How to Succeed as a Small Business Expert

The SMALL BUSINESS EXPERT is one of four entrepreneurial types that are considered to be in the expert or “target” venturing zone. The traits or attributes that you have in common with the other venture experts are Ability and Disce ment. Ability, means that you probably have resources (such as cash, contacts, infrastructure, technology, known Capital Venture organizations, start up companies, investors, private equity etc.) and entrepreneurial experience (usually over a long period of time). And Disce ment, is that you can generally tell if a new venture is “on” or “off” course (you can look at an entrepreneurial venture and determine whether the conditions within the business and surrounding it, fit the “entrepreneurial success script”). But unlike some of the other expert types, SMALL BUSINESS EXPERTS are most often unaware of the entrepreneurial expertise and start-up expertise that they have acquired. In addition, they tend to be business risk averse. So as a SMALL BUSINESS EXPERT, the entrepreneurial expert script essentially doesn’t exist for you. But this won’t actually hinder you, since your general reluctance to venture acts as a control to keep you from venturing outside your target zone (area of business)... where you are “extraordinarily capable”. What You Should Do If your entrepreneurial type is the SMALL BUSINESS EXPERT, be sure to stick to tried and true patterns for venture success (in other words, stay in your extraordinary expertise zone and “stick to your knitting”). By venturing outside familiar business patterns, you will essentially be returning to the status of “1st Time Venturer” (which is more of a novice entrepreneurial type where guesswork tilts the odds against those who attempt a new business in “uncharted waters”). But, you might be thinking about becoming involved in an entrepreneurial venture and begin your idea which is outside the business domain where you normally feel confident in evaluating very specific venture operating results (recognizing more quickly what novices in the same area of business would take a while to see). If so, don’t hesitate to call in an expert to help. Sources: Dr. Ronald K. Mitchell, CPA, Ph.D and Howard Mitchell