Great Occupations

A franchise is a business system. Although the franchisee is the owner, he/she still needs to follow the franchise system and guidelines. This is different than traditional business ownership where the owner makes the rules. The traditional business owner may build the business from the ground up. A franchise business gives training, support, and instructions on how to build the business. Read the rest of this entry »

If you sell a product people need, you can make money. If you sell a product people WANT, you will become rich. In third-world countries people die because of unsafe drinking water. Data from the United Nation's children's fund UNICEF showed that 8.1 million (that's MILLION) children under 5 died due to unsafe drinking water in 2009. However, in many third world countries coca-cola and marlboro cigarettes sell very well. There's something wrong here. Read the rest of this entry »

Jared Gossett was living in Dallas, TX. In his late 20’s and well-educated, he was working in the financial industry as an investment banker. He was quite successful at turning small piles of money into large ones. He should have been enjoying his career, but something was missing. Read the rest of this entry »

Wouldn’t it be nice to have your very own professional advisory board for your career? Wouldn’t it be nice to get the advice or someone more experienced to help you progress in your career because they've "been there, done that"? They would advise you about the steps they see as most effective for you to take on your career path. Their wisdom might even save you some time and heartache. Read the rest of this entry »

Last night at The Compass Group - the career networking group I lead - we were honored to have Rob Hill. He is a former CFO from the telecommunications and banking industry. Rob spoke about his journey which took him from New Jersey to Texas (which eventually turned into a 1,500 mile commute each week). Rob’s story was inspiring, because he was able to talk about being in financial ruins and he learned that safety and security in the corporate world no longer exist. Rob’s talk focused on risk and reward, and most importantly his faith.

30 Years & A Gold Watch When I speak to groups I talk about the days of “30 years and a gold watch” are over. Our grandparents (and possibly some of our parents) lived in a generation where switching jobs was unheard of. Sure, it happened, but not every 3 years which is the typical tenure for an employee these days. Workers in the 1950′s, 60′s, and 70′s didn’t typically have 14-16 different jobs during their career like we do today.

In his talk, Rob says that a job is like driving in a car at night. Your headlights illuminate the drive ahead of you in the short-term, but you have no idea what is beyond that 450 ft which the headlights brighten. Beyond the illumination lies the unknown. For an Entrepreneur the “headlights” of a traditional job and the headlights of entrepreneurship are about even.

Entrepreneurship Of course being a business owner is a huge task, but there are tons of resources out there to help you. The Small Business Administration is the government’s agency to help you get started. It is a great resource. Other resources like StartUpNation.com - started by Rich & Jeff Sloan - is a great starting point for those considering becoming their own boss. They have tons of resources and an open forum for small business owners to ask questions. If you are searching for ideas, you can check out Entrepreneur Magazine’s Annual 100 Brilliant Ideas. You can examine franchising - buying into an existing system - on search sites like FranchiseGator. You could also browse through the many businesses available from BusinessBroker.com.

BUT….I Can’t Afford To Leave My Day Job You don’t have to “quit your day job” to have a business. I am living proof of that. I work for a Fortune 500 company in Human Resources during the day and week. I work at night and weekends on Great Occupations & The Job Search Boot Camp. Is it time consuming? Yes. Is it worth it? You bet! The lines between work & play do blur for me. It is a sign that I am living my passions and ability.

The key to success is first finding out what you are passionate about, finding a solution to a problem, and then plan…plan…plan. Use the great resources from StartUpNation and The Small Business Administration to help you write your plan and prepare to be your own boss. Do you homework on each business venture (especially if you are buying a business or franchise). If you can jump in with both feet, then do so. If you can’t, then begin part-time with the intention of making it a full time gig.

There is no safety in corporate America. There is only safety in knowing your passions and abilities, and putting them to work. Knowing your passions and abilities will help you when you look for a job or create a business.

Jay Markunas is an Entrepreneur and Fortune 500 HR professional. He works double full-time jobs, but loves every second of it! NOTE: For a limited time during Graduation Season, Angela & Jay are offering the perfect new grad gift: The Job Search Boot Camp Live & Interactive Basic Training Program. more details