My Year as an Entrepreneur
When I was first asked to write this blog post, my first reaction was NO!
I’m a participant in The Shortcut’s Talent Programme and had given a small Sharing Session on my year as an entrepreneur. A year that started full of optimism tempered by anxiety, moved onto huge stress and unhappiness, before finally deciding to make a change.
This blog post is the flip side to the excitement and buzz surrounding entrepreneurship, of reaching for the stars and following your dreams! … What if you didn’t quite reach the stars? What if you were following the wrong dream?
My experience was only last year, hence my hesitance in writing about it so soon. It’s a bit scary, but I’m sure there are others in the same boat or at least a similar situation that could use some support and camaraderie. So here goes!
A bit about me…
Why did I decide to become an entrepreneur?
I was fairly new to Helsinki, arriving here in the summer of 2015 after relocating from China for my husband’s job. For the first year I was a stay-at-home mum, and in those precious few moments of peace (ie nap times), I would be dreaming of the day that our daughter would start daycare and I could resume my career.
I had done this before, moving from the UK to China, so thought I could do it again. However, it soon became clear that having very limited Finnish language skills was going to severely impede my re-entry into the workforce. I didn’t want to be unemployed, so the only option was to make my own job. And, let’s be honest, the idea of owning your own company is an attractive one! And so, Pie Witch was born in January 2017!
My top take aways (or mistakes)…
Is entrepreneurship for you?
Though I’m adventurous and up for new challenges, I was never really confident that being an entrepreneur was the right path for me. I had been an employee all my life, had become a fantastic event manager / project manager / brand ambassador, but a business person ready to hustle with the best of them…?
Don’t do it alone!
I thrive when I’m part of a team, and I found entrepreneurship a lonely place. Though I did team up with other food entrepreneurs at food markets (much more fun than flying solo), I spent most of my time alone. During the planning phase I was drafting and redrafting the business plan and crunching numbers. I ran the business single handed, from business strategies to online marketing to mopping the kitchen floor. I was bootstrapping so couldn’t afford to outsource (except for accounting). There weren’t enough hours in the day, and it was highly stressful trying to be good at everything.
Share your idea and talk to your customers!
Though I had hooked into various communities, I became isolated. I was fixated on producing the perfect business plan. Plus I had way too many things to get done — like make a website, investigate vendors, write an operations plan — to go out networking!
And customers — you need them so talk to them! I had identified my target customer groups, and I tested my business idea at Restaurant Day and the Slow Food Festival (I sold out!). However, I didn’t interview my potential customers or get feedback from actual real-life customers. Rather, I spent way too much time planning on my own, instead of sharing my idea, getting feedback, and doing market research.
Yes, this all seems quite obvious, but not always the easiest thing. I can expound the myriad benefits of a great product or service, but I was rather shy of doing that for my own business idea.
Where I’m at now…
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.”
W.C. Fields
Somewhere around the six month mark I lost the drive needed to push forward. I wasn’t enjoying it, I was mentally exhausted and the business was not gaining enough traction. I didn’t acknowledge it at first and persisted. It was a slow realisation that I was following the wrong dream, this was not the path for me.
Come the autumn of 2017 I started to attend ‘Building Your Career in Finland’ workshops and took part in a Peer Support Group for International Jobseekers. The knowledge, support and advice I received was invaluable in seeing another way for myself. So I made a change and closed my company at the end of 2017.
I certainly don’t regret the experience, it’s been a valuable life lesson and I’ve met some wonderful friends along the way. But it was a relief. I know I’ve made the right decision.
Currently I’m participating in the Talent Programme at The Shortcut. I’m connecting with a vibrant community of talented, driven and inspiring individuals from all around the world. For me, it’s been a time of re-evaluating, learning and developing. I’d love to use my skills and experience in joining a start-up operating within the social impact sector.
And to conclude…
For those about to dive into entrepreneurship:
I salute you! I have a deep admiration for all you smart, brave, pioneering souls. Here are some questions to ponder:
- Are you sure entrepreneurship is right for you? Have you explored other career paths?
- Do you have what it takes? What are your weak areas and how can you mitigate those?
- Have you validated your business idea? Have you shared it with others? Have you talked to potential customers?
- Are there others that you can team up with?
How about those transitioning from entrepreneurship to employee?
You did an amazing thing, so don’t be shy about it. Even if it didn’t work out in the end. You learned a lot, developed hidden skills and pushed way beyond your comfort zone. Identify those skills and key learnings, think about how you helped your customers, and tailor this to the position for which you’re applying.
And here are some useful resources (Helsinki based):
- NewCo Helsinki
- Luckan
- The Shortcut
- Aaltoes
- Startup Sauna
- Toiminnan Avulla Työelämään
- At Work In Finland / Moniheli
- International Jobseekers in Helsinki Facebook group
Some articles on transitioning from entrepreneur to employee:
