| The word entrepreneur has become a catch all title | | | | structure so that you, the entrepreneur can do what |
| for just about everyone and anyone who starts and | | | | you do best, create and build, direct and play.If you are |
| or builds a business. I've always had a bit of trouble | | | | a classic entrepreneur stand back and look at yourself |
| throwing that overused, imported moniker around | | | | and your company. Yes I know that that may mean |
| because I believe it's not always applied in the correct | | | | that you might have to stop running around like a |
| manner.Is an entrepreneur someone who takes the | | | | chicken without a head. Take a second and assess |
| family business and keeps it going? Is it the person | | | | what's really going on around you.1. Are you trying to |
| who builds a new division of the company where | | | | do too many things yourself? |
| they're employed? Or should it be reserved for only | | | | 2. Do you have so much work that it seems like |
| those who have put everything on the line in order to | | | | you're never finished? |
| build their business? I'll opt for the latter.I'll never forget | | | | 3. Do you know what you want your business to look |
| being at an area Chamber of Commerce awards | | | | like by the end of the year, three years and five |
| dinner some years back when I was surprised to find | | | | years? |
| that the recipient of the Entrepreneur of The Year | | | | 4. Do you waste time doing tasks that you shouldn't |
| award went to a gentleman whose father had started | | | | be doing? |
| the business many years before and built it into quite a | | | | 5. Can you delegate better than you do? |
| successful venture. By the time the son had arrived to | | | | 6. Have you lost sight of your original goal? |
| run the company it was already a multi-million dollar | | | | 7. Are you not as organized as you could or should |
| operation! "Wait a minute", I said to myself, "How can | | | | be?If you answered yes to one or more of these |
| this guy be the entrepreneur of the year when he was | | | | questions it's time to sit down and write out an |
| handed the reins of a large, seemingly profitable, | | | | operations/expansion (OE) plan. The plan must include:1. |
| corporation?" Dad did all the risk taking and sonny boy | | | | A breakdown of the tasks involved in the day-to-day |
| gets the awards, huh?!So let's be a little cautious when | | | | operation of the business |
| throwing around that wonderful term...entrepreneur. It's | | | | 2. A listing of the priorities of those tasks |
| too near and dear to those genuine, "Hey I've got an | | | | 3. A clear vision of where you would like the |
| idea...I think it'll work...I'm quitin' my job and goin' for it" | | | | company to be at year's end, in three years and five |
| folks who really put their life on the line for the | | | | years |
| challenge.The entrepreneur is an interesting study. He | | | | 4. A realistic understanding of the strengths and |
| or she, by definition, is a person who organizes and | | | | weaknesses of all employees, including yourself |
| manages a business undertaking, assuming the risk for | | | | 5. A breakdown of your typical day. This may |
| the sake of their dreams and hopefully profits (which | | | | necessitate time charting your activities each day for a |
| may be one and the same).Entrepreneurs come in all | | | | week. |
| shapes and sizes, yet there are some attributes that | | | | 6. A outline of why you started the company |
| seem to be common in most of them.They are for the | | | | 7. An inventory of how organized, or disorganized, |
| most part pretty good at getting things going. They are | | | | your office and/or work area isWith the information in |
| an excitable bunch. Caught up in the enthusiasm of | | | | your OE plan you can begin to structure yourself and |
| their ideas and dreams they rush forward with their | | | | your company. You may find that you may be quite |
| embryonic plans until they become reality. They | | | | capable of taking your company to the next level or |
| certainly can organize and manage their business in | | | | that you may be quite content leaving the structural |
| the beginning, but then what?Many of them get stuck. | | | | part of that mission to someone else while you play |
| Why? Because they're entrepreneurs, that's why. The | | | | the creative role and still have the ability to reap the |
| entrepreneur gets his or her juice from creating new | | | | benefits without the stress of being in a position that's |
| things, conceiving great ideas and putting them into | | | | uncomfortable.Take the time to understand that |
| action. However, once the thrill is gone so is the | | | | entrepreneurs can be great at one thing but as the |
| impetus needed to keep it going in an orderly | | | | entity expands, not so wonderful at the tasks needed |
| fashion.Classic entrepreneurs have trouble taking their | | | | in the new environment that the growth they started |
| businesses to the next level. I like to call it going from | | | | brings. It's ok. Think of it as a parent watching their child |
| an entrepreneurial venture into a corporation. Of | | | | leave for their first of so many days of school. They'll |
| course I realize that the entrepreneurial venture may | | | | do fine on their own, they have a structured |
| actually be a corporation, but that's in name only. It's | | | | environment, with good instructors and a president |
| changing a mindset and beginning to act like a | | | | (principal) to oversee the situation.But when it comes |
| corporation.That means structure and manuals, policies | | | | time for some really important life decisions, the child |
| and procedures. It also means less nepotism and more | | | | comes back to the parent (or entrepreneur) for the |
| qualifications.Unfortunately, the entrepreneur quite often | | | | insights and wisdom that only he or she can |
| doesn't realize what he or she needs because they're | | | | provide.Dan Goldberg, MBA, is President of Dan |
| to busy creating and building to worry too much about | | | | Goldberg Consulting L.L.C. a training, coaching and |
| the details. All of a sudden they turn around and they | | | | business development firm located in the Philadelphia, |
| start to see that they could easily busy themselves | | | | PA area. He is the founder and former owner of "For |
| out of business. Yes, that is possible.Lack of a solid | | | | Eyes" the highly successful international optical |
| structure can do that.Entrepreneurs have a tendency | | | | company and an internationally recognized keynote |
| to do everything themselves. That often comes from | | | | speaker. Dan is the author of the book "Stand Back A |
| the way they started the business. But as the business | | | | Second, Just don't fall off the edge," and of "The Six |
| grows that becomes impossible. Yet, too many of | | | | Steps To Solid Sales Success" and "The Seven |
| them can't let go. They become scattered, do too | | | | Elements Of Successful Management" programs. He |
| many things, and at times compensate by | | | | is Executive-In-Residence at Kutztown University and |
| micromanaging. It's tough to watch your baby grow | | | | has been the subject of stories in Newsweek, |
| and realize that someone else can do this or that task | | | | Business Week, Playboy, Successful Business, |
| better than you.That doesn't mean losing that good old | | | | Investor's Business Daily, major newspapers in New |
| family feeling or stopping the "Let's go for a drink after | | | | York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Boston, Baltimore, |
| work" routine. What it does mean is beginning to | | | | Miami, San Francisco, Oakland, St. Louis, Chicago, Los |
| realize that you're in need of a controller and hiring one, | | | | Angeles and many other national and local publications. |
| putting a person in the marketing department who has | | | | In addition, Dan has appeared on Good Morning |
| actually done something like that before and even | | | | America and other national and local television and |
| hiring a President or COO to run the ship and its | | | | radio programs. |