Dear Aunty B,
I am a Gen Y working for a marketing company and have itchy feet. I have only ever lasted in a job for two years before I want another one. I think the answer for me lies in starting my own business. But how do I know if I am an entrepreneur?
Jennifer,
Sydney
Dear Jennifer,
Oh, so now entrepreneurship is the Gen Y answer to boredom. Jennifer, maybe you need a shrink, not a business. Why not try this poll? I found it in a book called Entrepreneur… and Beyond, By Alex McMillan.
Test yourself out on this.
| Employee thinking | Entrepreneur thinking |
| I need a monthly salary | I need to make a profit |
| I need good superannuation | I need a capital gain to retire |
| I want a promotion | If you want to get to the top start there |
| Thank God it’s Friday | God is it Friday already? |
| If I qualify I can get a good job | If I set up my own business I can employ well qualified people |
| What do you want me to do | What needs doing? |
| I need a secure job | I want to be financially free |
| I look forward to retiring at 65 | I never want to retire but I will be able to soon |
| I want high status | I want to control my own destiny |
| I want to stay on the boss’s good side | I want to control my own destiny |
| I like to keep to my strength area | I need creativity and variety |
| I want a better job | I have a dream |
| I want to keep to my area of strength | I need creativity and variety |
And here are a few of my own
| I love getting a pay rise | I love promoting people |
| I have done my best | How do I do better? |
| I leave at 5 | I never really leave work |
| I need a fixed income | I can live with great financial uncertainty |
| I hate my job | I love my life |
Can the Smart Community offer Jennifer any more thoughts? What is the difference between the mindset of an employee and an employer?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SmartCompany is the leading online publication in Australia for free news, information and resources catering to Australia’s entrepreneurs, small and medium business owners and business managers.
COMMENTS
SmartCompany is committed to hosting lively discussions. Help us keep the conversation useful, interesting and welcoming. We aim to publish comments quickly in the interest of promoting robust conversation, but we’re a small team and we deploy filters to protect against legal risk. Occasionally your comment may be held up while it is being reviewed, but we’re working as fast as we can to keep the conversation rolling.
The SmartCompany comment section is members-only content. Please subscribe to leave a comment.
The SmartCompany comment section is members-only content. Please login to leave a comment.