Some call us crazy, but it takes a particular breed to become an entrepreneur. It’s not for everyone and not everyone gets us. But we don’t always get you and your repetitive grind either. Most entrepreneurs (at least the ones we know) have once lived within the comforts of a stable 9-5 in a large(ish) company, complete with a hierarchy of bosses, a few weeks of vacation a year, perks and incentives for promotions and bonuses. Leaving the corporate world to chase an entrepreneurial endeavour has its perks too, but, like anything else, there are also many less-than-ideal drawbacks and challenges – of which we are perfectly aware – so you don’t have to remind us. Here are the seven worst things to say to a new entrepreneur.
So, do you have benefits?
Do you really think we have benefits if we have just started a company? Trust us, we are reminded with every minor toothache that we don’t have benefits. And that’s why we are now crazy obsessed with brushing and flossing our teeth, thank you. The thing is, though, half of our friends who work for large companies don’t have benefits either. While we may not enjoy the ever-fading luxury of benefits, it is still simple to set up a retirement savings plan. And if we ever get sick, at least we live in Canada.
My friend is doing the exact same thing!
It is probably not the exact same thing at all, and if it was – and big enough to be of any impact or effect to us – we would probably already know about it. And why is this suddenly about someone you know? If you stopped talking for a second and listened to us, you would learn what it is exactly we are trying to do here (you asked, after all).
Don’t you miss the stability?
The most common thing that entrepreneurs inevitably hear from others is that they cannot imagine not getting a regular paycheck. Yeah, we know, we are reminded of it all the time when we can’t commit to vacation plans… or really anything that requires a major financial commitment months in advance. But is stability even so guaranteed these days? Your friend in that stable job could lose it tomorrow. You know what we don’t miss? The monotony that comes with stability: being micro-managed, the workplace politics, the two weeks of vacation per year and having to hear about the weekends of people we could care less about every damn Monday.
Do you want help with your business plan?
No, but thanks. There was a reason we opted to venture off solo on our own endeavour. We don’t miss the red tape, collaborative efforts, and managing varying opinions that comes with working in a larger company. Although it is nice of concerned friends and family to offer, if you needed the help, you would ask. And it would have been months ago, not now that everything is up and running.
What’s the name of the company? Oh, I’ve never heard of it.
Well, half the city hasn’t heard of the company you work at either. And if you haven’t heard of it, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist or isn’t highly influential or set to become so. It’s like your grandma not knowing who Bradley Cooper is… get what we mean?
Are you looking for employees? My cousin just graduated from university.
Just because it isn’t a Fortune 500 company, a small start-up doesn’t mean that it needs to be run by interns or recent university grads. It’s nothing against fresh, young talent; rather, it’s the immediate assumption made by others that you can’t afford to hire top, seasoned talent that bothers us.
Are you sure that’s a good idea?
Um, after leaving our day job, spending hours upon hours brainstorming and developing a business plan, researching competitors and perhaps even watching our bank account go into red or having to take out a loan, yeah, we’ve thought about whether it is a good idea or not. And it is – just watch.
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
Want more updates on the most Notable things happening so you know before your colleagues do? Get our exclusive newsletter here and follow us on Twitter for all the latest.