By Joel T. Fagsao
The author with Indian entrepreneur, Ritu Verma, founder and CEO of Ritz Designs. Photo taken February 2011 after the presentation of Ms. Verma on taking a career as an entrepreneur instead of taking the route in medicine.
If you are currently working, the thought of leaving your job (your comfort zone) to try earning on your own might not even cross your mind. In a nation where the mind set is to go to college and earn a living as employees, getting into self-employment is probably the last option. Majority get into self-employment because there is no choice. Only a few get an education to help prepare them to manage a business.
Still, if you are mulling to go into business as a profession, then it would be worth it to continue reading through this column.
For the unemployed, you don’t sulk in a corner. If the only chances of employment available in your area are through a casual/temporary employment in your municipal hall or provincial government, then it’s time to act. First, prepare yourself psychologically. When I say this, tell it to yourself that “I am ready to start something that I am passionate above even at the expense of being laughed at in the community.” When my father started the tricycle transport industry in Bontoc, he was the butt of jokes and observers were skeptic about the viability of the tricycle business. Today, there are 500 franchisees (tricycle operators) in Bontoc and is a major source of living for many.
There is this thought among many of us that when we complete higher education, we just can’t possibly be janitors in an office for a start or we just can’t be vending in the sidewalks (Sir Iggy would not like this!).
Remember, big things start from small beginnings. If the only option for you for the moment is to cook patupat (Bontoc’s famous rice cake), then by all means give it your best shot. Speaking of patupat, don’t you know it earned raves in Manila? Friends from the city bug me- to send patupat. In one of the gathering of all provincial heads of a national government agency in Manila, Bontoc patupat was served at break time. When they asked for a second serving, there was none- unknowingly, some of the patupat landed in most of the participant’s bags. Lesson learned: “there is no such thing as a “lowly” business-just bring it a notch higher through creative means.”
Well, I’m trying to get the message across that getting into business to some is for those who did not get into “higher” education. Let’s turn this around, since you got into “higher” education, put it to good use and improve on a business you think is for the “lowly.” Just like our patupat example, given the right packaging- it could rival a Goldilocks pasalubong!
Getting into business is not supposed to be the last option. Getting into business is a career option. You go for further studies and use what you learned to improve on an existing business platform-in this way you get to preserve your “pride.” Indeed this is the road less travelled for some. If you are able to get a permanent job, you would not really give this a serious thought. You get into the roll of things and contentment sets in knowing that at the end of the month, you have this fixed income. In business, some days are diamonds, some days may be stones.
The business of getting into a business is a road less travelled- often times the survival rate of newly set up businesses is three years. Add this to several obstacles that include competition, high operating costs, mismatch in skills that businesses need, corruption, high financing costs and many more. It could be a bumpy ride ahead but never give up. The true entrepreneur is able to meet the challenge, rise above it, earn and enjoy the fruits of his labors. (more next week)
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The first batch of local librarians who availed of the free training on the set up of an Automated Library System conducted by Xijen College of Mountain Province, Inc. was completed on August 13, 2010.
The next training will be held in September. Letters of invitation will be sent to your schools.