When Cheryl Heisler switched careers from law to advertising, she never imagined that the process would form the basis of a private counseling practice. But when so many attorneys spontaneously sought her assistance and advice on how they could leave law as well, she knew she'd stumbled into a job-market niche worth exploring.
You may be able to develop an even larger entrepreneurial venture if you have the vision (and capital) to recognize the seeds of a great idea in your own life circumstances.
In trying to find a solution to his dog's food allergies, Jeffrey Bennett spent hours in the kitchen whipping up tempting concoctions. His veterinarian, Al Plechner, was so impressed with Bennett's canine recipes that the two formed a partnership and founded Nature's Recipe Pet Foods, a Corona, California, enterprise that manufactures specialty pet foods to the professional market.
Now who but the most inventive among us would ever imagine that Spot's indigestion could be the foundation for a multimillion-dollar business?
Creating Your Own Community
Mary Nissenson Scheer enjoys building a community that reflects her values and vision. As a television news anchor, she was disturbed by the downbeat message of television news. Her company, Foresight, on the other hand, reflects her dynamic, upbeat personality. She loves nurturing and growing the people who work for her.
"I know most employers don't think it's their job to make the people who work for them happy," says Scheer. "But I think they're missing the boat. When the people who work for you are happy, they're better, more productive workers. It all goes together."
It also creates a healthier, more collaborative environment.
Revealing a refreshing change of pace, Scheer recently called a meeting of her entire staff to discuss "how we can better serve each other." She asked all 20 of her employees to rewrite their own job descriptions to reflect what they think they're really "brilliant at." Why? Because she wants them to think more deeply about what they do best. If possible, she's going to harness those talents for the benefit of her clients and her company.
While many entrepreneurs are driven by a desire to make money (and lots of it), she feels a compelling need for community. She's dedicated herself to offering a safe, caring environment that allows individuals to develop their full potential. Her philosophy is reminiscent of a wonderful T.S. Eliot quote:
When the stranger says: "What is the meaning of this city? Do you huddle together because you love one another?"
What will you answer? "We all dwell together to make money from each other," or "This is a community"?
That's the wonderful thing about deciding to become an entrepreneur. If you don't like the people you work with and for, you can change those dynamics by selecting yourself to be your own boss and hiring people you respect and admire to work for you.
Would you call that self-empowerment or self-employment?
What Business to Try?
If you've been working in one industry for a decade or more, consulting may seem like a natural outlet for your expertise. In fact, it's become the siren song of the decade for many early retirees, job hunters and dissatisfied executives. But it's not a panacea for career unhappiness. Building a consulting business takes more than hanging out a shingle and waiting for business to come to you. Besides industry expertise, you also need self-confidence, a market for your services, a financial cushion, some salesmanship . . . and time. It's not an easy ride; you'll have to get in the boat and row to your destination.
New York City career counselor Anita Lands believes that many people have unrealistic expectations about what it means to be self-employed. "They're operating more out of fantasy than reality and may be in for a rude awakening," she says. "You have to be a very self-motivated person to make it work. If you don't generate activity, nothing will move. It's all up to you."
Phyllis Edelen admits she underestimated the amount of marketing time and skill it takes to build a successful business. Although she's a dynamic trainer with outstanding organizational skills, sales and marketing aren't her idea of a good time.
When Edelen formed her own human-resources consulting firm in Gary, Indiana, she didn't expect to return to a more structured environment later on. But circumstances changed and so did she.
For starters, she got married. As a newlywed, Edelen felt a need to curtail her extensive travel schedule so she could spend more time with her husband. This definitely put a crimp in her work life.
The harsh truth is this: If you want to do interesting and challenging work, you have to be willing to travel to where that work is. Otherwise, you can stagnate.
Dreaming of a no-travel schedule, Edelen jumped at an opportunity to help manage an AT&T outplacement center in Chicago. Technically, she was still a consultant on an account, but it would be hard to tell her from a regular staffer. Indeed, for any consultant who craves variety, challenge and freedom of movement, it wouldn't be an appealing solution. Translated into real-life terms, Edelen worked 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., four or five days a week for 2Vz years.
When that assignment ended, she took a short break before accepting another 9-to-5 position managing Kraft's downstate Illinois career-transition center.
"I may be self-employed," says Edelen, "but in my case, the only difference between self-employment and a J.O.B. is the cost of health insurance and a 401(k) plan."
She is not alone. Many of her former colleagues have made similar decisions. In an intensely competitive market, consultants who lack marketing ambition are finding it increasingly difficult to compete for more desirable assignments with their more extroverted counterparts.
That said, there's no mandate that only highly extroverted sales types are cut out for self-employment. While gregariousness certainly helps, you can overcome that lack by hiring people who complement you and offset your limitations.
Consider Wheaton, Illinois, financial planner Peggy Tracy. She lives the independent consultant's dream-thanks, in part, to the assistance of Julia Schopick, an Oak Park, Illinois, public relations professional who specializes in promoting doctors, lawyers, accountants and other professionals.
Tracy went independent after leaving her job as assistant ac-counting manager for a financial services company. She wanted to concentrate on doing the work rather than getting it, so she hired Schopick to help promote her business and carve out a niche where her services would be welcome. The result: Clients seek her out and she's created a very profitable business.
Their collaboration is a textbook example of how two consulting businesses can profit by working together.
Certainly, the ideal may be to spend a decade developing expertise and influence within a specific industry before launching a business. However, when it comes to entrepreneurism, exceptions make the rules. If all would-be owners took the time to work their way up the corporate ladder before carefully planning and starting their own firms, the U.S. economy would boast far fewer entrepreneurial success stories.
