Outside the Box

By: Ennovy Brown
 
Dear twenty something with a head full of ideas and a gut full of anxiety, it is time you accepted that fact that your fate is in your hands. You’re spending your time constantly going over the list of things you’ve learned, comparing them to a list of experience requirements and questioning whether or not you’re good enough for the “real world,” all while knowing its right around the corner. As graduation awaits many in the next few weeks, the pressures of having it all figured out have kicked into high gear for most, and to those I say: do not limit your success to what can be achieved on someone else’s checklist. Although it is important to have guidelines to use as foundation, it should not be seen as the only standard for gaging success. Do not box yourself in. You are all capable of much more than a singular job description. Perhaps you are an individual who has found passion in more than one area of work, but because of how requirements are set; you have to settle for work in just one. If that is the case, explore taking the power into your own hands, explore becoming an entrepreneur.
It may not be the most ideal, and for some it may even come across as unrealistic, but consider this. How progressive would the world be if we were not willing to hand over our ideas with the hopes of approval? Better yet how much more progressive would the world be if we took on our ideas ourselves? We are in an era where a catchy tune, an addictive game, or a needed service could literally be the difference between yourself and millions. Of course entrepreneurship is not an easy road to travel, but the end results may be more fulfilling than a full time position in a workspace that you have settled to stomach day-by-day.  Here are some of my suggestions on how you can get started on your entrepreneurial adventure:

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1. Write down all of your ideas. There is nothing worse than having a eureka moment, just to have the thought wiped from your memory. Every thought and idea you have write it down in a notebook, even if it is not entirely clear. This way you can always refer back to it for clarity or refinement.
2. Research your ideas. Sometimes great mind think alike. Researching whether or not your idea exists is a great way to gage it necessity, which can be defined in a number of way. Maybe your idea exists, but you can enhance it, or perhaps it does not exist, but you know it is needed. Either way, do not invest in a project if you have not weighed the pros and cons.
3. Explore your budget. Now we all know by now that “becoming an adult” is just a fancy way of saying “becoming in debt,” so it is important that while researching you find out what it would cost to get your idea off the ground. Explore what it would take to acquire and investors, or the steps to take when seeking a small business loan.
4. Build a team. Find like-minded individuals like yourself to help you fine-tune your vision. Although the idea here is to work for yourself, you must be realistic. All great businesses have a team and that can be from one to an infinite number of people. Just keep in mind that there is always someone either equally or more skilled than you in some areas that can help the process move along at a faster, more effective rate.