How to Start Your Business Journey: The Unexpected First Step

When most people think about starting a business, they imagine quitting their job, taking a risk, and diving headfirst into entrepreneurship. But what if I told you that one of the most valuable steps you could take toward building a successful business is actually getting a job first?

I know, it sounds counterintuitive. After all, isn't the whole point of entrepreneurship to escape the 9-to-5 grind? But bear with me—this unconventional advice might be exactly what you need to hear.

Why Working for Someone Else Makes You a Better Entrepreneur

Most business books won't tell you this. They're filled with stories of college dropouts who built billion-dollar companies from their garages. These stories make for inspiring reading, but they're outliers—exceptions, not the rule.

The reality is that many successful entrepreneurs spent years working for others, learning the ropes, observing both good and bad business practices, and building the skills they would later apply to their own ventures.

Think of it as a paid apprenticeship in entrepreneurship. You're getting compensated while someone else takes all the risk and teaches you valuable lessons about running a business.

Small Business Experience: The Golden Ticket

If you're going to follow this advice, here's a crucial tip: aim to work for a small business rather than a large corporation.

Why? Because small businesses operate with fewer resources and people, yet they still need to accomplish all the essential business functions. This creates an environment where each employee wears multiple hats and gets exposed to various aspects of the business.

This diversity of experience is invaluable. When you eventually launch your own business, you won't be starting from scratch. You'll have a mental framework for how the different parts of a business fit together.

Treat Your Job as a Business Laboratory

Working for someone else's business gives you a unique opportunity: you can observe and learn from their decisions without bearing the consequences of mistakes.

Here's how to maximize this learning experience:

• Take detailed notes about business decisions you observe—both good and bad
• Document why you think certain decisions were made and what the outcomes were
• Consider what you would have done differently and why
• Learn as many positions and roles as possible
• Build relationships with customers, suppliers, and regulators

These stakeholders can provide invaluable perspectives on what people want from businesses in your industry. Their feedback might reveal opportunities that the current business isn't capitalizing on—opportunities that could become the foundation for your future venture.

Experiencing the Entrepreneurial Lifestyle

Another benefit of working for a small business is that you'll get a taste of what entrepreneurship really feels like. You'll experience:

• Long hours and demanding workloads
• Being one person doing the job of five
• Making important decisions with limited information
• Problem-solving on the fly

This experience will help you build both the mental resilience and practical skills required for entrepreneurship. It's a way to prepare your mind and body for the challenges ahead.

Becoming a Business Generalist

In today's specialized world, many people develop deep expertise in one narrow area. But as an entrepreneur—especially in the early stages of your business—you'll need to be a generalist.

When you first start out, you won't have a marketing department, an accounting team, or a customer service division. You'll be all of those things rolled into one person.

Working in a small business gives you the opportunity to develop this generalist mindset. You'll learn a little bit about a lot of different business functions, which is exactly what you need when you're wearing all the hats in your own company.

Moving Forward: A Parallel Process

An important note: this step doesn't exist in isolation. You don't need to put your entrepreneurial dreams on hold while you work for someone else.

Instead, think of this as a parallel process. Continue reading, learning, and planning your business while you gain practical experience through employment. Use what you learn each day at your job to inform your business plans.

The experience you gain working for others will make your eventual leap into entrepreneurship less risky and more likely to succeed. It's not about delaying your dreams—it's about building a stronger foundation for them.