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The Sometimes Life Of The Early-Stage, Mid-Stage And Even Late-Stage Entrepreneur Can Be Scattered

The word entrepreneur has become a catch allthat may mean that you might have to stop
title for just about everyone and anyone whorunning around like a chicken without a head.
starts and or builds a business. I've alwaysTake a second and assess what's really going
had a bit of trouble throwing that overused,on around you.1. Are you trying to do too
imported moniker around because I believemany  things  yourself?
it's not always applied in the correct
manner.Is an entrepreneur someone who takes2. Do you have so much work that it seems
the family business and keeps it going? Is itlike  you're  never  finished?
the person who builds a new division of the
company where they're employed? Or should it3. Do you know what you want your business
be reserved for only those who have putto look like by the end of the year, three
everything on the line in order to buildyears  and  five  years?
their business? I'll opt for the latter.I'll
never forget being at an area Chamber of4. Do you waste time doing tasks that you
Commerce awards dinner some years back when Ishouldn't  be  doing?
was surprised to find that the recipient of
the Entrepreneur of The Year award went to a5.  Can  you  delegate  better  than you do?
gentleman whose father had started the
business many years before and built it into6. Have you lost sight of your original
quite a successful venture. By the time thegoal?
son had arrived to run the company it was
already a multi-million dollar operation!7. Are you not as organized as you could or
"Wait a minute", I said to myself, "How canshould be?If you answered yes to one or more
this guy be the entrepreneur of the year whenof these questions it's time to sit down and
he was handed the reins of a large, seeminglywrite out an operations/expansion (OE) plan.
profitable, corporation?" Dad did all theThe plan must include:1. A breakdown of the
risk taking and sonny boy gets the awards,tasks involved in the day-to-day operation of
huh?!So let's be a little cautious whenthe  business
throwing around that wonderful
term...entrepreneur. It's too near and dear2. A listing of the priorities of those
to those genuine, "Hey I've got an idea...Itasks
think it'll work...I'm quitin' my job and
goin' for it" folks who really put their life3. A clear vision of where you would like
on the line for the challenge.Thethe company to be at year's end, in three
entrepreneur is an interesting study. He oryears  and  five  years
she, by definition, is a person who organizes
and manages a business undertaking, assuming4. A realistic understanding of the
the risk for the sake of their dreams andstrengths and weaknesses of all employees,
hopefully profits (which may be one and theincluding  yourself
same).Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and
sizes, yet there are some attributes that5. A breakdown of your typical day. This may
seem to be common in most of them.They arenecessitate time charting your activities
for the most part pretty good at gettingeach  day  for  a  week.
things going. They are an excitable bunch.
Caught up in the enthusiasm of their ideas6.  A outline of why you started the company
and dreams they rush forward with their
embryonic plans until they become reality.7. An inventory of how organized, or
They certainly can organize and manage theirdisorganized, your office and/or work area
business in the beginning, but then what?ManyisWith the information in your OE plan you
of them get stuck. Why? Because they'recan begin to structure yourself and your
entrepreneurs, that's why. The entrepreneurcompany. You may find that you may be quite
gets his or her juice from creating newcapable of taking your company to the next
things, conceiving great ideas and puttinglevel or that you may be quite content
them into action. However, once the thrill isleaving the structural part of that mission
gone so is the impetus needed to keep itto someone else while you play the creative
going in an orderly fashion.Classicrole and still have the ability to reap the
entrepreneurs have trouble taking theirbenefits without the stress of being in a
businesses to the next level. I like to callposition that's uncomfortable.Take the time
it going from an entrepreneurial venture intoto understand that entrepreneurs can be great
a corporation. Of course I realize that theat one thing but as the entity expands, not
entrepreneurial venture may actually be aso wonderful at the tasks needed in the new
corporation, but that's in name only. It'senvironment that the growth they started
changing a mindset and beginning to act likebrings. It's ok. Think of it as a parent
a corporation.That means structure andwatching their child leave for their first of
manuals, policies and procedures. It alsoso many days of school. They'll do fine on
means less nepotism and moretheir own, they have a structured
qualifications.Unfortunately, theenvironment, with good instructors and a
entrepreneur quite often doesn't realize whatpresident (principal) to oversee the
he or she needs because they're to busysituation.But when it comes time for some
creating and building to worry too much aboutreally important life decisions, the child
the details. All of a sudden they turn aroundcomes back to the parent (or entrepreneur)
and they start to see that they could easilyfor the insights and wisdom that only he or
busy themselves out of business. Yes, that isshe can provide.Dan Goldberg, MBA, is
possible.Lack of a solid structure can doPresident of Dan Goldberg Consulting L.L.C. a
that.Entrepreneurs have a tendency to dotraining, coaching and business development
everything themselves. That often comes fromfirm located in the Philadelphia, PA area. He
the way they started the business. But as theis the founder and former owner of "For Eyes"
business grows that becomes impossible. Yet,the highly successful international optical
too many of them can't let go. They becomecompany and an internationally recognized
scattered, do too many things, and at timeskeynote speaker. Dan is the author of the
compensate by micromanaging. It's tough tobook "Stand Back A Second, Just don't fall
watch your baby grow and realize that someoneoff the edge," and of "The Six Steps To Solid
else can do this or that task better thanSales Success" and "The Seven Elements Of
you.That doesn't mean losing that good oldSuccessful Management" programs. He is
family feeling or stopping the "Let's go forExecutive-In-Residence at Kutztown University
a drink after work" routine. What it doesand has been the subject of stories in
mean is beginning to realize that you're inNewsweek, Business Week, Playboy, Successful
need of a controller and hiring one, puttingBusiness, Investor's Business Daily, major
a person in the marketing department who hasnewspapers in New York, Philadelphia,
actually done something like that before andWashington, D.C., Boston, Baltimore, Miami,
even hiring a President or COO to run theSan Francisco, Oakland, St. Louis, Chicago,
ship and its structure so that you, theLos Angeles and many other national and local
entrepreneur can do what you do best, createpublications. In addition, Dan has appeared
and build, direct and play.If you are aon Good Morning America and other national
classic entrepreneur stand back and look atand local television and radio programs.
yourself and your company. Yes I know that



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