盧克•約翰遜
親愛的21歲的你，
你剛剛走出大學校門，還不知道以後的路該怎麽走。你一直努力想找到一份不錯的工作，但就是沒有什麽讓你感到興奮的工作。
我的建議很簡單：別去找工作，而是創造一份工作——你自己的工作。冒險一搏，去創業，享受一種自由和獨立的感覺——這種感覺是不可能從打工生活中獲得的。
關於如何實現這一目標，這里有幾條建議。
●不要把經營自己的企業看成一種職業，你應該明白，創業比一份職業包含的東西多得多。如果你想成功，就要準備好做出犧牲。你會延遲享樂——可能不得不推遲休假、推遲買房，甚至推遲組建家庭。
在你這個年齡去冒險要好於以後冒險，因為現在你肩上沒有多少責任。大多數偉大的企業家都是從年輕時起步的。畢竟，現在你有什麽好失去的呢？
●不要擔心沒有一個偉大的點子：如果你睜大眼睛，你會發現身邊機會多多。看看其他企業的成功之處，然後將其引入你的企業。
我喜歡Springwise.com這個網站，它為有抱負的企業家提供了許多點子和創意。註冊該網站，在全世界搜索靈感，或者完全追隨你的心，做你熱愛的事情。
●找一兩個合夥人——與單槍匹馬相比，團隊行動永遠有更大的勝算。作為一個團隊，你們將從客戶、資助者和供應商那裡獲得更多信賴。但要謹慎選擇你的合作夥伴，這條冒險之路有起有落，你需要的是具備合適技能和性情的人，各項素質可以與你互補的人。
● 不要說你沒有資金，而是去找一項不需要融資的業務。你或許可以利用供應商貸款或獲取補助，或者從客戶那裡獲得預付款。現在正是發揮你的想象力、解決資金缺口的時候。
●隨時隨地聽取建議。對於初創企業而言，如今可利用的資源比以往任何時候都多：從Mentorsme等指導組織和Seedcamp等創業孵化活動，到有關如何尋找辦公場所和最棒技術的各種建議。做好功課，永遠不要停止學習。
● 獲取有關你所在行業的專業知識。你必須盡快成為一名專家，瞭解你所在的市場、競爭對手、利潤率、貨源、定價，等等。找到與你情況相關的案例，看案例分析。在學校里參加的那些考試只是彩排，這才是真正的“考試”，你真的需要好好準備。
●出門銷售。在創始人沒有學會如何說服客戶購買之前，任何企業都無法起步。銷售技能需要恆心、熱情和信念。與生命中一切有價值的東西一樣，掌握這項技能也需要練習和自信心。完成第一筆銷售的時刻將讓你銘記終身。
●挫折和失敗是不可避免的。每一家成功的企業身下，都有無數失敗的企業墊底。如果成功得來容易的話，那麽它的滋味也就沒有那麽甘甜了。在數字時代，人們能夠以比以往任何時候都更廉價和更迅速的方式進行嘗試。結束註定失敗的項目，然後繼續前進。你將從這些錯誤中得到教訓，下一次會做的更好。
●如果可能的話，向海外進軍。你可能不想移居海外，但如果有利可圖的話，就瞄準世界市場吧。通過在線營銷和現代化物流，你的業務可以遍及數百個國家——一個擁有70億消費者的市場正在那裡等著你。
●撰寫一份商業計劃。把夢想轉化為文字，這是一種極為有用的訓練。這將迫使你理性的理清自己的想法，你也有了一份文件，可以給別人看，其中有人可能會成為你的資助者。當你寫下一份計劃時，不知怎的，這個事情似乎總會變得靠譜了一些。
我相信，大多數人心中都有一個企業，只要我們釋放自己的本能。它可能是你真正的事業，也有可能只是一個短暫的嘗試，但若不親自試一試，你永遠都不知道自己是否本來有希望成功。冒險但失敗了，無疑要比永遠不去冒險更好，不是嗎？你需要很好的運氣和耐力，不管出現了什麽問題，還都要保持樂觀，但至少，你取得的所有成就，功勞都屬於你。
祝你好運，大膽開始吧！
盧克
Take the plunge for a life of freedom
Dear 21-year-old,
You have just left university, and you’re wondering what to do with your life. You have struggled to find a decent job and there just aren’t any available that excite you.
My simple advice is: don’t take a job, but make a job instead – your own. Take the plunge, become an entrepreneur and experience a sense of freedom and independence that is impossible to find as an employee.
Here are a few pointers on how to make that goal a reality.
● Don’t think of running your own business as a career – see it as far more all-encompassing than that. Be prepared to make sacrifices if you want to succeed. There will be delayed gratification – you may have to put off going on holiday, buying a home or even having a family.
It is better to take risks at your age, when you have so few responsibilities, than later. Most great entrepreneurs started young. After all – what have you to lose?
● Don’t worry about having a great idea – there are thousands of opportunities around if you open your eyes. Find out what has worked elsewhere and introduce it to your community.
I like the site Springwise.com, which offers tips and ideas for aspiring entrepreneurs. Enlist the web to search the world for inspiration – or simply follow your passion and do what you love.
● Find a partner or two – teams always have a better chance of making it than solo operators. Together you will have more credibility with customers, backers and suppliers. But choose your fellow adventurer carefully – the journey will have ups and downs and you need someone with the right skills and temperament, whose qualities complement yours.
● Don’t say you haven’t got any capital – instead find a business that doesn’t need funding. You might use supplier credit or get a grant, or get paid by clients in advance – now is the time to use your imagination to solve the financing gap.
● Take advice from anywhere and everywhere. There are more resources for start-ups than ever before – from mentor organisations such as Mentorsme and events such as Seedcamp to tips on finding space and the best technology. Do your research and never stop learning.
● Acquire domain knowledge about your industry.You must become an expert as quickly as possible – understanding your local market, competitors, the margins, sourcing, pricing and so forth. Find examples of case studies relevant to your situation. Doing exams at school and college was a rehearsal – this is the real thing, where you really need to do your revision.
● Go out and sell. No business takes off without a founder learning how to convince customers to buy. It will require persistence, enthusiasm and belief. Like everything worthwhile in life, it takes practice and self-confidence. You will remember the moment you close your first sale for the rest of your life.
● Setbacks and failure go with the territory. Every winning company is constructed on the corpses of losing ones. Victory would not taste so sweet if it were easy. The digital world allows one to experiment more cheaply and swiftly than ever before. Kill the doomed projects and move on. You will learn from such mistakes and do better next time.
● Go global if you can. You might not want to emigrate, but aim to serve the world if it makes economic sense. Via online marketing and modern logistics you can reach hundreds of countries – there is a market of 7bn consumers out there.
● Write a business plan. Putting your dreams down on paper is an invaluable discipline. It will force you to think through your concept in a rational way and give you a document to present to others who might support you. Somehow it always seems more real when you have written down a plan.
I believe there is a business in most of us, if we only unleash those animal spirits. It might be your true vocation, or perhaps a temporary phase – but unless you try, you will forever wonder if you could have been a contender. Better surely, to have risked and lost, than never risked at all? You will need good fortune and stamina and to stay optimistic no matter what goes wrong, but at least you will be able to claim the credit for your achievements.
Good luck – and go for it!
Luke
Dear 21-year-old,
You have just left university, and you’re wondering what to do with your life. You have struggled to find a decent job and there just aren’t any available that excite you.My simple advice is: don’t take a job, but make a job instead – your own. Take the plunge, become an entrepreneur and experience a sense of freedom and independence that is impossible to find as an employee.
Here are a few pointers on how to make that goal a reality.
● Don’t think of running your own business as a career – see it as far more all-encompassing than that. Be prepared to make sacrifices if you want to succeed. There will be delayed gratification – you may have to put off going on holiday, buying a home or even having a family.
It is better to take risks at your age, when you have so few responsibilities, than later. Most great entrepreneurs started young. After all – what have you to lose?● Don’t worry about having a great idea – there are thousands of opportunities around if you open your eyes. Find out what has worked elsewhere and introduce it to your community.
I like the site Springwise.com, which offers tips and ideas for aspiring entrepreneurs. Enlist the web to search the world for inspiration – or simply follow your passion and do what you love.
● Find a partner or two – teams always have a better chance of making it than solo operators. Together you will have more credibility with customers, backers and suppliers. But choose your fellow adventurer carefully – the journey will have ups and downs and you need someone with the right skills and temperament, whose qualities complement yours.
● Don’t say you haven’t got any capital – instead find a business that doesn’t need funding. You might use supplier credit or get a grant, or get paid by clients in advance – now is the time to use your imagination to solve the financing gap.
● Take advice from anywhere and everywhere. There are more resources for start-ups than ever before – from mentor organisations such as Mentorsme and events such as Seedcamp to tips on finding space and the best technology. Do your research and never stop learning.
● Acquire domain knowledge about your industry.You must become an expert as quickly as possible – understanding your local market, competitors, the margins, sourcing, pricing and so forth. Find examples of case studies relevant to your situation. Doing exams at school and college was a rehearsal – this is the real thing, where you really need to do your revision.
● Go out and sell. No business takes off without a founder learning how to convince customers to buy. It will require persistence, enthusiasm and belief. Like everything worthwhile in life, it takes practice and self-confidence. You will remember the moment you close your first sale for the rest of your life.
● Setbacks and failure go with the territory. Every winning company is constructed on the corpses of losing ones. Victory would not taste so sweet if it were easy. The digital world allows one to experiment more cheaply and swiftly than ever before. Kill the doomed projects and move on. You will learn from such mistakes and do better next time.
● Go global if you can. You might not want to emigrate, but aim to serve the world if it makes economic sense. Via online marketing and modern logistics you can reach hundreds of countries – there is a market of 7bn consumers out there.
● Write a business plan. Putting your dreams down on paper is an invaluable discipline. It will force you to think through your concept in a rational way and give you a document to present to others who might support you. Somehow it always seems more real when you have written down a plan.
I believe there is a business in most of us, if we only unleash those animal spirits. It might be your true vocation, or perhaps a temporary phase – but unless you try, you will forever wonder if you could have been a contender. Better surely, to have risked and lost, than never risked at all? You will need good fortune and stamina and to stay optimistic no matter what goes wrong, but at least you will be able to claim the credit for your achievements.
Good luck – and go for it!
Luke
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