GROUND ZERO: WORKING FOR A SMALL BUSINESS

What ego could resist working for a big corporation? To have the fame, the popularity and the money synonymous with what you do for a living is powerful. The trouble with large corporations is being able to get your foot in the door, even for entry level jobs. For those who do, the climb up can be a long, arduous battle of administrative politics. It’s no wonder then that women own a third of the nation’s small businesses and businesses owned by minorities are the fastest growing sector. Small businesses are fast and sleek. They are hungry and lined with self-motivated people. Should you opt to apply for entry level jobs in a small business you will be facing obstacles such as limited resources and lack of company history. But for those who have an insatiable appetite for independence and a preference for the road less traveled, small business is for you.
Though there are plenty of small businesses, entry level jobs will be limited to the company’s growth and need. An applicant will have to sell his or her productive qualities over anything else. In a small business, it’s vital to act fast and make the right move, which often calls for experience. Most small business owners, however, are attracted to a pro-active personality over a seasoned player. Entrepreneurs are innovators. Somewhere in their career, they took a series of calculated risks and cultivated a successful company. Every profitable business owner has a business plan. Find out what it is. If you haven’t done so already, I recommend reading “The E-Myth” by Michael E. Gerber. Gerber goes into the common reasons why most small businesses fail and how to avoid them.
Working for a small company will probably be the most exhilarating experience in your career path. Exhilarating because you never know who is going to be the next success story like ADP: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. A company founded in 1949 providing payroll services for a few clients. Hard to believe the multi-billion dollar operation today started out as a family business.

Originally posted by tahjia c