7 Bullet-Proof Tips for Budding Entrepreneurs (and a free e-book for new grads!)

  I'm Graduate..! 
  Originally uploaded by sheikha85

When you get out of school and are plunged into the "real world" it can be a bit overwhelming to say the least!

I know I was NOT looking forward to leaving school. This probably explains why I spent 8 years in college and switched majors 3 or 4 times!

My memories of my own awkward entry into the working world inspired me to jump at the chance when Drew McLellan invited me to contribute some friendly advice for new graduates for an e-book that he was compiling.

I'm happy to report that the e-book is ready, and it's even better than I thought it would be. You can download the free e-book at Drew's blog and read all the wonderful advice, including some tidbits from Seth Godin, Andy Wibbels, plus a ton of other savvy folks.

Here are some of my favorite words-o-wisdom from the e-book that I thought might inspire some future entrepreneurs:

1) Fail. Alot. By that I mean take a chance on the road less traveled even if that road takes you out of your comfort zone. Toby Bloomberg

2) Consider the option of NEVER getting a "real job". Self-employment may not be everyone's first best destiny, but you may not know until you try. It may seem safer to be employed by someone else, but I'd beg to differ. If you have it in you, do it. I'd rather see try and fail vs. never try. Douglas Mitchell

3) Start your own gig. Even if you're 12 years old, start a store on eBay. You'll learn just about everything you need to know about digital marketing by building an electronic storefront, doing permission-based email campaigns, writing a blog, etc....Folks that need brilliant marketers will beat down the door to get at you. After a while, you may decide you like that life. Or, more likely, you'll decide you'd rather be your own client. Seth Godin

4) If you have a choice between taking a job for money or because it is something you would really love to do, don't go for the money. If your work happens to be something you are passionate about, say something you'd consider doing even if they didn't pay you, then the money will follow eventually. And probably in much larger amounts than that other job could ever bring you. Chris Cree

5) Be passionate, but balance that with patience. Passionate people are in danger of being very frustrated and bitter if they don’t learn to manage their passion and focus it on positive results. Ann Michael

6) Relationships rule. It isn’t who you know. It isn’t what you know. It is who knows what you know and what you can do. Impress extroverts. Andy Wibbels

7) The absolute biggest thing I wish I knew when I was first starting out, is that you can create your own job if you don't see any that you like. That's what I did. If you're a bit of a risk taker and a maverick, you might find greater satisfaction outside of the traditional working work. Just think about what you enjoy doing and how you could possibly monetize your skills. Sharon Sarmiento

You can see all the new grad advice by downloading the free e-book at Drew's blog. A big thanks to Drew for putting this project together! 

Comments

[Drew McLellan]

Sharon,

Thank you so much for contributing to the e-book. That's what makes it such a great book. Real people, speaking from real experience.

Lots of hard won life lessons in those pages!

Drew

[Toby]

Sharon - Thank for including my tip from my "career travels" to your post. As you also say, taking the road less traveled can lead to some wonderful experiences.

[Gavin Heaton]

You are so good at giving us a reason to read! This is another great collaborative project that I hope many new grads get some use out of.

[David Krug]

What happens if you just plain skipped the college part and moved on to 10 years of real life?

[Toby]

David - good point. I think this little eBook is for anyone who needs a little inspiration to make it thru their work day. (smile)

[Sharon Sarmiento]

Hey Guys!

Yeah, the great thing about this e-book is that it's for everyone, not just new grads. It's even a great read for folks who went straight from college to taking the working world by storm, or for those of us who graduated years ago.

Especially, if you're an entrepreneur, whether you went to college or not, this e-book has some gems of insight that are sure to put a spring in your step and make you feel good about the choices you've made in your life path. :-)