Thinking of Starting a Business?  Now is the Time!

"The pandemic unleashed a flurry of new entrepreneurs. If the economy goes into recession, that trend will increase," according to an interview in Kiplinger's Personal Finance with Lakshmi Balachandra, professor of entrepreneurship and a fellow in the National Science Foundation's Technology Innovation and Partnerships Directorate program.

Two familiar phrases came to mind when I read that interview: 1) "Necessity is the mother of invention," and 2) "Make lemonade out of lemons." It was the first one that fostered my venture into entrepreneurship 40+ years ago. I lived in New York City with my first husband, who worked for a non-profit organization that didn't pay enough to cover our living costs with our three adopted children. I wanted my children's needs to be my priority, which didn't seem feasible as an employee, so I decided to find a problem that I could solve for which people would pay me! I began listening to conversations on the playground, and my entrepreneurial search began.

Since I grew up on a farm and followed my daddy around, I learned how to solve simple repair jobs around the house and thought a "Mom's Repair Service" was a good possibility, but that required union membership which didn't sound feasible at that point.

Then I began noticing (that's a critical action if you are looking for a business to start!) how many people complained about clutter, disorganization, and overwhelm: fights with family members about "stuff," stories about the guilt of unfinished projects, stress resulting from unfiled tax returns, and apparent dissatisfaction with life in general. As I listened to the conversation, my first reaction was, "Well, they didn't have my mom and dad!"

Understand this! I am NOT a naturally organized person, but I was blessed to live in a family where what Productive Environment Institute calls "SYSTEMs (Saving You Space Time Energy Money)" were role-modeled daily. My father was a farmer, and without systems, there would be no crops, and my mother was the personal assistant to the president of a bank and managed the affairs of the president and the farms the bank owned.

So, if you are frustrated with your job or lack of a rewarding career and want to make money and have a life, entrepreneurship is worth exploring! Don't get me wrong! I don't usually keep the fortunes out of Chinese cookies, but last week mine said, "All things are difficult before they are easy." Entrepreneurship isn't easy; nothing worth having or doing is, but as someone who loves my work life now more than I ever have in 40+ years, I invite you to explore the possibilities.

That brings me to the second phrase, "Make lemonade out of lemons." Numerous times in my career, I have doubted my career choice, but every time I did, it was a signal that it was time for reinvention! My company has had seven different names, and my bookshelf contains books I wrote every time that happened, and I found new opportunities.
Let's talk if you're looking for new opportunities but are unsure where to turn! We can help you find and implement a new vision for your life. One of our clients said recently, "I'm executing a vision I didn't even know I had!"
Barbara Hemphill