. And having a boss is not necessarily the easiest thing in the world (although I am, of course, an incredible employee ;-).
I think I am a woman of many talents, the largest of which are an incredibly high work ethic and efficiency level. My husband is always amazed at how hard I work for other people. His logic is sound; why work so hard for other people when you can work for yourself and really see the rewards of your work? I currently work in the diversity arena, developing and conducting lots of training and working on issues of workforce and organizational development. I also write in this blog and more and more, avidly follow other blogs. I think there's something to those skills and all of my past strategic communications and marketing experience.
The beginning of the month is often a time for goal-setting. During the month of May, I commit to explore the idea of entrepreneurship further; specifically, what would it look like for me? Would I be a writer? Can I write in this blog daily? Can I get published or quoted in another blog? Can I apply my skills on Elance, even just once? Would I conduct training? and/or special events? I'm going to think that through.
Have you ever considered being an entrepreneur? If you are an entrepreneur, what was the toughest part?
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