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YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL LADDER

Trevor Clark, vast majority of us start here:
professional in a job, working for someone
speaker, business else. How often do you hear
and executive
coach. people complaining about their
job and/or boss, but not doing
How often do anything about it? It is a sad fact
you see the title that most people don’t appreciate
“Entrepreneur” how lucky they are to have a job
on – someone is paying you a wage,
business training you with new skills and
cards affording you experience to take
and as forward into your future years.
a social Some stay as employees their
media entire lives and achieve varying
status degrees of success and happiness,
lately? and some take the leap to the

I believe entrepreneurship is next rung of the ladder.
a journey, rather than a title as Side note: in the paragraphs
very few reach the top rungs that follow, I am not advocating
of success. While there are for or against being an employee
significant benefits the higher or being a business owner
you go, there are lessons that (there are pros and cons of each
first need to be learned, risks route), but do heed the advice of
that need to be taken and often people like “Rich Dad” author
sacrifices that need to be made.
Robert Kiyosaki and build a side
By understanding the concept of business that can, over time,
what we call the Entrepreneurial create passive income, and allow
Ladder – you can be clear on tax efficiencies too.
where you are right now, and But back to our ladder.
just how high you want (and are So the self-employed business the business – planning, putting point of ‘true’ entrepreneurship.
willing) to climb. Level 2 owner now begins to hire staff. A systems in place, financial As you have climbed this ladder,
logical step as this can allow the forecasting, high-level marketing three things have happened:
Level 0 Self Employed (still earning money) business to take a quantum leap – and networking are all roles the ■ You have learned how to build
Student This is the point of ‘spasm’ that but how many people (as students owner must play, but cannot if she profitable businesses that can
Michael Gerber describes in his or even as employees) were taught is in the trenches. work without you
Each of us have a different book “The E-Myth revisited” the skill of managing people?
foundation on which our ladder where an employee hands in a Level 5 ■ You have built a reputation for
will be perched. Our schooling resignation letter and starts out Here the business owner is Investor (making money) doing this successfully, and
(public or private), our tertiary on his/her own. so busy hiring, firing, training ■ You have built a network of
education (if lucky enough to and running after his team, that Imagine walking into your other investors and business
have had access to it), and lessons This is an exciting time, with suddenly he is no longer doing business (or store, or branch, etc) people
learned from any family, friends lots to learn and all the money the work he loved in the first and the first person that sees you At this level, people come to
and community members willing you earn when self-employed is place and starts to hate/blame his says “Hello. May I help you?” you with their ideas, money
to mentor us at some level. yours. Or is it? team for an unhappy situation. without recognising you and that and opportunities and ask you

Think back on how much of What happens when you want Level 4 you are the (sole or part) owner of to be involved as you now bring
what you learned in your student to take a holiday, what happens Owner (making money) the business? significant value to the table.
days was relevant to business and when (god forbid) you get sick or Sounds good right? This is Take a little time to work out
how much of it not – do you know cannot work? This is the point where a lot of a great target to set yourself where you are currently on
of anyone that was taught the The self-employed often reach a business owners come to coaches – think of your business/es this journey, and where you
principles of business ownership, ceiling in business – since there is like myself for help. In climbing as investments that should be would like to be. Then chat to
business finance, etc. in his/her generally only so much one person any ladder, a key lesson is that bringing you passive income your coach or mentor for help
student years? can do, only so many hours in a you cannot reach for a higher along with your real estate, share building a plan to get you there
day, and only so much the market rung without first letting go of portfolios, etc. – enjoy the climb! n
Level 1 one of the lower rungs.
will pay for your product or service. Level 6
Employee (earning money) To be an owner in your business,
Level 3 Entrepreneur (creating money) T: 031 266 2258
This is the first rung of the you have to stop thinking like E: durban@actioncoach.com
Entrepreneurial Ladder and the Manager (still earning money) an employee. Finding time to At the top/final rung is the www.mastery.co.za
get off the tools and work ON

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