It's a title
 

Okay, I agree with many of these posts (except the one who had a teacher being an entrepeneur and Michael, I happen to love alegebra and use it all the time, if only to amuse myself )

However, let me give you a different point of view: it is only a fancy title. I know a lot of people who are in busines for themselves and they don't think of themselves as entrepeneurs but as mechanics, plumbers, salesmen, etc. and, at the most businessmen. They define themselves by what they do, not by the fact that they own and run their own business (and many of the people I know are highly succesful in their feilds).

Here's a story that I love. It happened about quite a few years ago but I never will forget it. Without the entire back story (the main thing needed to know is that my Dad had his own business for many years before this and my sister was on a "title trip" - she was an assistant manager at a store - funny thing was, there were only assistantant managers and managers at that store, no clerks). Anyways, we were at some fancy resteruant (impressin her future in-laws) and she was making a big deal about her job. Dad made some comment regarding her being so imoressed with her "title" even though it really didn't mean anything and she replied that everyone needed a title and they were important.

He replied asking what his title was and she replied "You're an entrpeneur."

Dad replied (and on a side note, fancy resteraunts are not his thing), "Hell no, I'm a ditch digger". My siter and her futire in-laws were mortified but I found it funny.

[side note - Dad installs and repairs water systems hence the ditch digger"]

The point is: many (and i could tell you more stories) of the entrepeneurs I know think of it as only a fancy title.

Tam

It isn't what they teach. It is, how they teach it.
 

> Besides these... the system really is geared
> up to produce good little worker bees.

Sure, while at school, they may show you a few pictures, and tell you a couple of stories. Heck, they might even ask you a question. They could care less about the answer, right or wrong.

School is a systematic approach to teaching those who would lead mediocre lives, how to get along and provide for themselves.

By going to school, you learn that 5 days a week you must get out of bed at a designated time, get ready and leave the house. You must be at school/work, the same time everyday, and follow the schedule during the day for your coffee breaks/recess. The school dictates your free time, including days off and vacations, just as a future employer will do.

It's conditioning — pure and simple.

Best Regards,
Steve MacLellan


homebusiness-websites.com

Exsqueeze Me?
 

> Who are you to tell me, that i'm not allowed
> to be, or should not be an entrepreneur?

Please point out where I said you were not allowed to be or should not be an entrepreneur.

I find your comments
> somewhat problematic and dare i say
> 'shallow'. I find it also interesting how
> you position education, teachers and
> children for that matter.

Would you please explain what you mean.

HOW are my comments problematic and shallow?

HOW do I position education, teachers and children?

> I had a fair idea of what being
> entrepreneurial was, i was just looking for
> others views.

The only way you can know what being an entrepreneur is like is to be one. The only way it can be explained to you is by one.

Instead of "entrepreneur" think "Champion Basketball Player."

The only way to KNOW what being a Champion Basketball Player is like is to be one. The only people who can explain what being a champion basketball player is like, is one.

You have to walk in the shoes of an entrepreneur to "get it."

I guess that's what you've
> given me, your view. I suppose you could say
> that teaching is my CORE business. Yes i am
> working for the government, BUT the reason
> why i decided to become a teacher was not so
> i can say i work for someone like the
> government, (frankly i think the government
> has a lot to answer for educational wise) it
> was to work for children, and the
> satisfaction that their learning brings me.

Wow... this sounds almost identicle to what the left uses as arguements all the time... for the children.

> Why can't i be an entrepreneur in this
> profession?

You cannot be an entrepreneur when you are an employee. Dennis covered this already.

Truth is, i know next year when
> i am teaching in my first class I WILL BE AN
> ENTREPRENEUR. As you stated Doing those
> things - organizing, managing and assuming
> the risk of a business or enterprise - makes
> someone an entrepreneur (whether they claim
> it or not). That's what teaching is all
> about, organising and managing both mine,
> and the children's learning. It is also
> about taking risks in the classroom, and it
> is this type of behaviour that will make ME
> a better teacher.

Boy, are you in for a RUDE shock next year when you are teaching in your first class.

The restrictions on teachers are AMAZING.

How are your Lesson Plans? Not much freedom there, hey? Got to do the Lesson Plan otherwise the supervising teacher will not pass you.

How far "off topic" do you think you are allowed to teach?

FACT: You, as a qualified teacher, have to follow so many rules and regulations it is not funny.

> I challenge you to think of entrepreneurs in
> a new light after you have read this.

I challenge you to answer my previous question... why have you chosen to work for someone else instead of yourself?

Of
> course you could just sit back and say that
> this woman has completely no idea, but one
> must wonder how entrepreneurial you would be
> if you were to take on this somewhat
> simplistic and naive view.

What simplistic and naive view are you talking about?

By the way... I do find one thing disturbing about your post... the constant use of the lower-case "I" when it is not in a word. Eg. "Truth is, i know next year when i am teaching in my..."

Next year you say you will be teaching. Yet this year you are using lower case letters where upper case letters should be used. Will your bad habits be passed on?

Teachers have to set examples. Using correct basic letter case is one of them.

How come this has not been brought to your attention before?

I assume it has not otherwise it would have been corrected.

Michael Ross

Don't let anyone sway you from your course!
 

Hi,

> Few people accept that 'braindead' activity
> that pays the bills while I come to grips
> with my damned 'reluctant entrepreneur' is
> all I want.

Continue on your path toward self revelation, and don't let anyone divert you! If you wander off the path now, all will be lost.

Sincerely,

- Boyd

How do you answer when they ask - "What DO you do?"
 

Hi Tam,

Thanks for telling that great story about your Dad. He seems like a real down-to-earth kinda guy.... :)

It's amazing how everyone is some kind of "manager" nowadays.... It just devalues the word "manager".

I'm sure that before too long, soon all we'll have are "CEOs" and "assistant CEO's"! :)

I remember reading a story about a guy who was running his own one-person business. In order to make the business "look" bigger, he had a number of "titles" he used...

Sometimes he was the "delivery man", sometimes he was the "advertising manager", and sometimes he as the "CEO" - depending on who he was talking to!

(I guess when you work for your own business - you can give yourself whatever title you want...)

Part of this boils down to - what do you answer when people ask you "what do you do"? We've talked about this on Sowpub before.... Many of us wear "many hats" in our businesses, so how do you answer "what DO you do?"

It's something you really have to think about - how to answer that question when it's asked - if you're in business for yourself! (At the moment, I tend to say I'm an "online publisher" - even though that's only part of what I do....)

- Dien

Re: How do you answer when they ask - "What DO you do?"
 

Hi!

> Thanks for telling that great story about
> your Dad. He seems like a real down-to-earth
> kinda guy.... :)

I'm glad you enjoyed it and he is very down to earth. I keep thinking that one of these days I need to compile a bunch of stories about him and the business along with some basic business info into a book.

> It's amazing how everyone is some kind of
> "manager" nowadays.... It just
> devalues the word "manager".

Yep! people are title groupies - hey, i have a fancy title so that means something. Personally, when I wasn't working for myself, i could care less what the title was (didn't care for prestige) I just cared about the weekly check and whether I enjoyed what i was doing.

> I'm sure that before too long, soon all
> we'll have are "CEOs" and
> "assistant CEO's"! :)

LOL!

> I remember reading a story about a guy who
> was running his own one-person business. In
> order to make the business "look"
> bigger, he had a number of
> "titles" he used...

> Sometimes he was the "delivery
> man", sometimes he was the
> "advertising manager", and
> sometimes he as the "CEO" -
> depending on who he was talking to!

Sometimes that comes in handy though. I have always helped in the folks' business and have had to give myself titles just to accomplish things. I have authority but we don't use titles, so when i run into something where you need to have a certain title to approve of things - I grant myself that title. Owner's daughter usually doesn't cut it. :)

> Part of this boils down to - what do you
> answer when people ask you "what do you
> do"? We've talked about this on Sowpub
> before.... Many of us wear "many
> hats" in our businesses, so how do you
> answer "what DO you do?"

> It's something you really have to think
> about - how to answer that question when
> it's asked - if you're in business for
> yourself! (At the moment, I tend to say I'm
> an "online publisher" - even
> though that's only part of what I do....)

Ah, that's the fun question! i use a f ew different ones. I have been know to simply say "I work for myself" but usually I try to describe what I do for my clients (not the behind the seens business stuff). No titles - just a description, although depending on what all i want to include, it can get lengthy. :)

Have a good night!

Tam

(late comment)
 

> I've seen jobs require a diploma of science.
> Thing is... those who get the job - and thus
> have the diploma - needed to be taught
> everything about the job because the tasks
> of the job were not taught during the
> diploma. I have seen unqualified people
> doing those same tasks - as a fill-in when
> the diploma holder was unable for a variety
> of reasons.

That's because what is needed for the job can't be taught.

Take my job. I'm a computer geek.

When I was hired in, PCs were just beginning to be used as business tools. So there was no course for me to learn from and I had to know how to teach myself and then teach others. This is not a skill you can train anyone at, but a broad educational background gives you the skills and tools (good old scientific method plus some education courses) to develop new things.

When my company wanted a website, they did so early on. I'd never seen a webiste and the only thing I did on Internet was chat. I'd been employed for 10 years and there was no way my education could have taught me something that didn't exist. However, because I had art courses and some literature courses, I could put together a credible website.

When we needed to ensure our host against hacker attacks, there were no courses in 'dealing with hackers.' Again, I had to use my background to decide where the greatest problems lay and how to get the information to deal with it.

Scientific method.

I have used everything I know in coming up with creative solutions to situations in my job. You could never have trained anyone to do this nor could you have ever figured out the required skill set I need today some 20 years ago when I was hired.

Now -- this MIGHT be true if all you did was type and answer phones or run a sales register or work in a factory or drive a truck (and those are good jobs, by the way.) But for white collar jobs (such as technical jobs), those are actually rather important and will be used in some measure or another at sometime during your career.

Re: How do you answer when they ask - "What DO you do?"
 

I find this whole conversation very interesting. This whole entrepreneur conversation has made me remember why I became an entrepreneur. I dont think a person just wakes up one morning and says, "I think I will start a business today." There is something inside that person, a desire if you will, that makes them take the "plung." For many years I would only take on opportunities that posed "little risk." Then after a while I realized that risk is risk. Do you know where I learned that, in college. I will say I had the hardest time getting through high school and college, but I think it left me with a foundation, a basic set of rules to follow. Does that mean I always follow the rules, "heaven NO," but what it does for me is gives me a place to start again when I fail. Do entrepreneurs fail? Dont answer that question.
Anyway, I was very interested in hearing the different thoughts and opinions.