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0 Replies Last post: Jun 12, 2008 7:24 PM by Fdiskmbr

Who are you? And why are you here?

May 27, 2008 4:54 PM

Iwrite 1,101 posts since
Dec 29, 2007

I have noticed some of the posts lately have been about finding the right business to open or own.

I have to admit, I was surprised by this. One of my reasons for opening an agency is to do what I love, something I enjoy. I never considered doing anything else, this is what I love.

I am confused about how working a business for money is any different from working a job for money. I am not attacking anyone's reasoning, I am trying to understand something I had not considered.

I guess what I am asking is:

1. How important is it that your business is something you enjoy?

2. Could you open and run a business that you didn't enjoy?

Once again, I want to state that I am not attacking anyone's belief, but I am trying to better understand someting I had not considered.

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LUCKIEST 7,935 posts since
Aug 6, 2007

1. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 27, 2008 5:43 PM

in response to: Iwrite

Who are you? And why are you here??

Iwrite, Reading your answers and a few others who give great responses is part of the reason why I am here.
I went to college back in the 60's and majored in Accounting. So everything I did in life (business wise) evolved around accounting.
Was I happy as an accountant?? NO. Did I open my own accounting business and was I successful??. YES
In my next life, would I be an accountant again NO.

Starting and managing a business takes motivation, desire and talent. It also takes research and planning.
Like a chess game, success in business starts with decisive and correct opening moves.
And, although initial mistakes are not fatal, it takes skill, discipline and hard work to regain the advantage.

I agree with you about finding the right business to open, Maybe somebody will lend me half a mill and

LUCKIEST

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Lighthouse24 2,396 posts since
Oct 10, 2007

2. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 27, 2008 5:58 PM

in response to: Iwrite

Interesting question. I think there are three "flavors" of entrepreneurs: (1) those who want to deliver a product or service in a particular way (and eventually discover that they have to start their own firms in order to do that), (2) those who simply don't want to work for somebody else (they don't care what the product or service is, so long as they make enough money to get by, and have the freedom and autonomy they desire), and (3) those who simply want to get rich (many of whom are not bound by the legal, ethical, and moral constraints that influence the first two groups).

The SBOC started out mainly as a community for the first group, but as the volume of content has grown and BoA has continued to market the site (and itself), the community has ended up being only one or two degrees of separation from almost any business "opportunity seeker" with an Internet connection. For example, a person with a desire to start his/her own business for whatever reason would be led to websites sponsored by the SBA, SCORE, Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, etc. -- and would find a link to this site from there. Also (as I noted in another post), I think the very effective BoA "Bank of Opportunity" television ads have drawn a lot of opportunity seekers (and funding seekers) directly to the BoA site -- and then to the SBOC -- because the ads make it sound like if you have a dream for the future, they're more than eager to give you a big pile of money to make it all come true. I think those things have influenced the visitors and posts that the SBOC is receiving now (compared to last year).

As for me personally, I enjoy much of the work associated with owning and running a company, but there is some I don't enjoy at all. However, I believe all of that work is important, and I'm 100 percent committed to it whether I "enjoy" it or not. I can do something I don't particularly enjoy, but not something I don't believe in enough to commit to it all the way.

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Iwrite 1,101 posts since
Dec 29, 2007

3. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 27, 2008 6:29 PM

in response to: Lighthouse24

I don't why I asked this other than I never really thought about it beyond my reasoning for opening a business. I love what I do and want to be able to do it the way I believe it should be done. I guess I am in group one. But I wonder what happens to the person who is just interested in making money but doesn't really care for the business they are in?

Luckiest, I wish I could find a client that had the budget to let me help build their business! LOL

Lighthouse, I agree there are tasks associated with running my agency that I am not going to be thrilled to do but I will do them because they allow me to do what I do enjoy.

I was just wondering how committed can a person be to something they really don't enjoy?
Can they really grow a successful business?
Are they locking themselves into a marriage that down the road they may grow to hate or despise because it was a marriage of convenience?

One of my freelance clients is like this, he doesn't believe in the product he is selling, it is a way to make money. He is struggling with issues that if he was passionate about his business would be no big deal. His employees know he doesn't like it and they aren't motivated to do their best. Morale is low and turnover is high. His clients sense something and refuse to engage in a long term business relationship with him which only makes things even more stressful and difficult. I couldn't put my finger on what was what is going on until I started asking him why he started his business. His answer was "I realized I could make lots of money. I really don't like this but the pay is great." His business is struggling and it might be because of he isn't happy doing this.

I was just curious.

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Lighthouse24 2,396 posts since
Oct 10, 2007

4. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 27, 2008 7:16 PM

in response to: Iwrite

Well, I can tell you from personal (military) experience that it is absolutely possible to be 100 percent miserable and 100 percent committed at the same time. There's a limit to how long you can keep that up, however.

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Iwrite 1,101 posts since
Dec 29, 2007

5. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 28, 2008 10:36 AM

in response to: Lighthouse24

That doesn't count! LOL

The military has more control over your life and can lock you up for not doing your job.

The funniest thing in the world was watching an ex-military drill instructor trying to get teenagers to perform their jobs at a fast food restaraunt - talk about an unstoppable force vs. an immovable object. I thought all their heads were going to explode!

The private sector can't even get workers to wear their uniforms correctly.

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Lighthouse24 2,396 posts since
Oct 10, 2007

6. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 28, 2008 11:48 AM

in response to: Iwrite

You're right . . . the primary purpose of USMC basic training (boot camp) is to teach discipline, and they have 12 weeks (24 hours a day, every day) to accomplish that -- and 230+ years of experience and tradition to draw on in the process. It isn't reasonable to expect that a manager in private industry is somehow going to create a peak performing workforce faster.

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mbenitez19 3 posts since
May 21, 2008

7. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 29, 2008 11:54 AM

in response to: Iwrite

Hello!
My name is Monica and I joined because I am very interested in opening my own small business so I am just reading and learning as much as I can.

1. How important is it that your business is something you enjoy?

It is super important to me to have a business that I enjoy.

2. Could you open and run a business that you didn't enjoy?

I could definitely open it and run it successfully but I would not be happy and ultimately it would not work.

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LUCKIEST 7,935 posts since
Aug 6, 2007

8. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 29, 2008 12:20 PM

in response to: mbenitez19

Who are you, Welcome Monica to this web site,

Tell us more. Go to members page and add a few words about yourself.

How soon do you plan on opening your business??
Do you have a Business name?? Where are you located?? (like city and state)
Have you developed a Business and Marketing Plan?? VERY IMPORTANT.
Do you know about SCORE?? SCORE is FREE

Good luck, LUCKIEST

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mbenitez19 3 posts since
May 21, 2008

9. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 29, 2008 1:02 PM

in response to: mbenitez19

*especially

darn typos.

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designer 329 posts since
Feb 28, 2008

10. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 29, 2008 3:25 PM

in response to: Iwrite

Who am I?
I am Kenneth Fron...Jewelry Designer.

Why am I here?
To network, to learn a little bit, to promote my site: www.kennethfron.com

I know someday I will be famous and a household name...in a few years, you will all say - - -yeah, I remember that guy...he use to particpate in the SBOC...now, he doesn't even have time to sneeze!

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Iwrite 1,101 posts since
Dec 29, 2007

11. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 29, 2008 4:49 PM

in response to: mbenitez19

Monica,

Welcome and thanks for your response!

If "ultimately it would not work," then is it really successful? I ask because I wonder if some of us are dooming ourselves by opening businesses that we are not going to be happy running? Why leave a job you don't like that pays, has benefits and everything else, to work for yourself and not be happy without all the benefits?

Lighthouse, I marked your response as "answered" because I meant to mark the longer response but hit the wrong button. There is a lot of good insight showing up here, I'm not sure if this will ever be fully answered but I like questions like that.

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akgold 51 posts since
Jul 19, 2007

12. Re: Who are you? And why are you here? May 29, 2008 6:16 PM

in response to: Iwrite

Iwrite wrote:

I guess what I am asking is:

1. How important is it that your business is something you enjoy?

Incredibly. You have to do something that you really love in order to succeed. When times are tough, if you love it, you'll get through.

2. Could you open and run a business that you didn't enjoy?

No. Life is too short to follow someone else's dreams or path. Each of us in life is given each day a new possibility to grow. If the tree is planted in soil that is not healthy, how can the tree can strong?

Once again, I want to state that I am not attacking anyone's belief, but I am trying to better understand someting I had not considered.

Great question.

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ForumsStarting a Business

This Question is Possibly Answered

Who are you? And why are you here?

May 27, 2008 4:54 PM

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