Showing posts with label self-employment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self-employment. Show all posts
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Is Marisa Mayer Going Backwards With Her Telecommuting Policy?
All Yahoo employees must work in the office by June this year, so said the new CEO of Yahoo, Marisa Mayer. In the past decade with the advancement of technology, telecommuting has been applauded as breaking the traditional 9-5 clock system.
I remember when I first started working the first thing I was introduced in my orientation was the punch card system. Every morning, this little event of making sure my punch card produces black print sweat me out quite a bit especially if my bus was running late. I would be rushing like a mad lady if I discovered that I might get a red print. Needless to say, it’s stressful. I’m so glad those days were over.
With the advancement of technology, telecommuting was introduced. It was good news to many especially for jobs that do not require physical presence in the office all the time. To me, this idea is progressive and liberating. We are after all adults that know our job and what it takes to do a good job. If we do not meet the standards or targets set, the consequences are clear. We don’t need a “referee” to look over our shoulders all the time and certainly the reason of not performing if ever is not due to not enough time spent in the office!
One of the best benefits of telecommuting is that it saved a lot of time – it makes so much sense especially when work can be done in the comfort of a home or anywhere else besides the office – not to mention the stress from beating the traffic and as a result, more time can be spent with family and etc. If a worker can generate same results, i.e., no effect on the job performance, why telecommuting is a bad idea now?
I’m not sure whether Yahoo has done a feasibility study before they came out with this policy or not. If they have hard evidence that concluded telecommuting was bad for business, I would like to hear it.
So far the only rationale of why the shift is that they believe by having everyone in the office, they will have many "fun" new initiatives, people feel "energy and buzz" when they work in the office, and some of the "best" work is done when you run into someone in the hallway. This sounds more like “we wish this will happen if everyone is around.”
I don’t deny physical meetings are powerful and the connection generated from such can rarely be replaced by a virtual set-up. It’s like the Recruiters conducting a face-to-face interview – it certainly gives us more information as compared to a tele-interview or via a google hangout.
However, in our context of work, there are some work like programming and writing that are best done in a place that the individual feels most comfortable – more likely achieved in the comfort of his home. Why restrict that? Of course, there is some type of work in which regular communication with colleagues help, say marketing. And therefore, meet up in the office and brainstorm! Why can’t there be options and flexibility? It’s an irony to see a technology company taking this step.
From the hiring strategy perspective, it might not augur well when companies like Virgin encourages people to work wherever they work best, whether that be from home or from the office.
So, if you are a talent, which company will you choose to work - Yahoo or Virgin?
Friday, December 10, 2010
So You Think You Want To Be Self-employed?
It was some time ago now that I chucked my job and became self-employed. Why do I become self-employed? Is it for better money? Is it because I wanted to escape the stress of climbing the corporate ladder? Well, it’s certainly not because of the money for many who are employed earn much better. I often say it’s because I hated to be told what to do by someone else...:)
You probably have a good reason why you wanted to consider self-employment. But like any career move, it’s good to take the time to think deep and wide for this one. Unlike employment in which you can give up by handing a resignation letter, the stakes are higher when running your own business.
Well, besides having to slog it out during the initial period (ranges from months to even years) learning and doing things that perhaps not your strengths such as handling financial figures and going out making contacts with strangers, I felt there are some primary stuff that you need to consider before you take the plunge - stuff that will determine whether you have the package to make it or not.
1. What is the world you want to create? It simply means a vision and without a clear picture of what you want to achieve, you won’t last very long. When things did not turn out as expected, you would simply give up. Well, not everyone wants to make a million and going into self-employment may simply means you get to do what you love. Yet, you still need to visualize the world you wish to create.
2. Do you have some reserves? You can plan and budget well but sometimes things just don’t fit nicely according to your schedule. A hint: most of the times they don’t anyway. So, do you have enough reserves that you can rely on? Are you ready to go without pay for a few months?
3. Can you handle uncertainties well? In other words, do you have the mental strength? The uncertainties can be daunting. The market is changing all the time and you need to change and adjust that includes getting your hands dirty, charting into unfamiliar territory and taking risks. When the money is not coming in, what do you do? Sit and sulk? Mental strength is so crucial for there might be a lot of naysayers telling you that you won’t make it.
How do you stay positive and focused all the time? Speaking from experience, it’s easy said than done. I certainly experienced times when I have my doubts and to tell you that I can always perk myself up is a lie. I felt one of the things that had helped me is to surround myself with positive people. You need that as it takes a lot to stay motivated so that in turn, you can motivate and inspire your team. In this case, I’m thankful to my spouse. The fact he is also running his own business helps much. His empathy, support and encouragement during the tough times mean a lot.
Laughter, humor and other positive elements such as an inspiring book help too. You need to learn to stop and think, evaluate and restrategize and above all, not to take yourself too seriously. When things failed, you can basically say, "ok, it's a mistake. Learn from it and let's move on..." I must say experiencing failure is part and parcel of the whole deal and it's not a bad thing anyway. You get the opportunity to stretch your creativity and to know you are capable of doing so can be a very fulfilling experience.
I cannot stress enough the uncertainties you might face. So, if you are employed and happened to rank stability as one of the most important things in career or life, I can tell you right way that self-employment is not cut for you. I have friends that started with much excitement but the unpredictability stressed them out so much that they have to call it quits within a short span of time.
If you are unsure whether self-employment is your thing but seriously thinking about it, perhaps going part-time may help you to test the water. Guess what, some businesses continue to stay as part-time businesses and that might be the better option and probably what you are looking for.
Popular Part-time Jobs In Malaysia
7 Most Popular Freelance Jobs
You probably have a good reason why you wanted to consider self-employment. But like any career move, it’s good to take the time to think deep and wide for this one. Unlike employment in which you can give up by handing a resignation letter, the stakes are higher when running your own business.
Well, besides having to slog it out during the initial period (ranges from months to even years) learning and doing things that perhaps not your strengths such as handling financial figures and going out making contacts with strangers, I felt there are some primary stuff that you need to consider before you take the plunge - stuff that will determine whether you have the package to make it or not.
1. What is the world you want to create? It simply means a vision and without a clear picture of what you want to achieve, you won’t last very long. When things did not turn out as expected, you would simply give up. Well, not everyone wants to make a million and going into self-employment may simply means you get to do what you love. Yet, you still need to visualize the world you wish to create.
2. Do you have some reserves? You can plan and budget well but sometimes things just don’t fit nicely according to your schedule. A hint: most of the times they don’t anyway. So, do you have enough reserves that you can rely on? Are you ready to go without pay for a few months?
3. Can you handle uncertainties well? In other words, do you have the mental strength? The uncertainties can be daunting. The market is changing all the time and you need to change and adjust that includes getting your hands dirty, charting into unfamiliar territory and taking risks. When the money is not coming in, what do you do? Sit and sulk? Mental strength is so crucial for there might be a lot of naysayers telling you that you won’t make it.
How do you stay positive and focused all the time? Speaking from experience, it’s easy said than done. I certainly experienced times when I have my doubts and to tell you that I can always perk myself up is a lie. I felt one of the things that had helped me is to surround myself with positive people. You need that as it takes a lot to stay motivated so that in turn, you can motivate and inspire your team. In this case, I’m thankful to my spouse. The fact he is also running his own business helps much. His empathy, support and encouragement during the tough times mean a lot.
Laughter, humor and other positive elements such as an inspiring book help too. You need to learn to stop and think, evaluate and restrategize and above all, not to take yourself too seriously. When things failed, you can basically say, "ok, it's a mistake. Learn from it and let's move on..." I must say experiencing failure is part and parcel of the whole deal and it's not a bad thing anyway. You get the opportunity to stretch your creativity and to know you are capable of doing so can be a very fulfilling experience.
I cannot stress enough the uncertainties you might face. So, if you are employed and happened to rank stability as one of the most important things in career or life, I can tell you right way that self-employment is not cut for you. I have friends that started with much excitement but the unpredictability stressed them out so much that they have to call it quits within a short span of time.
If you are unsure whether self-employment is your thing but seriously thinking about it, perhaps going part-time may help you to test the water. Guess what, some businesses continue to stay as part-time businesses and that might be the better option and probably what you are looking for.
Popular Part-time Jobs In Malaysia
7 Most Popular Freelance Jobs
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Employment Landscape Is Changing
The market place as we speak is changing very rapidly. I came across an article, “The Next American Frontier” written by Michael S. Malone and I felt his insights on the new age is so spot-on that I believe this is not going to happen only in America but all around the world.
Newspapers are dying, networks are dying, and if teenage boys playing GTA 4 andWorld of Warcraft have any say about it, so is television. More than 200 million people now belong to just two social networks: MySpace and Facebook. And there are more than 80 million videos on YouTube, all put there by the same individual initiative.
The most compelling statistic of all? Half of all new college graduates now believe that self-employment is more secure than a full-time job. Today, 80% of the colleges and universities in the U.S. now offer courses on entrepreneurship; 60% of Gen Y business owners consider themselves to be serial entrepreneurs, according to Inc. magazine. Tellingly, 18 to 24-year-olds are starting companies at a faster rate than 35 to 44-year-olds. And 70% of today's high schoolers intend to start their own companies, according to a Gallup poll.
An upcoming wave of new workers in our society will never work for an established company if they can help it. To them, having a traditional job is one of the biggest career failures they can imagine.
We do not have to wait for another five years to see this phenomena taking place locally. This fundamental shift as I blog is happening right beneath our feet whether we like it or not. One clear evidence is that never before had I witnessed fresh graduates that confessed they are “unemployable”. What do we expect when half of their time was involved in creating content for their Facebook pages. Unconsciously, that experience had produced many entrepreneurs in the making. In a way, the internet phenomena has indeed turned our world upside-down and if everyone now has equal footing to access of information, customers and expertise, it looks like making it on my own is not a far-fetched idea anymore. Twenty years ago, no youngster can dare to even dream this far.
With such a shift in behavioral patterns, the employers may have to rethink their hiring and manpower planning strategy. For a while, the idea of outsourcing work to freelancers or contractors do not look very appealing and the solution seems to be a temporary one than anything else. But note this: this temporary solution might as well be your strategic long term plan. And the concept of getting people to work for you needs to be quickly changed to getting the right partner or people to work with you. We are experiencing a water shed moment, and like it or not, the wind of change in the employment landscape is taking place now and the question of whether we will be affected by it or not is mute. More likely, the pertinent question is whether or not we should quickly embrace and take the lead or resist and get crushed by it later.
Newspapers are dying, networks are dying, and if teenage boys playing GTA 4 and
The most compelling statistic of all? Half of all new college graduates now believe that self-employment is more secure than a full-time job. Today, 80% of the colleges and universities in the U.S. now offer courses on entrepreneurship; 60% of Gen Y business owners consider themselves to be serial entrepreneurs, according to Inc. magazine. Tellingly, 18 to 24-year-olds are starting companies at a faster rate than 35 to 44-year-olds. And 70% of today's high schoolers intend to start their own companies, according to a Gallup poll.
An upcoming wave of new workers in our society will never work for an established company if they can help it. To them, having a traditional job is one of the biggest career failures they can imagine.
We do not have to wait for another five years to see this phenomena taking place locally. This fundamental shift as I blog is happening right beneath our feet whether we like it or not. One clear evidence is that never before had I witnessed fresh graduates that confessed they are “unemployable”. What do we expect when half of their time was involved in creating content for their Facebook pages. Unconsciously, that experience had produced many entrepreneurs in the making. In a way, the internet phenomena has indeed turned our world upside-down and if everyone now has equal footing to access of information, customers and expertise, it looks like making it on my own is not a far-fetched idea anymore. Twenty years ago, no youngster can dare to even dream this far.
With such a shift in behavioral patterns, the employers may have to rethink their hiring and manpower planning strategy. For a while, the idea of outsourcing work to freelancers or contractors do not look very appealing and the solution seems to be a temporary one than anything else. But note this: this temporary solution might as well be your strategic long term plan. And the concept of getting people to work for you needs to be quickly changed to getting the right partner or people to work with you. We are experiencing a water shed moment, and like it or not, the wind of change in the employment landscape is taking place now and the question of whether we will be affected by it or not is mute. More likely, the pertinent question is whether or not we should quickly embrace and take the lead or resist and get crushed by it later.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Blogging - your career after retirement?
More and more people are getting into the bandwagon of blogging. Some blog for the sake of expressing their thoughts, but most blog because they see the money generated from blogging. If you want to know how to make money from your blog, read this article – though a bit old and long but worth reading if you are serious about making blogging a serious endeavor. Some even regard it as a real career.
Being a newbie in blogging, I won’t be able to comment much about the money making part. So, I can’t tell you to quit your job and become a full-time blogger but I do have a message to all my friends who are in the corporate world right now, perhaps in their late 30s to early 50s and…worrying about, “What will happen after I retire?”, “How do I get some income without relying on my children allowance or EPF?”
Most people I came across said they would not want to end up like their parents (who are in their 60s and above) who literally have nothing to do but loitering at home watching TV most of the time and waiting for their children to fend for them. Ok, if you are not a Malaysian reading this, let me tell you this is a typical scenario of an Asian family – the pressure is tremendous on the Gen X people (like me) , unlike the Gen Y (hmmnnn...) especially whereby most of us have 4 mouths (parents and in-laws) and a couple of smaller mouths (depends on how productive you are) to feed. No kidding! Of course, some more educated old folks would have found some ways to get extra income and may not rely on their working children to help them (err…not mine).
But now, with better education, those in their late 30s to early 50s do not have to end up watching TV and waiting for their children to support them during their golden years. Some shared with me on what they plan to do such as:-
• Direct selling
• Financial Consulting (insurance, unit trust, etc.) or any consulting work
• Lecturing
Now, I add blogging to this list. Blogging by far is the easiest –work from home and flexible hours. With the many years of experience behind you, surely there is something that you had built up and are really good at – why not share it with the masses? Besides some income (a word of caution though: not all bloggers earn big bucks), one great benefit I found that worth your every effort is: BLOGGING KEEPS YOUR MIND ACTIVE! And with that, I don’t think you need any other reason to convince you further.
And if you are thinking…”Oh, I can’t do that. Blogging is too techie for me. I will never be that IT-savvy.” Ya know what, it’s really not that hard. With a click of a button, you’ll get all the guide you need. And better still, get your kids (oh yes, it's peanuts for them) to help you to set up one - trust me, I'm quite sure they are more than willing to help (they probably thank their lucky stars - oh, alas, they are doing something with their lives!).
Being a newbie in blogging, I won’t be able to comment much about the money making part. So, I can’t tell you to quit your job and become a full-time blogger but I do have a message to all my friends who are in the corporate world right now, perhaps in their late 30s to early 50s and…worrying about, “What will happen after I retire?”, “How do I get some income without relying on my children allowance or EPF?”
Most people I came across said they would not want to end up like their parents (who are in their 60s and above) who literally have nothing to do but loitering at home watching TV most of the time and waiting for their children to fend for them. Ok, if you are not a Malaysian reading this, let me tell you this is a typical scenario of an Asian family – the pressure is tremendous on the Gen X people (like me) , unlike the Gen Y (hmmnnn...) especially whereby most of us have 4 mouths (parents and in-laws) and a couple of smaller mouths (depends on how productive you are) to feed. No kidding! Of course, some more educated old folks would have found some ways to get extra income and may not rely on their working children to help them (err…not mine).
But now, with better education, those in their late 30s to early 50s do not have to end up watching TV and waiting for their children to support them during their golden years. Some shared with me on what they plan to do such as:-
• Direct selling
• Financial Consulting (insurance, unit trust, etc.) or any consulting work
• Lecturing
Now, I add blogging to this list. Blogging by far is the easiest –work from home and flexible hours. With the many years of experience behind you, surely there is something that you had built up and are really good at – why not share it with the masses? Besides some income (a word of caution though: not all bloggers earn big bucks), one great benefit I found that worth your every effort is: BLOGGING KEEPS YOUR MIND ACTIVE! And with that, I don’t think you need any other reason to convince you further.
And if you are thinking…”Oh, I can’t do that. Blogging is too techie for me. I will never be that IT-savvy.” Ya know what, it’s really not that hard. With a click of a button, you’ll get all the guide you need. And better still, get your kids (oh yes, it's peanuts for them) to help you to set up one - trust me, I'm quite sure they are more than willing to help (they probably thank their lucky stars - oh, alas, they are doing something with their lives!).
Saturday, July 18, 2009
5 Things To Check Before You Get Into Self-employment
With the economy slow down, it had affected the performance of many companies. The morale among employees in such companies is generally low and many may felt frustrated with their job and some fearful of losing their jobs. A handful may take this time to toy with the idea of self-employment. But before you leave your day job, it’s good to pause and check these 5 things before you take the plunge.
1. Do you have enough cash to last for the next 12 months? You read success stories of self-employed people who made it. Most would tell you to let go your fears and pursue your dreams. It’s not as simple as that. Self-employment means you won’t enjoy receiving your steady monthly pay check. It usually takes some time to build your client base, longer to send out your first invoice and do not be surprised that the payment does not come in within the agreed time frame. In between, remember you still have your bills to pay and commitments to honor.
2. Do you have a business plan in place? A lot of businesses failed because there was no business plan. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. As clich̩d as it sound, this is the first thing that you need to do. Check your motivation of getting into self-employment Рis it merely due to frustration in your employment? If it is something that was decided at the spur of the moment and not something that you had been thinking for years, your business is unlikely to succeed. Working for yourself takes a lot of motivation Рperseverance or staying power is easy said than experienced.
3. Are you willing to get your hands dirty? You will be the boss and every penny counts. If you can save, you will save. That means if you can save the cost of hiring an Electrician to pull the wiring, you would go for it. Are you willing to multi-task and learn to do the menial work as part and parcel of starting out on your own?
4. Are you willing to work long hours? If you think you are already working very hard and spending long hours in your employment, self-employed would demand more of that. Do not be deceived by what you see or hear about self-employed people having a lot of free time. For any starter, there is no free lunch. Even if your hands are not working, your mind is and you can’t help thinking and exploring new ideas to make your start-up worked.
5. Are you the type that can take risks and ready to lose everything? Every business that started out does not necessarily ends with profits and success. If anything, there are more failures than success. Is that something you can handle?
If you are not 100% sure self-employment is for you but your heart tells you strongly to go ahead, perhaps you can consider another option: part-time. Test the water first by giving yourself time to try out your business idea, without getting completely cut off from your day job. It usually works better this way!
1. Do you have enough cash to last for the next 12 months? You read success stories of self-employed people who made it. Most would tell you to let go your fears and pursue your dreams. It’s not as simple as that. Self-employment means you won’t enjoy receiving your steady monthly pay check. It usually takes some time to build your client base, longer to send out your first invoice and do not be surprised that the payment does not come in within the agreed time frame. In between, remember you still have your bills to pay and commitments to honor.
2. Do you have a business plan in place? A lot of businesses failed because there was no business plan. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. As clich̩d as it sound, this is the first thing that you need to do. Check your motivation of getting into self-employment Рis it merely due to frustration in your employment? If it is something that was decided at the spur of the moment and not something that you had been thinking for years, your business is unlikely to succeed. Working for yourself takes a lot of motivation Рperseverance or staying power is easy said than experienced.
3. Are you willing to get your hands dirty? You will be the boss and every penny counts. If you can save, you will save. That means if you can save the cost of hiring an Electrician to pull the wiring, you would go for it. Are you willing to multi-task and learn to do the menial work as part and parcel of starting out on your own?
4. Are you willing to work long hours? If you think you are already working very hard and spending long hours in your employment, self-employed would demand more of that. Do not be deceived by what you see or hear about self-employed people having a lot of free time. For any starter, there is no free lunch. Even if your hands are not working, your mind is and you can’t help thinking and exploring new ideas to make your start-up worked.
5. Are you the type that can take risks and ready to lose everything? Every business that started out does not necessarily ends with profits and success. If anything, there are more failures than success. Is that something you can handle?
If you are not 100% sure self-employment is for you but your heart tells you strongly to go ahead, perhaps you can consider another option: part-time. Test the water first by giving yourself time to try out your business idea, without getting completely cut off from your day job. It usually works better this way!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
8 Reasons Why You Should NOT Work From Home
More and more people are joining the bandwagon of freelancing nowadays. It’s an attractive idea – tempting in every way especially if that means not having to wake up early in the morning and stuck in traffic jams.
Nobody Bosses Me Around
Freelancers conveniently work from home though not all work from home have to be freelancers. With all the hype and advantages bragged by freelancers, are you tempted to consider this option? I like the idea of working from home and had tried it before. Now, let’s turn to the other side of the coin and consider 8 good reasons why you should NOT work from home.
1. You wake up later and later – and being deceived that it was time saved from the traffic jam. When there is no fixed routine, discipline became an issue. Not everyone can handle that.
2. Not having meals at proper times– in office, you automatically know when to have lunch because there is the usual buzz at certain time of the day. At home, you need an alarm clock to alert you but who would do that?
3. Talking to yourself – and you don’t even realize until it hits you one day. Why took so long to realize because no one was there to tell you!
4. You count your friends in Facebook, LinkedIn and what not – but cannot even name a friend that you can call your lunch buddy. So sad…
5. All the nice dresses are collecting dust – waiting to wear them ONLY when you got invites for some functions. What a waste!
6. Domestic crisis – when your in-laws or kids are in the same house, most likely you will spend more time fixing something in the kitchen and helping with their homework than completing the work you set to do.
7. Work from home almost equates to working alone – you want to test out some ideas but cannot reach out to a colleague right away to share it. Though this can be compensated through msn or yahoo chats, nothing beats having a real person in front of you debating some sticky issues.
8. You may not get your pay check on time. This applies to almost every freelancer I know. When the money is not coming in and the bills need to be paid, that’s when you would envy all the full-time wage earners.
Source: Comics from Allyhunt.com
Nobody Bosses Me Around
Freelancers conveniently work from home though not all work from home have to be freelancers. With all the hype and advantages bragged by freelancers, are you tempted to consider this option? I like the idea of working from home and had tried it before. Now, let’s turn to the other side of the coin and consider 8 good reasons why you should NOT work from home.
1. You wake up later and later – and being deceived that it was time saved from the traffic jam. When there is no fixed routine, discipline became an issue. Not everyone can handle that.
2. Not having meals at proper times– in office, you automatically know when to have lunch because there is the usual buzz at certain time of the day. At home, you need an alarm clock to alert you but who would do that?
3. Talking to yourself – and you don’t even realize until it hits you one day. Why took so long to realize because no one was there to tell you!
4. You count your friends in Facebook, LinkedIn and what not – but cannot even name a friend that you can call your lunch buddy. So sad…
5. All the nice dresses are collecting dust – waiting to wear them ONLY when you got invites for some functions. What a waste!
6. Domestic crisis – when your in-laws or kids are in the same house, most likely you will spend more time fixing something in the kitchen and helping with their homework than completing the work you set to do.
7. Work from home almost equates to working alone – you want to test out some ideas but cannot reach out to a colleague right away to share it. Though this can be compensated through msn or yahoo chats, nothing beats having a real person in front of you debating some sticky issues.
8. You may not get your pay check on time. This applies to almost every freelancer I know. When the money is not coming in and the bills need to be paid, that’s when you would envy all the full-time wage earners.
Source: Comics from Allyhunt.com
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