There’s freedom in creativity–that’s why artists live there. They crave it; they feel like they drown without it. In this regard, entrepreneurs are little different — they want freedom, too.
While discussing the difference between a franchisor and an entrepreneur in “Entrepreneurs Need Not Apply,” Joel Libava says:
“Entrepreneurs generally don’t do well with rules. Instead of following the rules, they tend to make their own.”
Is that true?
As a member of a community of small business owners, I see this creative need to invent and sometimes reinvent from the ground up. We do tend to develop our own rules, particularly if the original ones don’t make sense to us.
But if the rule works, why not follow it?
And what about hiring an entrepreneur to work in your business?
Can you count on them? Is it a good or bad idea?
Ivana Taylor gives five reasons why you shouldn’t be afraid to hire an entrepreneur, including the fact that they often bring more attention to your business by way of their brand.
The partnership can be good for your business, but how you treat them matters. Serious entrepreneurs value innovation, need freedom and want results, as well as creativity. But how do you make the most of this relationship?
Ivana suggests that you design a solution that works for both sides — consider it “more like a merger or joint venture and explore the many creative ways that you can [craft] a relationship that’s a win-win for you, the entrepreneur and their customers.”
That is a shift in thinking, but since the right partnership can change your business, it’s worth the effort.
As Yvonne DiVita puts it, America’s got talent – are you tapping into it effectively? She’s talking about a simple idea to help you make the most of the creative abilities on your team by providing an on-the-job outlet for that creativity. But her question (and play on the TV show) prompts me to consider all angles, all options, all relationships.
Putting creativity and entrepreneurs on your team is good for business.
As small business owners wearing a manager’s hat at times, our goal in this case is twofold:
- to hire people with integrity and the best ideas, because liars and cheats will rub you the wrong way no matter what; and
- to target the creativity on your team by giving it a purpose, a focus and a definite outlet, because in business actions produce results.
Creativity inspires new action. Make room for it.
Image from EDHAR/Shutterstock
The key is to define success metrics so that the entrepreneur knows what winning looks like. Too often these arrangements fail because the employee things they’re doing great, but they’re not doing what the employer wants done. Ill-defined goals and mis-communication are killers.
Shaleen Shah
I think that businesses should be more open to the concept of innovation and yes, don’t we all have the need for some sort of freedom? Sometimes, you just want to bend the rules a bit just to see how far you can get away with your creativity, then, you bend it further until it snaps into something wonderful, or something disastrous. I think that entrepreneur these days must also have a global mindset, as you get to do business with people from different cultures. I just hope that no one will ever try to justify creativity with the never-ending debate on ROI though..
Roger
” consider it “more like a merger or joint venture and explore the many creative ways that you can [craft] a relationship that’s a win-win for you, the entrepreneur and their customers.”
FRANKLY, if I needed or wanted a partner I would find a successful one, not a discontent entrepreneur forced to get a job after a business failure.
To me, a well-fit employee (who does not have “the itch” to run off and start a competing business) is worth a LOT MORE than a failed competitor trying to learn what I did right before biting my hand.
Marc Martin
I agree with you. Hiring an entrepreneur on your team does bring in creativity and innovation to your business. If it goes in the right direction as expected, your business can really go a long way. Thank you for sharing.