Entrepreneurs, can i ask you some questions about your business?
1. what is your name?
2. what is your company called?
3. why did you decide to start your business?
4. was there a particular incident that led to your decision to start a business?
5. what persons influenced you as you developed your business?
6. how did you decide to start this particular type of business? where and how did you develop the expertise or the idea for this particular business?
7. what is your educational background?
8. what educational experiences helped you need to be more successful?
9. where and how did you learn the skills you needed to become successful?
10. where and how did you earn the skills you needed to become successful?
11. what personal characteristics do you possess that contribute most to your success?
12. what personal characteristics that you do not now possess would enable you to be more successful, productive, and/or efficient?
13. what are the personal advantages to you of owning your own business?
14. what is the most exciting aspect of owning your own business?
15. what barriers did you overcome in starting your business?
16. do the advantages of owning your own business outweigh the disadvantages? please explain.
17. what non-financial goals did you want to get out of being an entrepreneur?
18. what suggestion or advice do you have for beginning entrepreneurs?
Tagged with: about • Business • Entrepreneurs • Questions • some
Filed under: Entrepreneur Skills
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1. My name is Victoria
2. I am an accountant and my company name (dba) is Checks & Balances.
3. I started my business as a way to continue working after I had my daughter.
4. Besides the birth of my daughter, I was working for a private company and for an accounting firm. My principles and values did not coincide with the private company and the work I was doing for small businesses within the accounting firm was being overcharged to the small business owner in retainer fees. I felt I could provide some of those services for a better price and more personalized service.
5. The head CPA that worked with me for the private company highly valued my work and encouraged me to step out on my own.
6. I went on maternity leave and worked as an outside contractor for 6 months for the private company I had been employed by prior to my maternity leave. I also worked with a couple of small businesses that required a limited amount of accountant time to do specific tasks.
My expertise was on the job experience from both the private company and the accounting firm.
7. Upon entering college, I majored in secondary education. In my 3rd year (2nd semester) I changed my major to accounting and business management and completed my schooling.
8. Frankly, my educational experiences were more book learning than true practice. I was chomping at the bit to “do it for real” rather than use sample company data.
9. The skills that I have learned to become ‘successful’ (a relative term, by the way) were observation, asking questions, taking constructive criticism and generally becoming technically accurate and knowledgeable.
10. I earned additional skills by being willing to give of my time to a new client, to learn a new industry and then once very knowledgeable, charge fair but reasonable rates. This led to many referrals and I have rarely had to advertise to have a full client load.
11. The most commented personal characteristic I have heard as both compliments and complaints is that I am honest, straight-forward and truthful. I am friendly and open and have considered many of the clients I have worked with in the past 30 years to be extended family. I have given them 110% of my efforts and consideration for their business.
12. I think what drove me in the beginning was the “fire” to have a successful business and the “drive” to learn as much as I could. My original idea evolved as I began working more and obtained more clients. I tried new ideas and new directions to see if it would make my business more successful. I shelved ideas that didn’t work and provided the services that my clients wanted most.
13. My greatest personal advantage was making my own schedule to be available for events in my daughter’s life as well as making my business a success.
14. The most exciting aspect of my business was to watch the success of my clients’ own growing business continue to grow and flourish. A client’s success was my success.
15. My barriers were the balancing act of family and career. Credibility as a female in a typically (at the time) male career field. And in 1995, relocation from New York to New Mexico had me starting my business over again a second time.
16. Yes, the advantages have outweighed the disadvantages as I look back over a 30 year career. I believe I have been a successful individual as a mother and at having a career.
17. My non-financial goals were to be involved with the community issues that interested me. PTA was a large part of my life while my daughter was in school and my skills as an accountant and business manager assisted me in my endeavors. I was also a member of a professional women in business group that allowed me to share, learn and mentor others.
18. My advice: Be confident in yourself, know your skill and industry, always look ahead and shrug off the bad or disappointing days, think positive but practical. Smile and enjoy what you choose to do. Do your homework and know your market. Keep lists to follow up. Stay current with your knowledge. GOOD LUCK!