A recent feature in The Guardian ran with the headline: ‘Graduates warned of record 70 applicants for every job’ The next line went: ‘Class of 2010 told to consider flipping burgers or shelf stacking to build skills’  Was I the only one thinking flipping burgers and shelf stacking is a flippin’ great way to earn part time income whilst building a business. For all graduates considering self-employment, here are five tips along with stories of those who’ve been there and done it.

1. Start now!

If you’re an undergraduate and looking at the job market with dread, start taking small steps now to earning an income. Is your degree in languages? Become a private tutor via sites like First Tutors www.firsttutors.co.uk or sell your skills to business through the likes of Lingo 24 www.lingo24.com and Language123.com. Are you good at making things? Make a few more and upload to sites such as Folksy.com and MyEhive.com so you can sell to a wider audience. Kane Towning started on the path to self-employment whilst at Leeds University and as soon as he graduated, became full time director of AIM Clubbing [www.aimclubbing.co.uk]; an events company set up with two fellow students and friends.

2. Seek out help

There is plenty of help on offer whilst you’re studying – and still when you leave. Whilst studying, check to see if your College or Uni hosts an enterprise society; NACUE [www.nacue.com] is a good source for this. Make the most of events, competitions and Awards hosted by National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship [http://www.flyingstartonline.com] and Shell LiveWIRE [http://www.shell-livewire.org] and why not take on work experience with entrepreneurial upstarts so you can learn on the job via sites including Enternships [www.enternships.com] and Gumtree [www.gumtree.com]  

3. Club together

Does starting a business seem a bit too daunting when you haven’t even left learning? Then pool your talent, join with friends and start that way. This is what the three amigos Oliver Sidwell, Ali Lindsay and Chris Wickson did when they came up with the idea for RateMyPlacement whilst studying at Loughborough University. After graduating, they all secured jobs and worked collectively on the business at nights and weekends. That was three years ago and the company is now a startling success.

4. Go Global

To be sure of a wide market for your products and services, go global from the start. Technology enables you to do this with sites such as Odesk and elance.com allowing you to be found by customers around the world if you’re selling time and knowledge and having your own website (with good search engine optimisation) increases your chances of picking up overseas trade. In business, the world truly is your oyster and think of all the places you’ll get to travel to meet clients, and taste local culture!   

5. Thanks be to folks

I hear from many students who are running a business and getting much-needed help from parents whether it be rent-free accommodation or having a bookkeeper/mentor/telephone receptionist on tap who won’t expect a salary in return! Arthur Guy started a star solutions when he was 17, after working at an electronics store. He’s now completing a PhD at Sussex University so his Mum takes care of the day to day running of the business. Thanks, Mum!

Even if you don’t turn your business into a full time venture, the experience of being your own boss and showing you have the attitude and skills to make a living will look good on your CV and set you apart from those other 69 applicants.

About the Author: Emma Jones is founder of Enterprise Nation www.enterprisenation.com, a business expert, and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up’ and ‘Working 5 to 9’

Guardian feature

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jul/06/graduates-face-tougher-jobs-fight

Through the wonderous journey that blog hyperlinks can take you to, I came across this wonderful TED video featuring Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat Pray Love.  I have not read her book, but was transfixed by this video.  In it, Elizabeth discusses the angst and fear that surrounds the creative process and the impact of that fear the lives of the creative people within our society.

This  warm, humourous and moving video is a must see for anyone who struggles with worrying about whether what you create is good enough.  In it, Elizabeth shares her solution for dealing with the anguish that exists when creative people are producing something new and it occurred to me that it was relevant for entrepreneurs too.  As an entrepreneur you are constantly putting yourself and your vision, ideas, products, services out there for the world to consume.  And occasionally you worry that it’s not good enough or you worry about how the world will respond to your offering.  If that sounds like you, I recommend that you watch this video and find peace with your genius.

TED Video: Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing your creativity

Fantastic video from the TED: Ideas Worth Spreading archives from Amy Tan.

Amy talks about the creative process and how we can improve our own creativity. Creativity is one of the cornerstones of business along with flexilibity and persistence.

 Amy Tan (born 1952) is known for her lyrically written tales of emotional conflict between Chinese-American mothers and daughters separated by generational and cultural differences. Together with her distinctive writing style and rich imagery, Tan’s treatment of such themes as loss and reconciliation, hope and failure, friendship and familial conflict, and the healing power of storytelling have brought her popular success and critical attention. Amy Tan is the author of such beloved books as The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife and The Hundred Secret Senses.