Well, you don't need to be a young graduate to face this predicament. Take heart, there are millions past their forties who have to ponder this question. You can be anyone who is at the crossroads of his/her career and looking for direction.
The commonality of this question does not reduce its importance. This is the key to the rest of your life! Making this decision, though difficult, is not impossible. Perhaps this is the biggest predicament in career choices. Begin by asking yourself some serious questions.
Some Hard Hitting Questions That Determine Whether You Fit The Business Bill.
1. Can you recover unscathed in the event of near bankruptcy? Can you organize enough collateral to raise funds then? Are you ready to embrace the "beg, borrow or..." policy?
2. Do you hail from a family of business owners? Are you trained to run your own business? Managing someone else's business is different from owning one yourself and coming from a business family is a life full of training.
3. Have you looked ahead the next 2-3 years and thought about the inevitable hardships? If you want to be in business because you are interested, you better think again. It takes much more to succeed than just plain interest. Being your own boss and working part-time to earn millions are only catch phrases. Reality is much harsher than this.
4. Are you aware that you might, some day, regret having chosen business ownership instead of job?
5. Borrowed money will eat up most of your profit as interest. Can you sustain the monthly bills and payments?
6. Have you measured your potential competition? How experienced and knowledgeable are you in your business field? What is your USP? Do you have a contingency plan in place?
7. Can you build up enough credit and collateral for the future? This is called financial planning!
8. Are you aware that you will experience desperate moments and lost motivation, possibly with no one to confide in?
Some Realities That Determine Whether You Must Get a Job.
1. I have none other than myself to support my family and I have a job offer at hand.
2. Business means risk; even a catastrophe, bad move or competition can wipe out years of hard work.
3. There is no one to finance me and I don't have enough credit, nor do I have collateral to offer in order to raise funds.
4. I can't spend long hours on a sustained basis for the business for some reason. I often get fatigued or I want to enjoy evenings and weekends with family and friends. What is life without fun? What will I do with money if I can't enjoy life?
5. My education demands that I get a job. There are no suitable business ownership opportunities with my qualifications. Begging for loans, mortgages and orders are an insult to my dignity.
6. I spent 15 years in a job; I am used to working from my desk. I can't run around all over the place. Even my health will not permit to do that.
These are some fundamental questions that you can expand on depending on your situation. You need to be honest with yourself to determine the answers.
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online
six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.
