entrepreneur

entrepreneur. sounds cool. tastes even better.

have you ever thought about being your own boss?
would you rather create jobs rather than get a job?
does the challenge of the unknown appeal to you?

if you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, then being an entrepreneur is an option you should consider. being an entrepeneur satisfies the "yes" of every question that was asked earler.

while being an entrepreneur is a tough job that requires much time and effort, it is not impossible. it will be a pressuring experience if you bet everything in it. going all-out on a single hand is not really a smart move unless you have nothing else to lose. if you want to be an entrepreneur, keep your day job and explore the possibilities of life during your free time. in that way, you keep all your bases covered. i'm not saying play it safe all the way though. i'm saying play it smart until you can make the jump. because besides the money, pain, sweat and tears that you have to invest in such venture, you have to consider timing and lady luck's blessing too. some work hard, some time it well while some are just lucky (narrated in decreasing frequency of success and occurrence).

however, being an entrepreneur isn't about doing everything on your own. it would be great to have competent business partners or colleagues around that can work toward a common goal and supplement your skill set. but such discussion is set for another day. let us focus... and if you want to become an entrepreneur, read on.

if ever you get into a business, make sure you can answer the following questions:

- what do i want to do or achieve in the business?
- what am i bringing into the business?
- reality check : is there really a need for such product or service?

by answering the above questions, we can perform a primary filter of the good business ideas from the lousy ones. these questions will give you a headstart of what to do and how to do it using the tools you already have at hand (which is you - the entrepreneur).

now, why do we have to write a business plan in the first place?

- to get to know your business (what to do and feasibility of your project)
- to formally document the need for a loan or investment from prospective investors

this is the first of many steps in making a good business plan. i have just finished reading several books about it. while my preparation for it isn't complete (i still lack the marketing, operations management and financing skills), i hope that i get to apply what i've been reading soon. theory is useless until applied.

why read business plan right now when my formal education has been geared towards a corporate setting? simple. i want to keep my options open and my perspective of things wide. in addition, it is a good primer to my course in project management. the book that we have does well in telling us what to do and how to monitor a project while it is being implemented. however, it does not have a detailed explanation on how to initiate projects - something which a business plan does well by asking the right questions right from the start.

so, for aspiring entrepreneurs and project managers, you better know how to write a good business plan for the sake of your business or project. for those enthusiastic entrepreneurs who are starting up and don't know what to do, message me and maybe we can join forces and resources.