I once
had a business partner and good friend who decided to leave our retail business
and become an Australia Post employee. Our business had just gone through the
recession of the early 1990's and the comparative calm of a structured day job
where he had a few mates already working, proved very attractive. My friend
lasted just one day, totally smothered by the restrictions and controls of the
job, and realised that his entrepreneurial spirit just couldn't handle the transition.
One of
the characteristics of small business operators is that they constantly
challenge the way things are done because that's what you do when your
money is tied up in your business. It is a natural reaction but not always a
good fit for larger corporations or a business where somebody else holds the
purse strings.
As small
business operators we like to think we have a good cross-section of general management
skills, and that is usually true, but outside jobs often require specialist
skills or expertise in focused areas that can add to the overall business. A
common complaint is that small business entrepreneurs are over qualified for
base jobs but lack focussed expertise for high level jobs. That doesn't mean
that there aren't jobs where a broad range of skills is desirable and where
entrepreneurship is an important element. It is a matter of carefully selecting
what roles you apply for.
An important part of making the transition to outside jobs is education. Many small business owners have become very adapt at running their business but some form the view that
"nobody else can tell me how to run my business"
How often have you heard that said at QVM? Keeping up with change is an
essential element, not only in keeping your business relevant, but ensuring you
have the skills for moving into the outside business world. You only have to look at the dramatic changes brought on by this digital age to realise that adapting to change and learning from others is critical. If you have kept up
with business education programs you could have a very desirable mix of
experience and education for prospective employers.