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Entrepreneurship – the pros and cons
If you were an entrepreneur and you decided that it will be better to be an employee again, you need to know what are the best jobs for ex entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship is a unique trait. Not everyone can be a successful entrepreneur. While the beginning might be similar for most people in this “adventurous” route, the result can be as different as an apple, and orange is.
Traditionally entrepreneurs are those who reject the comfort and stability of employment and venture out to do something different- the urge to stand out in the crowd is too compelling for them to fall into the crucible of life.
Their passions and ideas kindle them to plow a distinct path, leaving them open to either success or failure- depending on several factors, many of which might not be within their control.
Having said that, when success favors them, there is no looking back.
They chart a definitive course for themselves in life and open vistas for hundreds or even thousands of others.
The downside of entrepreneurship is too hard and sometimes heartbreaking to handle.
Failure casts numerous impacts on the life of such entrepreneurs.
Finding the best jobs for ex entrepreneurs is a tough ask, surely.
You, as an ex entrepreneur, have to counter sneers for sure. The stamp of having failed is hard to erase but not impossible.
RELATED: THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF ENTERPRENEURSHIP IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The way you address the issue and how you counter the perceived notions define your success in your effort to find a job in the market.
But it is important to remember that if your business fails to get traction, that’s not the end of life.
Moving on in life is important. At least, you have the satisfaction of having tried, dared and lead an unchartered route with gusto.
Experience can never go waste, and only one should have the flexibility of adapting to the situation.
The Transition from Being a Boss
It is generally believed and estimated too that more than half of business ventures fail to take off on anticipated lines.
Whether in the corporate world or the small business arena, the story is more or less the same.
What happens to the entrepreneur when the dream does not take off? Daily life has to go on.
The bills need to be paid, and the family must be kept together.
The transition from being an owner to an employee might feel like being downgraded in life.
That is the common reaction people have. But how far is it justified? How do you personally take it is what matters.
It is your life; you did your part (which millions did not dare!). Should that not be the motivating factor for you to move ahead?
So the first thing to do when you have decided to move out to employment from being an employer is to ignore the unsolicited opinions of people around. Follow your gut and your mind.
The transition from being the boss to being a follower has to be handled with grace.
The new sojourn is all the more difficult than being a boss. But the plus point is the wealth of experience and the ability to be proactive or self-starting ability – the latter is what has put you in the shoes of an entrepreneur in the first place.
Street smartness!
Jobs for former small business owners
The scenario for former small business owners is not too complicated.
The shift from the one calling the shots to the one implementing others’ strategies is not fraught with too many complications.
Though, the recruiters are faced with a piquant situation of deciding whether leadership experience is a plus or minus for the organization.
The best jobs for ex entrepreneurs of the small sector businesses are those that demand contribution and leadership qualities.
Entrepreneurs who are making a career shift from own business to traditional jobs might be badge bearers in the entrepreneur community but find the going difficult in the job sector.
- Tapping close friends and associates for a suitable job is a good idea. They would know your positives and can help you land in a position that suits your abilities and mind-set.
- Reach out to ex-clients, customers and supply chain contacts.
- Cut out the frills, keep it simple. That is as far as your profile presentation is concerned. Do not talk too much about your effort to build a business and how it came down.
- Present a positive outlook. Showcase your potent talents and energetic work ethics subtly.
- Show how you could be a valuable addition to the new employer by creating a great resume
Ex entrepreneurs can make the best employees
As a past master in employing potential talent, you would be in a better position to understand what is expected of you as an employee.
This should help you in fitting in the position perfectly and perform accordingly. Look for jobs that match your talents rather than looking for something fancy.
It counts to stand up and be bold. If your adventure has resulted in a mishap own up responsibility without flinching.
It does not augur well if you go about throwing mud at others for their role in the failure. After all, you built or tried to build an edifice from nothing.
Now you have an experience, a great insight into business, processes and procedures, man-management and several other issues which should stand you in good stead.
Best Jobs for Ex Entrepreneurs
As a person who unsuccessfully tried to have your own business (whatever may be the reasons for the failure), you are endowed with an insight that normal employees are not.
This is the main positive aspect of yours, and you need to leverage it well to resettle yourselves in life.
The following positions might prove life-changing for you, depending on your attributes and talent apart from orientation:
1. Business Consultant
As a person has traveled the path, you are more likely to be well informed of the various pros and cons of the business. Experience is always the best teacher.
Make the most of it. Entrepreneurs have the knack of locating the problem and fixing it effectively.
You have had the grounding in it under having gone through the whole hog yourselves. Give it to them in full!
Who can best advise (apart from a successful entrepreneur, who is not any way available) than yourselves!
You have the advantage of providing a low down to the uninitiated and are ideally placed on warning them against the possible pitfalls in the slippery field of entrepreneurship. You can be a beacon for the budding.
2. Research and Back Office Operations
This position requires first-hand knowledge of business processes, procedures, and business concepts and goals. This is the best job for ex entrepreneurs who can bring in a load of experience into the job.
The employer will be benefited immensely if they have a well-informed guy manning their back office. Your innate abilities to troubleshoot, organize procedures and streamline delivery processes will come handy in small business enterprises where talent is always in short supply.
3. Teaching
Yes, impart the various intricacies young entrepreneurs have to go through to be successful.
Heard of the saying “If you win, you can lead! If you lose, you can guide!”? In a way, failure is a great teacher.
More than success a slip will provide a better insight into various things of life and business.
Share your experiences, and who knows; you might promote more successful entrepreneurs than a successful businessman can! Who can deny the teaching ability of experience?
Theoretical knowledge pales before the wealth of experience you bring in to the job.
4. Recruiter
You are in a great position to know what the employers look for in employees. That was what you did when you owned your business. Put in that experience and pick up or suggest the best and ideal candidates to your clients.
Or joining in as a recruiter in the HR department of a mid-sized or small company will be of immense help to the company. Pitch in with the right resume, focusing more on your experiences in picking up the ideal talent for a variety of tasks and man-management capability.
5. Writer
If you are not adept at addressing people, take to writing. You can reach a mass of people through this dignified calling. A word when understood in the right perspective is more powerful than a hundred speeches.
The net is a ubiquitous medium to take your message all across the globe. Just ensure to tone it to the geography you belong, and you desire to address.
6. Sales
As a onetime entrepreneur, you are great at convincing people. That is what sales are all about. You need to sell your thoughts, not the product or service you represent.
You are a past master of how to represent a company, manage accounts, and follow up on leads.
Also you have guided teams all through your entrepreneurship life. Do it with aplomb for your employer. They must be very happy to have you in that hard-to-man position.
As a person aware of the various alibis sales personnel come up with, you will prove to be a great asset to your employer.
Your experience as an owner will help you in identifying what your employer expects from the sales professionals easily than others.
7. HR Policy Maker
Most small and mid-size companies are awfully poor in this sector. They do not have crystallized policies and procedures when it comes to human resources. It is usually a convenient policy that they are guided by.
Chip in with your resource handling experience. Draw up affable resource policies in tune with the needs of the employer. This is one of the best jobs for ex entrepreneurs.
Why hiring managers don’t like entrepreneurs?
Finding the best job for ex entrepreneurs is made that much difficult with the hiring managers having a mental block in employing one.
They perceive such a genre of people as highly independent, opinionated and hard to manage.
Lack of traditional higher educational qualifications and lack of relevant experience are their points against ex entrepreneurs. They perceive ex entrepreneurs as trouble makers as entrepreneurs are not trained to follow set practices and procedures.
Another grouse that they have towards ex entrepreneurs is that if recruited such people need a long time to familiarize themselves with policies and procedures and would be a burden for the company.
The fact that you once were the ones who insisted your employees follow procedures is easily forgotten by them or overlooked.
It is imperative that you, as a person moving into the shoes of an employee from an employer, need to address these issues squarely.
Give your best shot, put on your best shoes and stride with confidence and make the transition a natural one, with ease. Good luck!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BEST JOBS FOR EX ENTREPRENEURS
What are the job opportunities for entrepreneurship as a career?
Being an ex-entrepreneur is a great qualification if only one can realize, for shifting career. The all-round experience, insights into business functions, ability to think out of the box, managing human as well as other resources efficiently, etc. are too good pointers to overlook when changing careers. Ex-entrepreneurs can find jobs across HR, Sales, Back Office, Planning, etc.
Question: What are the best entrepreneur jobs?
The best entrepreneur jobs lie in the realm of Sales, Marketing, Planning, HR, Consultancy, Teaching or Writing professions.
Do entrepreneurs make bad employees?
Entrepreneurs are those who have gone the whole hog by themselves of business. They had had experience across a diverse range of issues and have come out successfully. Their out-of-box thinking ability, man-management skills, problem-solving strengths stand them in good stead to be good employees.
What is the average salary of an entrepreneur?
It is dependent on the range of experience an entrepreneur can bring in and the variety of skills he possesses. Normally, the average salary of an entrepreneur can be expected to be around $60,000 to $70,000 per year.
