Some advice needed

[FKalinx]

Hey guys,

Just wanted the good opinion of NSC in a few non-footballing matters.

I graduate from a very good university this summer and want to be an entrepreneur. I already have a small e-learning business but am interested in running a much larger pacakaged product business in the future. I have been advised to look at strategy consulting as an option for two-three years to gain experience, money and contacts. My only concern is that I will get sucked into the corporate lifestyle and never take the plunge and 'go it alone'.

I also need to improve my presentation / public speaking skills. Does anyone have any tips on how to go about doing this? Any good courses about? Also, my maths used to be good but is pretty poor now - any advice on how to improve mental arithmetic would also be great.

Cheers folks!

 

[Titanic]

My advice... know your audience.

Now go away and research NSC a little further, and consider your decision to ask here for genuinely useful pearls of wisdom!

 

[Icy Gull]

My advice... know your audience.

Now go away and research NSC a little further, and consider your decision to ask here for genuinely useful pearls of wisdom!

I may be wrong, but in amongst the resident NSC comedians answers he may well get some good advice. Unfortunately it won't be from me.

 

[FKalinx]

I think NSC is suprisingly intelligent for a footballing forum! I must admit to perusing it for non-footballing pearls of wisdom.

 

[aftershavedave]

Hey guys,

Just wanted the good opinion of NSC in a few non-footballing matters.

I graduate from a very good university this summer and want to be an entrepreneur. I already have a small e-learning business but am interested in running a much larger pacakaged product business in the future. I have been advised to look at strategy consulting as an option for two-three years to gain experience, money and contacts. My only concern is that I will get sucked into the corporate lifestyle and never take the plunge and 'go it alone'.

I also need to improve my presentation / public speaking skills. Does anyone have any tips on how to go about doing this? Any good courses about? Also, my maths used to be good but is pretty poor now - any advice on how to improve mental arithmetic would also be great.

Cheers folks!

you'll know already that you don't need experience to become a successful entrepreneur....but it sure helps.

take three years to learn business within a professional environment: accounting, law, banking etc and hone your skills during that time.

you may well get suckered into corporate life, but if you are determined, you'll use the time to gain all-too-valuable business knowledge, and then you're prepared for your own venture.

good luck!

 

[Lethargic]

Seems to me there's a little confusion here on one hand you want to be an entrepreneur but then you start discussing consultancy although I think that is a means to an ends. If you want to make it as an entrepreneur then just go for it if you have the enthusiasm, idea and basic business sense then the rest will fall into place but be willing to listen to advise (you don't have to take it). On the other hand if want to be a consultant then that will take time I annoys me how many consultants come straight out of school to add real value you need to be able to interpret the theory into real life scenarios and think outside the box and that take experience and that will take you away from your original aim.

 

[FKalinx]

Thanks for the advice chaps - much appreciated. Think I am going to apply to strategy consultants and then see what happens.

 

[Uncle C]

I graduate from a very good university this summer and want to be an entrepreneur.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

As Titanic says "know your audience" - the services you intend to offer might not be sought from a young grad, many firms want to "buy" your experience.

I did the corporate thing for 20 years before going it alone. In that time I built up a toolbox of experience that enabled me to understand business commercially and all the politics that go with it.

Afters says take 3 years to learn. The concept is right but I'd say you'll need more that 3 years to get that solid experience that corporates will come running to buy.

You need to remember that you must be providing something to your clients that they don't already have and at a price that they feel they are getting value for money.

Good luck, but don't expect it to be an easy ride until you are well established and that can take a decade.

 

[Digweeds Trousers]

As someone who has recently taken the Corporate road rather than that of the entrpreneur I would offer you the following advice:

Understand the true meaning of sacrifice - be it friends, social life, family - all of these will be secondary to the life you take as an entreprenuer. I had to pack in because i could no longer justify 100 hour weeks with a family.


Do not be afraid of bringing in people better than you in a particular field of expertise. The tempation to want to invovle yourself in every decision and 'take over' is so tempting. when it is your baby, letting other people drive certain projects will keep you awake at night.

Work out what market problem you are addressing - this needs to be specific. In this day and age in particular every person you come into contact is a consumer. Be it ebay, Expedia, Amazon - there are levels of value that everyone expects to receive for their money. If you cannot articulate succinctly and with credibility the value that your service or product delivers to a market then you will fail.

Decide which of the three points below you are focused on delivering as a business - and make it the fulcrum of everything you do.

Value for money

Customer Intimacy

Product excellence.

You cannot be all of these things to all people. IF you try your message will be lost.

Hope some of this is helpful.

I wish you the very best of luck.

 

[withdeanwombat]

This e learning stuff isn't about Yorkshire puddings,is it?