Should you start your own business after graduating college?

Hi!

In my years of doing career counseling, I have found that it is always better to work smarter, so that you do not have to work harder. My advice to those like you who want to start their own business is to let someone else make the start up mistakes, so that you do not have to. In other words, it is very wise to start working for someone who has a successful business such as the one that you would want to start, so that you could learn what has worked, so you will not have to recreate the wheel, so to speak. You do not want to tell the person that you want to start a competing business, as you may find out that you do not, but you do want to express enthusiasm and make it a point to learn as much as possible and do as much as you can to help the business to be as successful as you can. Many times such a relationship has developed that ended up with a person, such as yourself, becoming a partner or "inheriting the business" as the person decided they wanted to turn it over to someone else. This has happened many times, and it could happen to you.

If you want to find out more about starting your own business, there is a great free organization that can help. Go to
https://www.score.org/
SCORE is a part of the Small Business Administration made up of retired executives who do volunteer work to assist people like you who are interested in setting up their own businesses. They do free one on one counseling and present online information and present workshops. I am sure that you will find a chapter near you. I have had personal interaction with them and have found them to be very helpful.

Another great resource for networking is the Chamber of Commerce in your community. Many times they have a special section of people who are young and ambitious like yourself and very willing and eager to help each other.

Best of luck! Please keep me informed. Let me know if and how this has been of help to you.

Check Bill gates and Steve Jobbs. They seem to have done ok for themselves.

So yes you can do very well in your own business. It can be very challenging and you may not secede on the first try. But keep at it most millionaires have been there 3-5 times before they can make it stick.