Could a risk-averse accountant ever embrace the world of entrepreneurship? From our perspective, absolutely.
This career transformation is certainly feasible. Accountants who become entrepreneurs often share three specific traits. If you have ever considered being your own boss, this post is for you. Read on.
Willingness To Do It All
A true entrepreneur understands that the buck stops with them. Whether it’s sourcing new clients, crunching numbers, or devising marketing strategies, entrepreneurs possess a willingness to step outside of their comfort zone and do what needs to be done to grow the business. Mahmood Malik, CGA left his job to be a part owner in a Halal grocery store. He reflected on how much broader his world became when he made the leap. “As a CGA and an accountant I spent my time crunching numbers. Now that I have a business, I am out in the front selling and trying to make my company grow.”
Acceptance of Risk
If you want to leave your accounting job and become an entrepreneur, understand that risk will be a part of your daily experience. As an accountant you have a steady paycheque. As an entrepreneur there is no safety net, but if you’re willing to take the risk to gain the reward, heading in this direction may be the right move for you.
Involve Others
Part of your planning process must be to share your ideas with people you trust. These people cannot be “yes” people. That has no value. Instead, they must be individuals who will challenge your ideas, help you devise workable solutions and fundamentally make your business concept stronger. Ideally, they would have a business background and complementary skill sets.
Part of growing as an individual is to step outside of your comfort zone, take a risk and accept the results. And while being an entrepreneur isn’t for every accountant, there are some of us who could certainly benefit from giving it a try.
Let us know what you think! At Clarity Recruitment, we’re always interested in hearing from accounting and finance professionals like yourselves, who are ready for new, exciting opportunities that can take their careers to the next level. And be sure to follow us on Twitter (@clarityrecruits) and connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook for more great tips and advice.
