There’s a lot being written today about people quitting their job and starting their own business or even creating a side hustle. Given the upheaval during the pandemic and the number of layoffs in the past month it’s understandable. On top of these factors, people are starting to wonder if they have a bullshit job. So for a variety of reasons, people are looking hard at becoming Entrepreneurs.
I did the entrepreneur thing back in the early 80s after my first radio sales job. I got started at the very beginning of the video rental boom. At first, I subleased space in liquor stores (in Nebraska you couldn’t buy beer or other alcohol anywhere but a liquor store). I ended up duplicating that effort in several other cities in my home state and then got blown out by the precursors to Blockbuster. Then I went to Austin and created a small company that produced tourism videos that ran on the hotel TVs in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston. We made money by selling commercials that ran between the segments. That was sustainable for a few years until I sold out to better-funded media companies. I don’t miss being a business owner. There’s something better…being an Intrapreneur!
Being an intrapreneur is so much better. Instead of risking all your money and not making anything in the early years as a business owner, you get to earn a salary/draw + commissions as you “build your business” (your personal list of clients). Unlike a business owner, you are not the last person to get paid; nor do you have to worry about all the crap (paperwork, taxes, employees not showing up to work) that goes with being a small business owner. While being a Salesperson is not the only example of an intrapreneur, it’s the best one!
If you are a business owner you spend “some” of your time looking for/attracting new customers. As a salesperson, you spend ALL OF YOUR TIME looking for new clients! As a business owner you know the more you sell, the more money you make. It’s the same thing in sales!!
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to your future and the role work plays in the outcome…but both common sense and experience led me to believe being a salesperson is a dream job (see what I did there!).
Happy Selling!