Entrepreneurship: How and When to Get Started?

By Matt Roberge
April 17, 2011
Many entrepreneurs have a gut feeling that they want to start their own business. But how and when do you get started?

Today’s post is from an anonymous guest blogger.  Let’s all try and help him/her out by leaving a comment.

Out of all the positions I’ve had in my professional life my current job is the best.  I work for a real estate investment company in Boston.  For reasons detailed below, both the company I work for and I will remain anonymous.  I have been with this company for three + years (a personal record) and, despite the company’s recent struggles, have been promoted and received two substantial pay raises.  My boss does not micro-manage, is friendly, knowledgeable, and trustworthy.  Without exception, all of my colleagues are true professionals.  There is no office politics.  I have the ability to work from home, “work from home”, and take time off whenever need be.   

So, why do I insist on keeping myself and my company anonymous?  It’s simple.  I HATE MY JOB!  More accurately, I don’t care about my job.  I have no passion for the line of work I’m in.  If I had a kid and it asked me to come into school for “What Does Your Parent Do Day” I would send my wife.  It’s not the specific industry that I’m in that I don’t care about.  It’s the fact that I had nothing to do with the creation of this company and, ultimately, when I’m gone (whether it’s tomorrow or ten years from now) my existence will have been meaningless.  It’s not that I don’t appreciate my situation.  I understand that there are a lot of people out there looking for work and struggling to make ends meet but that is no reason for complacency.

While I contemplate my next step, I’d like to pose a few questions to all the entrepreneurs out there:

How did you know when it was time?  Was there a specific occurrence at your job that pushed you over the edge?  Did you hone a skill to the point where it no longer made sense to work for someone else?  Was your job negatively impacting your personal life?  All, none, or some combination of the above? 

What I’d really be interested to know is, for those of you that didn’t have a unique idea or skill how did you decide what to do (i.e. go back to school, franchise, purchase an existing business)?

 

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