| "No enterprise worthy of accomplishment would ever | | | | experimenting on the automobile, in the hope of making |
| begin, if all obstacles were first to be overcome - | | | | a breakthrough. That willingness to risk financial ruin, |
| Napoleon Hill | | | | would later yield multiple fold returns. Every single |
| In attempting to help you come to your own decision | | | | person who drives a car today, should be grateful to |
| about the better of the two options mentioned | | | | this couple for refusing to quit!c. William Lear opined |
| above(quitting your job vs. starting part-time), I will give | | | | that if a person is really sure about his business idea, |
| you an insight into how I entered into the business of | | | | he should mortgage every asset he owns to keep |
| entrepreneuring. I start by reproducing the exact words | | | | going. Using himself as an example, he explained that |
| with which I narrated the experience in an ebook I | | | | at one point, during a difficult time in his business, he felt |
| wrote back in 2003 titled "How To Help Your Child | | | | like he owed more or less everyone in the country.d. |
| Discover His/Her Purpose In Life" (see excerpts | | | | Fran Tarkenton also wrote that if you find it difficult |
| below). | | | | starting your business while still in paid employment, |
| "I struggled for over 6 years like I said trying to find out | | | | seriously consider quitting in order to force yourself to |
| why I felt so dissatisfied working as a well paid young | | | | focus better. BUT he also gives what I truly believe is |
| manager in a large, blue chip corporate multinational. | | | | a very VALID warning that in doing this: In quitting, you |
| Despite rapid advancement and numerous | | | | MUST make sure your family's security is not |
| opportunities plus the promise of even better career | | | | jeopardised by the possibility of your business |
| options, I still found I was dissatisfied. So it was that | | | | struggles, preventing you from playing your role as a |
| right till the last 2 years of my stay as a Manager in | | | | parent or spouse. |
| Guinness Nigeria Plc, I continued to baffle family/friends | | | | 2. Moonlighting -The Safe(?) Way |
| with my frequent trips back and forth between Lagos, | | | | Some people might prefer to test their ideas on the |
| Benin, Ibadan, Portharcourt and other places. | | | | side while they hold on to day jobs as employees. |
| I was variously following up advertisements for new | | | | Lucky history shows that a number of people |
| jobs, opportunities for new starting up businesses, and | | | | succeeded in starting their businesses this way. |
| possibility of getting admission to study overseas(I just | | | | George Eastman for instance, who founded the |
| KNEW I wanted to spend my time doing something | | | | Kodak company, remained in employment while he |
| other than the job I was being so well paid for!). I | | | | tested ideas for his film business. |
| attended many seminars on wide ranging topics from | | | | I have also read articles on how Moonlighting |
| manufacturing to computer/internet education etc. | | | | techniques(where a person in paid employment |
| Then I sought out those who I heard had "made it", and | | | | launches a semi-entrepreneurial career on the side in |
| who offered themselves for consultation. I asked their | | | | his free time from work) can be successfully used by |
| advice on what to do. Slowly but surely, I began to gain | | | | individuals keen to try out their business ideas. |
| insight. | | | | In fact there is a growing trend today of people who |
| Gradually the picture became clearer. Not long after - | | | | start businesses which they engage third parties to run |
| in late 1999 to be exact, I had the full picture of what I | | | | , while they(the owner) remain in paid employment. |
| wanted to do in life clearly mapped out in my mind. But | | | | So, Which Is Better? |
| by then I was already 29 years old! Then I spent 2 | | | | In my opinion, the degree of success achievable in |
| whole years "preparing"(attending business startup | | | | meeting client or customer needs by a person who |
| seminars etc) before finally taking off fully! Having | | | | starts up via moonlighting, will depend to a great extent |
| gone through all that, I am now thoroughly convinced | | | | on his/her level of commitment. This is especially |
| that I could have done better, if only I had known much | | | | because the demands of a routine 9 to 5 job can, for |
| earlier that I had the option of deciding whether or not | | | | instance, limit a person's ability(via late hours at work, |
| to go into paid employment." - Excerpt from the ebook | | | | and/or fatigue) to meet the expectations of a paying |
| titled "How To Help Your Child Discover His/Her | | | | client or customer. |
| Purpose In Life" | | | | Then there is the issue of the type of business a |
| Now, the truth is that by the time I decided I wanted to | | | | person decides to startup on the side. If a person |
| run my own business, I was not sure exactly how I | | | | decides to start up a piggery or catfish business while |
| would start. | | | | employed on a full time salary job, s/he might struggle |
| I knew I wanted to go into some form of | | | | considerably to get a good feel of what it takes to |
| speaking-training consultancy/educational work but I | | | | manage the actual production process. A likely reason |
| was not sure how to begin. Also, I knew that it would | | | | would be his/her inability to visit the farm as often as |
| be useful to have a creative slant to my business | | | | would be needed(due to day job work demands) to |
| offerings(building on my proficiency in custom | | | | gain the needed "depth" of understanding. This could |
| spreadsheet programming/solutions development), so | | | | have implications for cost-effective and profitable |
| as to generate a diversified income stream. It was with | | | | operation of the business, as s/he might end up having |
| these ideas in mind that I began attending all those | | | | to accept anything s/he is told by the hired hands. |
| seminars/courses over the two years before I quit my | | | | Having said that, employing a competent manager to |
| job. | | | | run the operation could reduce the need for worry in |
| I however did not just attend them and go back to my | | | | this area. I will however add that in the society I |
| job to continue work. Being naturally action oriented, I | | | | operate in as an entrepreneur, you would have to |
| went ahead and launched mini-versions of some | | | | keep both your fingers and toes crossed at the same |
| business ideas I had settled for. They were Sealed | | | | time, if you choose to go that way. A hint: Finding |
| Nylon Packaged Pepper production and Custom | | | | competent hands over here is one thing. Finding |
| Branded T-Shirts Production (which I came up with by | | | | competent AND trustworthy ones can be another |
| myself after doing some thinking). While on Annual | | | | issue entirely! |
| leave, I then used practically all of my leave allowance | | | | But the truth about it is, no matter how long you test |
| from work, to run these micro businesses on a test | | | | your business idea on the side, you will eventually have |
| basis. | | | | to take the plunge and launch out fully. In reality, many |
| It was tough, but I gave it all I had. In each case, I made | | | | people never get to a point when they can muster |
| little or no income, but the excitement of doing it all - | | | | enough courage to do that, giving various excuses. In |
| printing ID cards, drafting sales letters/looking for | | | | the end, their employer helps them take the inevitable |
| buyers, designing T-Shirt labels, using an impulse nylon | | | | decision - and even then, they are seldom prepared! |
| sealer to pack cartons and cartons of pepper | | | | So, on the issue of which option is "better" , it is my |
| (overnight sometimes!) served to give me some | | | | considered opinion that most of those who take the |
| degree of satisfaction that it had been worth the | | | | "risky" route of quitting the security of their jobs, or |
| trouble. | | | | "burning their bridges" are likely to emerge as better |
| However, when I returned to work, the challenges of | | | | rounded entrepreneurs, capable of building businesses |
| meeting my job as an employee soon made it obvious | | | | that outlast them. I say this based on my personal |
| that I could not combine running either of the | | | | experiences as one who tried both approaches, and |
| businesses with doing my salaried job. This was at a | | | | also drawing from many interactions I have had with |
| time when I was still a shift brewer, and as such had | | | | business owners who followed the "safer" route in |
| the advantage of getting off duty rest periods on | | | | starting up. The mental attitude of people who belong |
| weekdays, which I tried to use to pursue my micro | | | | to this latter group can be surprisingly different from |
| business efforts. | | | | that recognised as typical of persons considered to be |
| By the time I was promoted in year 2000 to a normal, | | | | "entrepreneurs". |
| routine 9 - 5 job as Technical Training and | | | | Specific scenarios include: how they see adversity(and |
| Development Manager, I lost the little freedom I had | | | | the benefits it offers); their disposition towards |
| left. For close to one year, I tried to see if I could | | | | risk-taking for the purpose of seizing business |
| endure the change and the restrictions it had imposed | | | | opportunities in the market place; and their capacity to |
| on me, but soon realised that it would not work. So, I | | | | visualise the future. In each of the three scenarios |
| printed off and signed a fresh copy of the resignation | | | | highlighted, I have repeatedly noticed that the "safe |
| letter I had presented to my former boss(who had | | | | way startup" business owners frequently prefer to |
| rejected it back then) in 1999, while I was still a brewer | | | | keep things as they are, never wanting to take any |
| , and handed it to the head(Operations Manager) of | | | | chances trying anything new - until they have seen |
| my brewery in his office on 31st October 2001(giving 2 | | | | many others do so successfully. |
| months notice). | | | | Seldom are they ready to be the ones leading the |
| It's been over four years now, since I quit my job to | | | | pack in visualising what next to do. And in some cases, |
| start my business - and I remain fully convinced that I | | | | there was a striking readiness to compromise their |
| took the right decision. This is(among other reasons) | | | | values (sometimes just "a teeny little bit") in the face of |
| because, I have grown tremendously in ways that I | | | | opposition, in order to get what they wanted. This |
| could never have achieved had I still been tied to a 9 | | | | suggested the attributes of "integrity" and "persistence" |
| to 5 job. In addition, I look forward to doing my work on | | | | were not strong points for them. I must add here that |
| a daily basis, with an excitement much greater than | | | | you could not easily deduce this from what they said, |
| any I ever felt while in paid employment. The feeling of | | | | when invited to speak, or discuss on the subject. It |
| liberation - being able to pursue what you have always | | | | was very often from the things they did - actions they |
| dreamt of achieving beats description. The following | | | | took daily, yearly in relation to moving their businesses |
| quote I think describes what I believe I have achieved: | | | | forward, that you saw real evidence of that they |
| "Free yourselves from the shackles of corporate life" - | | | | actually "believed". |
| Anon | | | | In contrast, many successful entrepreneurs who |
| Most people in paid employment will not be able to | | | | followed the "risky", thorn filled path, have described |
| understand what I have said in the above paragraph. | | | | how the long drawn periods of "suffering" they went |
| For instance, sometime last year, I visited the office of | | | | through, helped them developed the "character" and |
| a former senior colleague(who still works in the HR | | | | "survival instincts" necessary for achievement of |
| department of the company I left) to get a reference. | | | | sustainable long term successes. |
| He told me "Many people still think you must have | | | | Quite a number have been described as "stubborn" or |
| been mad to do what you did". My response was | | | | even "obstinate" - attributes which probably enabled |
| along the lines of "My only regret is that I did not do it | | | | them successfully defy adversity and opposition in the |
| sooner!" - and I meant it. | | | | past to achieve startling successes. Entrepreneurs |
| While driving back home that day, I thought about the | | | | often believe they can always get what they want -if |
| conversation with my HR manager "friend" and could | | | | they stick with it long enough. Hardly will you find a true |
| not help feeling a bit sorry for him, because I knew | | | | entrepreneur willing to cut corners in order to reach a |
| from the way he said it, that he agreed with those | | | | valued goal. Apart from having a strong sense of |
| who had questioned my sanity in quitting my job. The | | | | integrity, the exciting prospect of defying all odds and |
| sad reality however is that whether they accept the | | | | opposition to reach the prize, would be simply too |
| inevitable reality or not, they WILL have to go through | | | | attractive for him/her to pass up. |
| the same process of "leaving" their jobs one day. | | | | Don't get me wrong here! I am not implying that a |
| When that happens, they will have to - like I did - | | | | person who did not quit a job or do something "risky" |
| "re-educate" themselves all over again to be able to | | | | to start his/her business is not an entrepreneur. What I |
| survive in the real-world, outside the security of | | | | am saying is that a serious possibility exists, that those |
| salaried jobs they have gotten used to. This is likely to | | | | who start by holding on to the "security" of a life-line in |
| happen when they retire, or have to resign. | | | | form of a "job", or other comforts, may end up not |
| The only difference will be that when they are starting | | | | undergoing the full myriad of "educative" experiences |
| up their own businesses, they will probably be past | | | | needed to mature fully as entrepreneurs. |
| their prime in terms of age, maybe in their 60s. This | | | | You can read my article titled Avoid Taking Lessons |
| may or many not present problems when they have | | | | On Entrepreneuring From The Wrong Person(s) to |
| to endure the adversity frequently encountered in the | | | | learn more about why I believe NOT every business |
| business startup phase. | | | | owner can be called an entrepreneur. |
| As for me, I am glad I did it while I still had a lot of my | | | | "You cannot acquire experience by making |
| youth on my side. At 31, I quit a job that paid well, but | | | | experiments. You cannot create experience. You must |
| made me feel unfulfilled, in order to start one that I get | | | | undergo it." - |
| excited about everyday regardless of the challenges I | | | | Albert Camus |
| face in doing it. If you also want to experience true | | | | "It had long since come to my attention that people of |
| happiness, you will have to do likewise i.e. follow your | | | | accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen |
| heart! | | | | to them. They went out and happened to things." - |
| Interestingly, doing what you love WILL ultimately bring | | | | Eleanor Smith |
| the ONE benefit(money!) that many people always | | | | Summary - The Choice Is Ultimately Yours To Make! |
| seem to want to get first. That's why Marsha Sinetar | | | | From reading my story, you will find that I did make |
| said: | | | | effort to try juggling my new interests with the |
| "Do what you love, and the money will follow" - | | | | responsibilities I had as an employee, but with little |
| Marsha Sinetar | | | | success. In order to avoid destroying my credibility in |
| A Question That Can Help You Choose A Business | | | | my workplace by having divided loyalty(and also to |
| To Start | | | | ensure that I was more efficient in the use of my time |
| One of the most important questions that a person | | | | and efforts), I chose to take an honourable exit from a |
| who wishes to choose a business to start needs to | | | | company I had served for seven(7) years, while the |
| be able to answer is this: | | | | ovation was still at its loudest. |
| What is that thing, which you would ENJOY doing for | | | | That was one of the reasons why the overall head of |
| an UNLIMITED period of time, EVEN if you did not get | | | | the brewery where I worked, was able to say/write |
| paid to do it? | | | | wonderful things about me (at the send forth |
| I found MY answer to that question quite easily, and | | | | ceremony organised for me, even though I had only |
| that made it easy for me to continue happily working | | | | reported indirectly to him for about 11 months) including |
| towards achieving my set goals in spite of countless | | | | the following: |
| rejections and setbacks. You are reading this article, at | | | | "Tayo, I honestly believe you are one of those who will |
| this point in time, because I chose to follow my heart | | | | succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and |
| and pursue my vision. You will need to do the same if | | | | effort has been outstanding....Thanks for all your hard |
| you want to achieve sustainable, authentic success. | | | | work since I've been here - you will be sorely missed. I |
| "If you don't do what you love, you won't have what it | | | | don't need to wish you good luck, you have the ability |
| takes to stick with it. This lack of effort will cause you | | | | to make your own luck." - Andy"(R. Jones)* |
| to fail. And fail big time" - Michael Boss | | | | *Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin |
| How Other Entrepreneurs Started Their Own | | | | Brewery, December 2001(Handwritten comments in |
| Businesses | | | | farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade |
| 1. Quitting To Start - The Risky Way!a. James R. | | | | following his resignation to start his own business). |
| Cook(Author, Startup Entrepreneur, New York Times | | | | My study of the writings and lives of many |
| Bestseller) did what many considered ill-advised and | | | | entrepreneurs in some cases support this option(i.e. |
| unthinkable. He simply quit a good job brimming with | | | | quitting your job), while others lean towards the other. It |
| promises of career advancement. In his book, "The | | | | is up to you, to consider the examples provided |
| Startup Entrepreneur", he explained that he did so in | | | | through this article's narration of what others have |
| order to apply Napoleon Hill's suggestions that the | | | | done(coupled with its analyses), and then come up |
| person desiring success "burn all bridges" - admitting | | | | with your own decision. |
| that not everyone has to follow the same route as he | | | | Twenty years from now, you will be more |
| did.b. Henry Ford explained that after discussing with | | | | disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the |
| his wife, he chose to reject the offer to make him | | | | ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away |
| general superintendent of The Edison Company, if he | | | | from the safe harbour. Catch the trade wind in your |
| stopped work on his gas engine project to focus on | | | | sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain |
| what they considered "more important" work. Left with | | | | Related Articles: |
| no other option, he chose to leave his job(on August | | | | 1. When I Quit My Job, They Called Me "Mad" - And I |
| 15, 1899) rather than give up his automobile business | | | | Felt So, So Sorry for Them! |
| idea. An interesting note added by Ford is the fact that | | | | 2. Avoid Taking Lessons On Entrepreneuring From |
| aside from money spent on sustaining themselves | | | | The Wrong Person(s) |
| daily, he and his wife put every penny they had into | | | | 3. |