I received this email from someone just the other day….

I recently graduated from …. MBA program and have not really found it to be providing any of the opportunities that  I had hoped for, even given the current economic and employment conditions. I have a desire to change careers and would like to ….., but unfortunately, I have no technical training or experience. I am currently …………. I have been doing this for 10 years, and I have hit the wall. I have to do something else, but I am having a very hard time finding what that something else is exactly as well as how to get there. I just know there is more out there, and I know I am capable of so much more than what I do or have done up until now, I just have no experience in anything else. Constantly surfing employment boards and firing out resumes is not getting me anywhere. I thought that a MBA would provide these for me, but …..

I have left the details as …. to protect the particular programs they are talking about. Fact is, the details do not matter. I hear this from so many people in so many career paths. It has become the mantra of the current tech community.

A few key points here…

1. An MBA is NOT the answer. Yes, I have one – and it was not the answer for me either!

2. Firing off resumes is not the answer!

What works?

1. Change your thinking! The education system most of us were programmed by (yes – I said programmed) is broken! You need to think differently. You have to think like an entrepreneur – even if you want a job! See a reading list you should add to your library.

2. Networking. But not the same old hat networking you have been told about. For most technical people that type of blind networking strikes fear into their hearts. Remember walking into a crowded room and seeing tons of unknown faces. You search for a face you know, but your hands get sweaty and your heart starts to race. You look to the door and think about running. Guess what – this does not work – for the obvious reasons. Instead do something that DOES work.

Try Networking for Introverts! Click Below to Read Parts 1 and 2 of this process (and there are few videos in there too!)

Part 1

Part 2

I do some work in the home school market writing DVD courses for home school math. This week we’ve really been swamped with calls and emails about parents getting ready for the Fall and needing answers to some key questions.

In getting all of this done, we missed one phone call. The lady had called us and left a message but during the recording her phone clicked out just as she was saying the last digits of her phone number. So we couldn’t tell what her number was to call her back. It was right on the day that we were updating our phones, too, so we didn’t have a record of the missed call and had no way to call her back. It wasn’t really anything we could have avoided, and she took the time to email us later so we talked eventually, but it was an enlightening moment.

Even things we can’t avoid or change will impact our customer service, which impacts how our companies are reflected to the world.  I think too many companies let customer service fall second on their priority list. Returning the phone calls or getting back on that email are not put up there as being important. But they really are just as important–if not more important.

As you are looking at your business, whether you have your own company, or you are in a contract with another company that you serve, you have a customer. And as you are serving this company or your company’s customers, remember that how you treat people matters a whole lot more than whether or not all your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed. How people feel they were treated by your company is what they will remember when deciding to do business with you. Keeping up good relations is always better than trying to mend broken ones. Make your service a priority.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. This friend is a social media specialist, but she’s trying to get better at her work. So she called up a few connections on LinkedIn (thinking that a business social networking site would be the place to drum up some help), and asked them for advice on how to better advertise her blog clients and build a more solid following on the blogs she was managing.

What she got in return for her request was several sales pitches. Not people trying to help her, but people wanting to sell her their services. She was baffled. Why in the world would companies not want to help her get better? Because she was competition? She was confused. “Aren’t these companies aware of how many companies are out there?”, she thought.  If we don’t help each other get better, then no one gets better and we all stay the same. It didn’t make sense. She had sent out an honest plea for professional assistance and instead she had been sent to the bottom rung and approached like a raw piece of meat for dogs to fight over. She was completely frustrated and turned totally off to every single one of the companies that tried to woo her business.

This happens all too often. In business, when people come to you seeking help and advice, the best way to get their business for your company is to give them exactly what they are looking for and nothing else. I’ve sold more products simply by not advertising my products. If a customer calls me up and says “hey, I just wondered about this one thing” and I listen, reply, give them solid advice (sometimes even sending them over to companies that compete with me), 95% of the time, I get their business because they appreciate the honest, truly helpful, approach.

Too many times marketing schemes center around trying to fool the customer into buying your product. They create a fake need and then try to step in and fill it. But the consumer is wise to this approach. They know what their needs are–and they have plenty of real ones. They don’t need marketing departments to create new ones. So, to me, the best marketing strategy is to return to that old addage of putting the customer first.

When you honestly invest yourself in your customers, caring for what they need, and doing your best to provide answers and assistance without expectations of reimbursement, customers will thank you with their business.

Sounds like a criminal title, doesn’t it?

Serial Entrepreneurs are a special breed of human. Instead of starting a company just once–they love the thrill of starting a business, selling it off, and moving on to the next big thing. They take raw materials and build teams, business models, financial plans, and entire corporations completely from scratch. Then, they do it again.

With each new venture, they build experience. As they gain this experience, they gain insights and wisdom about the formation of businesses that allows them to take greater risks than what might be afforded to someone else. The opportunity to take greater risks makes for the opportunity to have greater success.

But not all of the ventures of serial entrepreneurs are successful, and according to K Ganesh, that’s not the point. K Ganesh is one of India’s leading serial entrepreneurs, and he claims that “The previous experience, irrespective of whether it was a success or failure, becomes vital. ‘After going through the entire process of creating a new company, a new team, and new business models and processes from scratch, you are now ready to do something bolder and bigger,’” (Read full article here)

I know a guy who does this for a living and he does quite well. Although, his motives are not purely thrill seeking. He likes helping people fulfill their dreams, so he helps them do it mostly as a financier. He puts up the money to start a company and he gets bought out once the company is on it’s feet. Sometimes the businesses work, other times they don’t, but if you ask him, the experience was worth it every time.

Not to knock anything about Jimmy Dean or his company, but when he passed away this past June (June 14, 2010) I was amused at the blog title proclaiming that the “country singer and sausage entrepreneur” had died.

I realize that they were trying to dress him up and make it sound rather grand to be a sausage “entrepreneur”, but when I tried to describe Jimmy Dean to someone, all I could think to say was “the sausage guy”–certainly “guy” was less lofty than “entrepreneur”.

Now, it is totally fine to call Jimmy Dean a sausage entrepreneur, because certainly he was a great businessman, head of a very successful company. So I don’t mean to knock Jimmy Dean (I never knew him and I barely know *of* him  beyond buying his sausage for years and liking the song “Big Bad John”), but the blog title I read started me thinking about what my epitaph would read. I don’t think I want it to say “country singer and sausage guy” even if I were to make a million dollars doing it. Only because I don’t really like sausage all that much and I can’t sing a note.  Jimmy Dean, however, was good at both things which makes that title honorable for him, but for me it just wouldn’t work. Which is why it matters what business you choose to do—and that you choose what you WANT to do because at the end of the line, even if you make millions, you won’t be known as “the millionaire entrepreneur”, you’ll be labeled “that sausage guy” and if you really loved sausage, you’ll be ok with that historical moniker–even proud to carry it. But if you were only in it for the money, being forever labeled “the sausage guy” might not be what you had set out to achieve. So remember you legacy as you look out at your future. Be sure you’re doing what you WANT, it might be what people remember about you.

Preity Zinta is a popular Bollywood star in India who recently attended Harvard Business School. Her reasons? She says that she “wants to be a better entrepreneur”. She claims the experience rejuvenated her life. Just goes to show you, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur.

Read the Full Story Here.

I received this message from a guy who is going through the IEM program at UAB

“Since I began this program, I have been really thinking about my current employment situation and many concerns have been raised. If I view my position as a business and not just as a job, my business is at great risk.

I have a long term contract with one client that is renewed each year. The client is a large manufacturer that is doing well but they are in a struggling industry.  The dynamics of the company are changing to adjust to the economy and I have been trying to see where I fit in. I have recently realized that I’m not a part of those dynamics. I am a supplier of a service that can easily be eliminated or replaced. My position requires a certain level of business acumen but does not necessarily require a unique skill-set. I work a full time schedule and I am bound by the same rules as a full time employee, but I do not share the benefits of the employees.  My position does not allow the time or flexibility to work with any other clients and the plant is located far away from other businesses.  I can only reasonably work with this one client on a given day.

I have become aware that I am the only one that is at risk in this equation and the risk is great.  I am a company of one, with one client and no real agent to look out for my best interests.  I feel that if I’m taking all of the risk, I should receive all of the reward, but here it doesn’t work that way. I enjoy working in this field and I’m not on the verge of quitting my job today, but I feel that change is needed. ”

Sound Familiar? There are probably many people who could read that write-up and say “me too.” My initial response to this message is to congratulate him on being able to honestly assess his situation.  A lot of people are blinded by the “Company of One” thinking and they fool themselves into thinking all is OK. The truth may hurt – but knowing it helps you to look at what you really need to do. So I am suggesting that he has taken a great big step already…..

But…

What is missing to me is some of the bigger questions….. What do you want? Really? Where do you REALLY want to be? Certainly you could improve on your situation and do many things to get more control – but the reality is that it will take work and time —- and if you are not going after what you really want – it is wasted time!!

So here are two things you can do:

First: Figure out where you want to be.

Those questions on CORE/Calling/Career can really get you there. Some people struggle with this – but it is worth it. You do not have to decide what you want to do everyday for the next ten years – but what is it that would  create a passion and a drive to excite you today – and get you through the days that are just yuck! I suggest you already know – but most people have buried it.

Second: Start to connect with people doing what you love – living your dream.
A friend of my tells me you become who you hang with – so look at your crowd. Where do you need to branch out? With who? One way to do this is the reverse interview

In this video clip from “Cool Hand Luke” we watch Paul Newman’s character, Luke,  playing poker and he bluffs a large amount of money out of a crowd of convicts when in his hand he is holding nothing. The classic line is “Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand”. (Hence the movie title).

The idea for business here is that sometimes when you think you’re down and out, opportunities present themselves. It’s only when your life gets quiet, still, and you’ve got “nothing” that you are able to hear the quiet knocking of that opportunity.

I think about when I was younger, I heard about some lady that paid millions for a grilled cheese with what was supposed to be the Virgin Mary’s image on the front. You know that sandwich is going to mold or get eaten by a dog or something, and I was just amazed that someone would pay that much for it.

I asked my Dad why someone would pay that much for a nasty sandwich. He replied, “Something is only worth what someone else will pay for it. It’s the reason housing markets fluctuate” and the reason whoever sold that grilled cheese was a right smart entrepreneur.

I never forgot that. Something is worth what people will pay for it. I think will call the application of this thought capitalism.

The moral of today’s left field rant? Take a minute and  listen to your opportunities. If you play your cards right, what you thought was nothing just must might be your money-making hand.

So you want to start your own business, but you’re afraid no one will buy your products.

Well, we talk about fear and it’s potentially disasterous effects on any venture in alot of posts on here, so today I want to talk about the reality of seemingly worthless endeavors–the “nothings” of the product world.

Joan Rivers does this show on tv called “How’d you Get So Rich?” where she goes around interviewing people that have become millionaires and essentially getting the backstory on their millions.  I think it is really just an episode of CRIBS with a louder host, but you can decide

I’m not an avid show fanatic but one day I did watch her show and she interviewed the people that made the fake hillbilly teeth and the makers of Butt-Paste (you know, the diaper rash creme whose name you’ll never forget).They are two different people, and I can’t remember if it was one show that interviewed both of them in two segments or if I watched two shows…anyway.

I don’t remember alot about the show other than here are these people living in million dollar mansions, driving million dollar cars, and everything else that goes with a millionaire lifestyle, and they arrived at this level of affluency by selling seemingly worthless junk.Meaning, that the reality here is that people will buy seemingly worthless junk, and MILLIONS of it.

Hillbilly teeth have got to be the bane of every mom whose 7 year old makes a mockery of these things. Turning previously adorable children (and some adults) into hilrariously under-groomed hicks, while Butt-Paste is just one of four million kinds of diaper rash creme on the market today.  So how in the world did they sell people on these products? Aren’t “people will think it is gross” arguments against both these items? Possibly. It’s kind of like Seinfield when they try to sell people on a show about nothing. Sounds crazy, but it worked out pretty well I’d say.

So if their products are so simple, what are their secrets to making their millions? Well, you’ll have to watch Joan Rivers’ show for the nitty – gritty there, but some things to notice are that these items are not what you might consider “Brilliant” concepts. They don’t save you from cancer, they aren’t the next big techno gadget, and I’m pretty sure you can’t even drink a decent cup of coffee with those hillbilly teeth in. So why are they successful? They weren’t afraid. They believed in what they were doing and they marketed their passion to the world. And it paid off big time

So whatever venture you’re considering, it might work and it might not, but don’t hold back just because your target audience might think it’s annoying or the name sounds gross. Studies show these two things can work highly in your favor.

It is absolutely laughable how BP manages to continue in this mess. Last I heard something like 12 nations internationally have stepped forward to say “hey! We’ve made that mistake before. We know how to fix it. Let us help.”

But have we let them? No, of course not. The government is in bed with the union, so we have to hire companies that keeps the work here.

But the people here are FAILING.  I mean, I’m all for keeping work here. That’s great. good economic move. But sometimes enough is enough. Up to this point, I’m going to have to take the perspective that our people have tried–tried hard—and we have failed. Time for someone else to step in. Seriously, it isn’t like we have more options up our sleeve that might work any second now. We are out of options, we are spitting in the wind, and the situation is going from dire to hopeless–if it isn’t already hopeless.

It is SO past time to phone a friend. What are allies for if you don’t let them come in and help?

Entrepreneurship and good business skills are the same way.

I had someone ask me the other day “Why would someone be a blogger? That is so easy to do. Why would anyone PAY someone else to do that?” At which point I just stared at them. Have you ever taken your car to a car wash? Have you ever bought a frozen pizza? What about hiring someone to babysit your kids while you go out for an evening? All of these jobs are “easy” to do, but we PAY others to do them because that is easy too–and often, these choices to hire out something easy ends up making us more money because we are freed up to do something more productive with that time.

When you are running a business you have to set prioritites. Sometimes it makes sense to do things yourself, save that extra dollar. But other times you might spend an extra dollar outsourcing some work, because the time you have available while you’re NOT doing the “easy” task, you might double your company’s income.

If you spend three dollars so you can make a hundred, that’s a good business move. So while you’re planning your business, or if you’re just looking to be better at your current business–go ahead and evaluate outsourcing. Sometimes “keepin’ it on the homefront” will actually cost you more money than spending to hire someone else.