You can do this!

This is my last week of this semester of school. This last blog is for the introduction of entrepreneur class that I have been in. I have enjoyed this class and have learned a lot. If I had one final lecture to share of what I have learned this class, it would be on making sure you are on the right path to start your business. That path could include talking to other entrepreneurs and others to get experiences. Working at other companies, gaining the training, guidance, and contacts that you would need to start your business. Being on the right path also includes being nice and doing service for those around you. The path includes building the kingdom of God. Heavenly Father is the one giving us these situations for a reason. We need to be thankful and help others any way we can. We can start a business, while keeping in mind how we can help people and serve God at the same time. Blessing from the Lord will bless our lives if we do this. The last bit advice to give someone would to make sure we are working for the right reasons. We need to ask ourselves frequently, what is the purpose of my business and how is it helping? If we keep ourselves in check with the Lord, I feel like other things will fall into place. That doesn’t mean that it will be smooth sailing. We will have challenges and trials that we will face as we go along our journey. Words of advice, direction, or caution would be, be nice. Hire nice people to be on your bus. Believe in yourself and trust that you can do it. Have mentors and support groups to back you and keep you going. You can do this!

Biggest Challenges for Entrepreneurs

This week in class we had a case study. What stood out to me in the case study by Randy Haykin called, “The making of an Entrepreneur,” was his biggest challenge. This challenge was balancing family and work. Randy commented that when you oversee your own business, it is hard to walk away when things are unfinished or unsettled. It’s like you have two families that you must balance. Family being the first and work would be the second family. Part of that challenge would also involve rest. Randy commented that he feels like a better worker and leader when he balances rest in his life. I know this is true in my life. I can handle things in my life when I have had rest. I seem to have more patience and able to handle challenges or trials that come up in my life. I am thankful to know that through balancing life, business, and rest I can keep going in everyday life without shutting down.

Managing time has always been one of the things that makes me nervous about starting my own business. I’m afraid that I will not be able to walk away from unfinished things and be able to balance family time and rest. One thing I know that would be able to help in that area would be to set rules and guidelines. If I set goals and achieve them, I would also be able to set new goals. I think it is important to keep setting goals. I would help you stay on track of the pathway that you have set for yourself. I should not worry about managing time opening my business. I need to move forward, with goals set of what I want to accomplish and do it. I know that if I trust in the Lord, all things are possible.

What does Business really Mean?

I learned about business and what is so important about it this week in class. I was asked why virtue and integrity is so vital to an economy? I think it is very important because rules and laws rely on truth and trust, otherwise things will be undependable and no one will trust the system. Trust is a delicate and can be broken easily. Some ways that trust is being broken is because of greed. Personal greed is influencing people to sweep important things under the rug or breaking rules to make more money. This is a huge problem and where the lying and deceit come in trust is broken.

The real justification for the existence of business is no longer to help and look out for others. Charles Handy, in What’s a business for? said, “It is about investments and company’s assets are increasingly found in its people, not in building and machinery.” Two solutions that were suggested by Charles Handy were great ideas. The first solution would to have better and tougher regulations. This would help by defining responsibilities clearly and penalties spelled out better and watchdogs appointed to look over these items. The second solution would be to have people who carry intellectual property should have some rights to say what happens in the company. The employees now are considered costs and they shouldn’t be. They are members of the company community and should be treated as. They should also have some rights including the right to note and share their opinions on different issues as they arise. Why is all the power going to outsiders that are only looking out for themselves. But the employees are pouring their hard work through sweat, tears, and hours put in should be given more rights. The thought of what a business is, really needs to be redefined and fixed.