In
past, everyone could take pride in working for large, multinational companies. The current trend of downsizing and outsourcing, however, has brought major changes in employment landscape. One thing for sure, as job security becomes a thing of past, many are turning towards starting their own home based businesses. Job security has its merits, and a home business is, arguably, not for everyone. But for those who are interested in making this shift, a change in mentality is absolutely important. There are many bad habits that lie dormant in all of us. You need to change these bad habits and develop new good habits to survive as an entrepreneur. And in many cases these can be 'borrowed' from your existing or former corporate work environment.
Here are some new disciplines that you can borrow from your working life, to develop and to practice:
1) Ownership and Decision Making
In corporate culture, you are responsible only for what your job requires you to do. In most jobs however, you are hardly responsible for survival of company. Your contribution, as compared to whole, is only marginal. You can make mistakes and get away with it. Your job is easily replaceable.
As an entrepreneur, however, you may find world to be less forgiving. A mistake can cost you your entire business. It is vital for anyone who wants to start their own home based business to think about this fact. You have to realize that success in a home based venture is directly tied up to your actions, and you need to take responsibility for everything that happens.
In your own business, you need to go beyond your capacity at times, stretching yourself more than you would as an employee. Taking responsibility also means being able to make correct decisions as and when needed. When you work from home, YOUR decision is final. Although it may a little scary for an entrepreneur at first, these habits practiced over time becomes second nature.
It sure beats having to put up with corporate red-tape!
2) Developing a Creative Mindset & Taking Risks
Companies hardly, if ever, reward you for being creative. They do, however, reward you for showing up on time and completing your daily routines. You are rewarded not for being outstanding, but for being average.
As an entrepreneur, you need to shake off bad habit of doing things usual way, "way it's always been done" There is nothing wrong with using standard procedures and methods. In fact, sticking to 'rules' can help you make a decent living. But if you want big money, like I do, you need to start thinking "Outside Box". A little bit of ingenuity in your business can save you a lot of money and time.
Ingenuity involves finding solutions to a problem. You may, at any stage of your home business, realize that you just don't have an abundance of resources. Resources in this context can be money, time, expertise or just about everything else that you need, but just don't have...
As you might have figured, creativity comes with risk. Doing something new is more risky than doing it old way, but payoff is incredible. Thinking outside box might result in failure, just as well as it might lead to amazing success. But risk is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when it is studied, anticipated and even welcomed.
So what do you do?
Most home business challenges can be solved, even if you are not a genius or have thousands of dollars to spend. If you can just use your ingenuity, you can find a solution to these challenges.
Figure out how to make best of your advertising dollars. Figure out how to save time and automate your business. Figure out how to complement your skills using skills of others. Small steps like these can go a long way in determining just how successful you will be.
3) Making Your Own Rules & Organizing Time
Imagine you arrive at work one day and find that punch-card machine has been removed. The company also fired your boss, and new rules say that you can come in at any time you want, bring your wife and kids along, and take as many breaks as you want. Shorts and a T-shirts are now standard, accepted work attire.
What would you do?
I know what I would do - absolutely nothing at all! I would take advantage of situation, and do absolutely no work at all. As days go by, I get lazier and eventually become a total slob.
