In the excitement of quitting their jobs to launch their own
businesses, some aspiring entrepreneurs suffer the Take This Job
And Shove It Syndrome.
Symptoms include giving your soon-to-be ex-supervisor icy
stares, composing your business plan on company time and talking
about how your current employer taught you how not to run a
business.
TTJASIS is fatal to your relationship with that company. If you
believe it doesn't matter what your former bosses think of you,
consider this: Entrepreneurs often turn their former employers into
one of their first clients.
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"Even if you don't anticipate ever working with your
former employer, leave on good terms, because they're often in
a position to recommend you to others," says Marilynn Mobley,
owner of The Acorn Consulting Group Inc., a PR and marketing firm
based in Marietta, Georgia.
The 43-year-old worked in IBM's PR department for 15 years
before leaving to start her own firm in 1996. Since then, she has
done many special projects for IBM and received numerous client
referrals through her former employer.
"The beauty of working for yourself is you can choose which
projects you want," Mobley says. "I accept projects only
when I think the work is interesting, the deadline is reasonable
and the price is fair. I didn't always have those options as an
employee."
To stay in business, you really have to provide exceptional
service, says Arnel Trovada, 34, owner of Irving, Texas-based
Trovada Public Relations, who still does business with a former
employer. "No matter how [good] your product or service is,
business often comes to you because people have heard about
you."
Here are tips to combat TTJASIS:
Announce the news of your departure tactfully and
emphasize that you're leaving to experience a different kind of
challenge.
Give them time to get a replacement. Two weeks is the
least; one month is better.
Work diligently until your departure day. Maintain
positive relationships with people in the company.
Let your bosses know you'll continue to do
projects for them; mention how much you'd appreciate
referrals.
Network with people inside the company after you
leave.
Pamela Rohland writes about the joys and tribulations of
entrepreneurship for a variety of regional and national business
publications.
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