Written by Pamela Skillings

Ready to move forward with launching your new business? Make it official on November 11th, 2008 and save hundreds of dollars in attorney fees

MyCorporation.com will let anyone register a new corporation or LLC for free from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Pacific time on November 11 (they normally charge $129 and up to file your incorporation forms online). Use the coupon code FREE149 to get the discount.

MyCorporation.com is an online filing service that supports entrepreneurs with incorporation, trademarks, copyrights, and other business forms. MyCorporation is a service of Intuit, the company that makes Quicken and Quickbooks (which has saved me lots of headaches in managing my company’s finances) .

And speaking of freebies for entrepreneurs from Intuit, you can try out the Simple Start version of Quickbooks for free. They also have an online community for entrepreneurs and small business owners that provides lots of free advice.

Written by Pamela Skillings

Name: Nicole Witt
Previous (corporate) occupation: Strategic Consulting and Brand Management
Current occupation: Business Owner, Adoption Consultant
Website(s): www.TheAdoptionConsultancy.com and www.AdoptANewLife.com

1. Tell us a little bit about your corporate career path.

I spent four years in consulting, then earned my MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell. I always had thought about running my own business, and even took a lot of classes in entrepreneurship, but somehow found myself back at work for one large corporation after another. This time around, I was doing Brand Management and, although I was quite successful, I was terribly unhappy. I always knew deep-down that I was just not a corporate kind of person.

2. What made you decide to change careers?

After my husband and I went through a personal crisis with infertility, and ultimately became parents, I just couldn’t go back to what I had done before. It suddenly felt completely meaningless. Additionally, I couldn’t justify the control my career would have over my life in exchange for nothing but a paycheck. So I decided to follow my passion. I launched The Adoption Consultancy to help other couples struggling with infertility to become parents through the miracle of adoption.

3. What were your biggest career change challenges?

• Everybody’s #1 – Money. Adjusting to the initial lower income was tough, but it just made it that much sweeter once I started making money again.
• #2 – Fear and self-doubt. Another fairly common one, I believe. But I knew it was possible because other people were making a living in this field. I just kept telling myself, “If they can do it, I can do it.” It turns out I can!
• #3 – Recreating my definition of success. This was a tough (and ongoing) one. In my previous world, success was defined by title, salary, office location, and lots of other corporate nonsense. Sometimes I struggle to remind myself that my definition of success is different now, and I have achieved it! When I’m wrestling with this one, it often helps to picture my kids telling their friends what I do. I’m so much more proud of them knowing that I help to build families, and that helps me come to grips with my lack of access to a corporate jet.

4. What are the best and worst things about your new career?

The best is that I love it! I jump out of bed in the mornings eager to get to work. I am pursuing my passion and my calling and am making a lasting difference in the world. There’s nothing better than talking to my clients right after they’ve become parents. Another wonderful aspect is the flexibility that my work provides. I bring my kids to school in the morning. I spend Wednesday afternoons with them. I’m home whenever they’re sick. And I never have to worry about missing a game or recital due to the whims of my boss!

The worst things are the rare times when an adoption doesn’t work out, sometimes dealing with difficult clients and having to pay for my own benefits.

5. What advice would you give to someone who feels stuck in an uninspiring job? Do you have any success secrets to share?

Take the leap! You can do it. Define what success means to you, what you need to do to get there, and start tackling it one step at a time. That’s the trick. You don’t have to do it all at once, but if you create a realistic plan and work it one step at a time, you WILL achieve your goals. There are ways around every obstacle that is out there. You NEVER want to look back on your life and think ‘what if.’ The time is now!

Written by Pamela Skillings

Some say that a true entrepreneur could never work in Corporate America. Many claim that you have to be born with that entrepreneurial DNA and will know from an early age if you’ve got what it takes to run your own business. I strongly disagree. I believe that entrepreneurial skills and attitude can be acquired.

In fact, doing some time in Corporate America can be a great way to pick up very valuable business expertise that will come in handy when running your business. As Aliza Freud, founder and CEO of SheSpeaks, puts it, “I think that the skills that I gained when I was working at a big company really helped to make me a better entrepreneur.”

The trick is to get out before the bureaucracy crushes your entrepreneurial spirit.

Sure, the stories about entrepreneurs who started their first profitable businesses during junior high are inspiring. But it’s also true that many of the most legendary entrepreneurs of all time started out as corporate employees.

 

• Henry Ford was the son of farmers and toiled in an engineering job before striking out on his own to form Ford Motor Company.
•  Walt Disney was an illustrator for an advertising agency before he and his brother Roy started a business in their uncle’s garage that eventually became the Walt Disney Company.
• Ray Kroc was a salesman for the Multi-Mixer Corporation when he bought a California hamburger restaurant from the MacDonald Brothers and turned it into a multibillion-dollar international chain.
• Mary Kay Ash was a sales director for Stanley Home Products for twenty years before she retired and used her life savings of $5,000 to get Mary Kay Cosmetics going in 1963.
• Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak spent time as engineers at Atari before they created Apple Computer.
• Jeff Bezos quit his job as a senior vice president on Wall Street when he came up with the revolutionary idea for Amazon.com.
• Michael Bloomberg was a senior manager at Salomon Brothers until he was squeezed out after the company was acquired in 1981. The unemployed Bloomberg went on to make his fortune by starting Bloomberg LP, the financial information company, and later used
  his billions to finance a successful run for mayor of New York City.
• Martha Stewart had a successful career as a stockbroker before she turned a catering business into a media empire.

Do you have other nominations for the Corporate-to-Entrepreneur Hall of Fame? Don’t be shy. Show your entrepreneur-sized ego and nominate yourself if you like!

Written by Pamela Skillings

On Friday, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Womensphere Women’s Entrepreneurial Summit. It was a great event with lots of terrific panels and presentations.

I also had the opportunity to meet a number of amazing women  — including many successful entrepreneurs who escaped from Corporate America to pursue their entrepreneurial passions.

Check out some of their stories for a bit of inspiration to keep you going next time you start wondering if your dream is really possible.

Analisa Balares is the founder and CEO of Womensphere. She is also a Harvard MBA who served in senior roles at Goldman Sachs and Microsoft before launching her career as an entrepreneur. Analisa was recently selected as one of 35 “young leaders” to join the New York City Young Leaders Program, a public-private partnership between the New York City Government and private NGOs.

Joan Coukos is the CEO and chocolatier behind Chocolat Moderne, an award-winning chocolate maker that has been featured on The Today Show. Joan was a banker for many years before she fell in love with the art of chocolate making. She started her new career by experimenting with chocolate recipes in her tiny New York kitchen and testing them with her banking colleagues. Pretty soon, she was ready to turn pro and start Chocolat Moderne (I happily sampled some of her wares and can attest to her talent!)

Nadine Vogel joined the conference fresh from a speaking gig at the United Nations. She is the founder and CEO of Springboard Consulting, a firm that helps companies communicate with the one third of the U.S. population that either has a disability or is the parent of a child with a disability. Previously, Nadine had a long and successful career as an executive for a large financial services company.

Feyi Boroffice is a cofounder of 2 Hats Network, a consulting firm devoted to helping companies retain and advance emerging leaders, particularly mothers and women of color. Feyi is a Harvard MBA who spent years in senior corporate roles before leaving to start 2 Hats. She and partner Simi Sanni Nwogugu (a former investment banker and media executive) boast an impressive list of Fortune 500 clients.

Read more daring tales of corporate escape or check out my corporate escape artist directory.

Written by Pamela Skillings

I hope you enjoy lots of fireworks, burgers, and cold beer this July 4th weekend.

Although Independence Day is meant to be a celebration of American independence from the British, it’s also a great opportunity to celebrate your independence (or impending independence) from Corporate America.

Or maybe you’ve been looking forward to July 4th weekend as a break from thinking about work at all.

Either way, have a great three-day weekend. Now step away from the computer (or put the BlackBerry down) and go out and enjoy some fresh air and sunlight!

Technorati Profile

Written by Pamela Skillings

Given the seemingly-daily announcements of new corporate layoffs, it’s no surprise that my most frequently asked question of the moment is about how to start a career as a freelancer or independent consultant. Many of these queries come from the recently downsized. Some of them are looking for ways to make extra cash while hunting for their next full-time position. Others are fed up with layoffs and bad corporate behavior and thinking about making a permanent switch to working for themselves.

If you’re currently between jobs (or fear you may be soon), I recommend giving the freelance life a try. Even if you have no interest in working for yourself long-term, it’s a great way to create a temporary cash flow and make valuable contacts (those freelance clients will likely be hiring for full-time positions eventually).

Freelancing is also a good way to take control when the indignities of the typical job search start to make you feel powerless. Who knows? You may be so successful on your own  that you’ll never want to return to cubicle life. I know many thriving solopreneurs who started freelancing as a temporary arrangement between gigs and got hooked.

So how do you get started? If you’ve been laid off, you’re probably  itching to start making some money fast. That’s why I put together the tips below on how to quickly land those first paying gigs (for more in-depth advice on launching a career as a solopreneur, please also check out Chapter 8 of  Escape from Corporate America). 

1) Define your service offering. For some of you, this is a no-brainer. Certain career specializations lend themselves to freelancing more easily than others. For example, there is always demand for freelance writers, designers, and programmers. But there are also plenty of opportunities for those whose skills are not quite as easily packaged. Think about who might be able to use your knowledge, talents and experience on a freelance basis. Can you manage projects, advise on strategy, conduct research, or revamp processes (to name just a few examples)? It’s important to be proactive about defining what you can do. Don’t just wait around for potential clients to tell you what they need.

2) Set your rates. The question of what to charge can be a challenging one. When you’re starting out, setting your rate will be more art than science. Do your research on the going market rates for similar services by checking out listings for freelancing and consulting assignments on the sites mentioned in Tip #3 below. Join a networking group for independent professionals in your field (like Freelancers’ Union or Mediabistro for example) and ask other members about appropriate fee ranges. As a newbie, you’ll probably have to be a bit flexible. Once you’ve got some experience to back up your claims of greatness and a better understanding of your fair market value, you can always adjust your rates accordingly.

 3) Find assignments. There are potential clients out there looking for you right now. You just have to know where to find them.

• Start with online freelance marketplaces like eLance.com and Guru.com. You can browse through available projects and bid on the ones that interest you.
• Job boards like Monster.com and Hotjobs.com can also be good sources. Search for "freelance" or "contract" positions. Similarly, there are often freelance job listings on Craigslist. Many of these listings are placed by staffing agencies that frequently fill contract positions. Make note of which agencies have posted attractive opportunities and consider contacting them directly to ask about other openings.For example, Hired Guns is a NYC-based agency that specializes in contract and freelance work.

4)  Do your own business development. Not all great assignments are listed. That’s why it pays to reach out to your network and let people know that you are available for freelance or contract work. Describe the types of projects that you’re seeking and express your appreciation for any leads or suggestions. And don’t stop with the people that you already know. Spend a few bucks on some business cards for your freelancing business and pass them out at networking events and other gatherings (you can get cheap business cards at VistaPrint, but I recommend steering clear of the free ones with the VistaPrint logo that make it obvious just HOW cheap your cards are). While you’re at it, update your profile on LinkedIn and Facebook (and other social networks and industry directories)  to reflect your new status as a consultant.

5) Get to work. Once you’ve got your first assignment, the hardest part is over. Do a great job, get paid, and prepare for more work to roll in.

Of course, it will take time to learn all of the ins and outs of freelance life — invoicing, managing your time, managing your clients, managing your cash flow, and all of that fun stuff. If you have questions about these or other aspects of making the move from employee to independent consultant, let me know and I I’ll address them in a future post. Similarly, if you’re an experienced independent contractor with tips for those new to the game, please share your wisdom.

The important thing to remember is that you don’t necessarily need a 9-to-5 job to pay your bills. That can be very reassuring news for anyone who has been laid off or is feeling panicky about the less-than-promising job market. If you’ve ever thought about what it might be like to work for yourself, now may be the perfect time to try it out.

Written by Pamela Skillings

I just got my hands on the results of a new survey from Quickbooks that shows small businesses owners remain optimistic and driven despite the shaky economy.

The survey asked small business owners about their thoughts on surviving and thriving in a recession (thanks to Kira Wampler from Intuit for sharing the hot-off-the-presses results with me and the other attendees of the fabulous BlogHer Business Conference in New York this week).

What Recession?

The results of the survey are encouraging:

• 91% of U.S. small business owners see opportunities for their businesses in the current market.
• Close to 80% expect their businesses to grow despite the stagnant economy.
• 50% think that the playing field can be leveled for small businesses as big businesses make budget cuts.
• 65% have owned a small business that has weathered a recession.
• To recession-proof their businesses, 63% are making customer retention their top priority and 52% are focusing on reducing costs.

The survey also found that the passion that drove small business owners to start their own companies will also help to get them through the downturn: 70% said that personal passion motivated them to become entrepreneurs and 86% said they are still as passionate today as they were the day they started. 

About the survey: The Get Back to Business Survey was conducted from March 7-11 and sampled 751 small business owners with fewer than than 100 employees.  A summary of the survey findings is available at www.quickbooksgroup.com/getbacktobusiness.

Written by Pamela Skillings

Delta Airlines is offering voluntary severance packages to thousands of employees, according to a recent AP story. Higher fuel prices and a weak economy have prompted the move, which aims to cut 2,000 front-line, administrative and management jobs.

Employees who accept the offers will receive severance payments as well as travel privileges and additional benefits to help them with managing their career transitions.

While the announcement of job cuts is rarely good news for a company, the offer of voluntary severance packages can be a fantastic opportunity for those who are contemplating a career change or a complete escape from Corporate America. Most voluntary severance packages come with at least a couple of months of salary and benefits and often other perks to sweeten the deal.

Several of the corporate escape artists that I interviewed were able to jump start their new careers or businesses because of voluntary severance packages. I remember a time when I fervently prayed that I would be laid off with severance. There may be some risk involved in "taking a package" in an uncertain economy, but it may also be too good an opportunity to pass up.

If you’re tempted by a severance package offer, take the time to sit down and do the math:

• With severance payments and any savings you’ve socked away, how long will you be able to pay your bills without additional income?
• How long is it likely to take for you to find a new job or get a new income source up and running (like your own business or a freelance career)?
• Is your job likely to be at risk if you DON’T take a package? If it seems likely that there will be additional non-voluntary job cuts at your firm and that your job could be vulnerable, you may be better off leaving now (assuming that it’s financially viable). Voluntary severance packages are often sweeter deals than the standard packages offered to downsized employees.

If you’d like to leave, but have concerns about finances or benefits, it may help to consult a financial advisor and get some expert guidance. If you are struggling with other issues — like whether you really want to leave or what you’re going to do next — a career counselor can help you to evaluate your options and do any necessary research.

In any case, it’s important to look at the potential opportunities represented by a voluntary severance offer After all, it would take you months to save up enough money to equal a generous severance payout. That cash can provide a nice safety net while you get a new business up and running, look for a new job, or navigate a career change.

Written by Pamela Skillings

Do you have a business idea or career fantasy that has stalled because of lack of capital? Would a big check for $50,000 give you the cushion you need to quit your day job and go after your dream? While I’m sure you’d like $100,000 to start that new home-based business, this would still make for a nice deposit in your Escape Fund.

The Intuit Just Start Contest is giving one lucky person a $50,000 grant to strike out on their own and follow their passion ($5,000 prizes will also go to each of two runners-up). Just tell them what it is that you want to "Just Start." Your submission can be in writing or on video and will be judged based on your clarity of expression and the feasibility of your idea. Entries are due by December 15, 2007.

Who will be sitting in judgment of you and your dreams? Columnist and small business expert Anita Campbell, author and marketing guru John Jantsch (the man behind the awesome Duct Tape Marketing blog), and technology consultant Ramon Ray.

And while you’re online, you might want to check out JumpUp, the free online community for entrepreneurs that was started by Intuit. Life as an aspiring entrepreneur toiling in a day job can be lonely and isolating. JumpUp is a great place to connect with a community of like-minded people who can share advice, ideas, and opportunities.

Written by Pamela Skillings

When I decided to "be my own boss," I had no idea what a slavedriver I was. I haven’t had a spare minute to blog (or do laundry) in days because I’ve been working myself half to death.

Don’t get me wrong, I love working for myself, but there are plenty of challenges. Right now, I have a good problem. I have lots of work from lots of clients. That means I’ll be able to pay the bills and maybe even splurge on a new pair of shoes this month. But because the consulting life can often be "feast or famine," I may have taken on a bit more work than some would consider reasonable. That has meant working nights and weekends and saying no to lots of fun invitations.

When you work for yourself, you have to learn when and how to say no. I’ve gotten better at it, but I still miscalculate on occasion. I don’t mind because there are plenty of worse problems to have. When I first started out on my own, I had to scramble for work and often worried about making ends meet at the end of the month.

I’m not afraid of hard work, especially if it means I don’t have to punch a corporate time clock anymore. But I’m happy to have a few hours to relax today for the first time in a while.