Done Working for "The Man"?

Its Monday morning 5:30 a.m. and the alarm goes off. After hitting snooze a couple times you stumble into the shower and realize you only have an hour and a half to get the kids to school and make it to your 7 a.m. weekly meeting on time. Teeth brushed, suite on, hair still wet... we'll drive with the windows down, a little gloss and you head for the kids rooms for wake up call number one. Feed the dog, pour the cereal, make the lunches...kids still aren't awake. Wake up call number three and a few threats later you finally see children walking into the kitchen dressed and ready for breakfast. Now 6:35, drop the kids off at school and stick your head out the window and hope it's dry by the time you get to work. Your building is only four blocks away and you have five minutes to park and get to the meeting. As you speed up a little for the finishing touches on your hairdo, then you notice flashing lights in the review mirror. "Sorry officer, I'm trying to get to work on time," you politely explain. "So is everyone else!" he says as he writes you a ticket. It's now 7:10 a.m. and you pull into the parking lot, which is full, and spend ten minutes maneuvering your vehicle into the last available spot. Finally at work, 7:22 a.m. Heading towards the meeting room your mind is racing, I'm not making up an excuse I'm just going to tell him like it is... these meetings are a waste of time anyways... I hope I let the dog back in the house...that cop has a lot of nerve. When you walk in the meeting room little Miss Brown-Noser's look of satisfaction is apparent, "Nice of you to catch the last five minutes," she says. "I'm sorry, I got pulled over and," you try to explain. "Save it, I want you in my office after the meeting," your boss demands.

While listening to the boss' lecture in his office you begin to try and justify your reason for being late. I'm not a bad person, you thought. I am a hard worker and I should be a valued employee, so why is this guy ripping me a new one for missing a meeting that revolved around little Miss Brown-Noser pointing out everyone's mistakes... that's it I'm better than this I have had enough! In the midst of your boss rambling on about using Miss Brown-Noser as an example, you stand up and let him know exactly how you feel. "I am a valuable asset to your company and me missing that silly meeting does not change that! I have put in too many years of hard work here to be spoken to like that, and I won't tolerate it. I will be packing my office and leaving to day sir." Maybe Miss Brown-Noser can do my job a little bit better," you said as you walked out of his office.

Yes! You did it! No more rushing in the mornings, working day and night to make someone else rich, and most importantly no more missing out on your children's lives. Before you leave the office you print out a list of clients that you have been working with for a while along with their contact information, smile at Brown-Noser and let her know that she can have your office now, then walk out the doors. You've never felt better, your done working for "the man" you're going to do this on your own. I've always dreamed of having my own business, and now is the time!

So, you're done working for pennies and want to make it big on your own, huh?

Wait! Don't quit your day job just yet, there is much more to running a successful business than meets the eye. As a woman there are many challenges in starting your own business, but some perks are in it as well. First, you must be up to the challenge. Let's face it; due to decades of stereotyping genders, women are (in most cases) not taken seriously in the business world. You must have a solid foundation for your business. Knowledge, funding, a well thought out business plan, and the right network to name just a few fundamentals.

Answering these questions will head you in the right direction to coming up with your business plan's key points:

What type of business do you want? Examples to consider- sole proprietorship, partnership, not-for-profit, franchise.

Where will your business be and who would purchase your products/services? Small retail shop for women, Web based Internet site for parents, Warehouse providing business to business sales.

Who are your competitors? Is that business needed in that area? What road bumps may you encounter? Add "Why?" to all of your answers, to get a better understanding of why exactly you chose that idea.

How will you fund your business to get it up and going?

As you can see many doors open when you decide you are ready to start your own business, until you get to that last question, how will you fund your business?. Maybe money isn't what's holding you back, but for most, finances are the reason they continue working for "the man" and keep their entrepreneur dreams quiet. As a woman there are many federal and state grants available to you, but I will explain that in detail another day. For now focus on your ideas and begin implementing a plan. Maybe starting with your mission statement will help you establish that solid foundation you are seeking. Join a business organization in your community to get ideas, find mentors, and build your network.

The woman in this story took her clients information with her, so maybe she had been thinking about this for a while. Illegal? Maybe under some circumstances. Maybe she just wants their addresses to send them a brochure of her new company when it's up and running. The point is, the job you have now may be an important stepping stone for the future success in your own business. Keep your clients close and your boss' clients closer, you never know where you will be in 10 years!

Keep posted on my progress to my own business and new tips. In the meantime, get to work on your business plan!