Very Short Interview, Part 2

My initial interview:

My interview was with my former boss, Renee Ratliff. She owns her own boutique, which I worked at over the summer. She is a personable leader with a lot of business savvy. She also works as a guidance counselor at a local middle school in my hometown. I am very impressed with how well she balances everything.

Question: What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?

Answer: An entrepreneur to me is someone that takes an idea or a product that others need or want and turns it into not only benefitting others but also themselves. An entrepreneur is not afraid to experiment, works long hard hours, and is not afraid of failure.

Question: What do you think I should learn in an entrepreneurship course?

Answer: I would hope that you would learn how to be a successful entrepreneur! How to meet your goal with enough monetary compensation to not only support yourself but to expand and build on your goal. 

Question: What do you wish you had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur?

Answer: I wish that I had been told about all of the hidden responsibilities of owning your own business! All of the little things that you don't think about! All of the state guidelines and permits and hurdles that you have to jump through. Accounting! How to set up a payroll system!

My impression of the first interview is that it is clear to see how far I have come since the beginning of class. I enjoyed getting to pick the questions for the second interview and then compare how different they were from the first one. I really enjoyed being able to conduct two interviews, so I could see the big picture of this course. 

My second interview:

Question: What have you been biggest challenges you have faced as an entrepreneur? 

Answer: The biggest challenge that I had was keeping up with the business (paperwork) part of the business. Filing of taxes, sales tax, and payroll! 

Question: Do you think it is important to have an exit plan when you start a business, or do you just let the business grow as it does and decide then? 

Answer: I did not have an exit plan but, looking back I think that it would have been very beneficial to have one in place. 

Question: What was your favorite part about being an entrepreneur?  

Answer: My favorite part was being able to promote different charities and programs through my contacts with the local Chamber and Schools. Owning a business opened several doors and gave me a voice. I also enjoyed the freedom of being able to leave the business with capable employees so that I could pursue other things. 

I am much more comfortable talking about entrepreneurship in this interview now compared to three months ago. I am much more comfortable interviewing people in general now compared to three months ago. I definitely think Mrs. Renee could see that I have progressed in my journey. I am excited about the experiences that I can take from this course into the real world.