How to Start a Business After Graduation

Editor’s note: This post is a part of a series with alumnae guest blog posts. Enjoy!

Catharine Burhenne ’11

How to Start a Business After Graduation

Hopefully I’ve inspired you to go against the grain and start your own business with my last post. It’s a great way to demonstrate to graduate schools and employers your initiative, skills, and commitment to certain areas, and maybe even create a lifestyle where you have the freedom to work for yourself doing what you love.

So how to get started?

Figure Out the What

Download the book $100 Startup to get inspired. Consider what you spent your childhood doing – was it baking? Writing children’s books for your baby sister? Training the family pet? This is very likely something you’ll still enjoy doing today.

Get inspired by other businesses that started out as a one-person show:

– Emily Schuman ‘05 started her lifestyle and fashion blog Cupcakes and Cashmere

– Issa Rae started her own TV show Awkward Black Girl by posting her webisodes on YouTube

– My co-worker Lisa Lee started Thick Dumpling Skin, a community that discusses Asian body image issues

Jessica Mah created a website for high-quality internships (aka ones that did not involve fetching coffee) and is connecting startups with students

– I started and run Ask the Dentist with my dad and we’re answering dental health questions from all over the world with articles, eBooks, and our YouTube channel

Get It Out the Door As Quickly As Possible

It’s extremely easy to decide to start a business and never launch anything because you want to focus on making it perfect first. Decide on something manageable to launch within the next week and ship it out the door. Done is better than perfect. Once you’ve launched, you can continue iterating on the feedback you receive from clients or friends and family.

An example of this: if you’re starting with a blog, don’t wait until you learn how to perfectly customize your WordPress blog to what you’re seeing in your head. Get a URL and start publishing posts every day.

Solve People’s Problems

People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. People will do business with you if they believe what you believe. Don’t sell babysitting; sell a marriage-saving date night out for weary parents who deserve a break. Tie what you do to your calling.

Ignore the Nay-sayers

Once you tell your friends and family what you’re doing, expect the nay-sayers to come out of the woodwork and in full force. They’ll be everywhere – telling you why your business won’t work, why they wouldn’t buy your product or read your blog, to just “get a real job” and that most start-ups fail. Remember that every entrepreneur, famous athlete, Pixar movie, has faced failure and the potential of not “making it.” Stay focused, stay committed, and focus on impact.

Tie it Back to Your Resume

Taking time to start your own business is not “time off.” Don’t refer to it as such in future interviews, on resumes, or LinkedIn profiles. List your skills and accomplishments on your resume and speak proudly of them during interviews – this is the time to let your focus, commitment, and initiative shine. You’ll stand out among the crowd to many companies and graduate schools who value this kind of experience.

You can also follow Catharine at catharineburhenne.blogspot.com.

10 thoughts on “How to Start a Business After Graduation

  1. So true, Cat! The perfectionist in me begs to differ, but I know that getting a project up and running is more important than worrying over every last detail before launching.

  2. I am really impressed by this excellent post. My little brother is Graduate pass and Now, I shall forward this post to him. So, He can Business. Thanks for sharing this post.

  3. Thanks for this very inspirational post. It really motivates me to put up a business right after graduation. 🙂

  4. Job is just a part and starting something of our own has freedom. Risk is everywhere. So having a job isn’t that good/safe always. Starting our own venture is the best thing that all we can do. Thank you @Catharine Burhenne  for this wonderful motivating post.

  5. Great article, I have completed my graduation recently and don’t want to do any job. This article really inspired me to start my business, so thanks.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *