Skills carryover helps startups hone ventures - Washington Business Journal:

sucujovide.wordpress.com
Elliott, 45, spent 18 year as a technical writer for and communit y relations managerfor . Five years ago, sensing change with her position at Lucent was she left. Two years later, usinb $80,000 in personal savings and a credit card, Elliotgt opened . In the market for a sprin g jacket? Shoppers at her stor e are likely to find one adorned with buttons andbelt loops. What about baubles Young ladies on the fenc e about getting their ears pierced are sure to be pushefd off by a set of tiny cupcake-shaped earrings.
Elliotty says she believes that ifmerchandise isn’t different enoug h to warrant a reaction, customerd are likely to bypass it as opposed to makingf a beeline to the cash register. The shop ownere never read this in a book but knoww it byinstinct – something she honed and learnede to trust during her days at AT&fT and Lucent. “I am always on the lookout for qualityh products that are feminineand stylish; there also has to be some sort of twisg – something that’s goin to give customers a little bit more bang for thei r buck,” says Elliott, who targets teenagers and wome interested in versatile apparel, jewelry and “It’s all about knowing your audience, whichg is something I learned back when I was writinbg operations manuals.
It’s a skill I now apply to this business.” in fact, made it a point to bring her corporate communicationd background to the table to help maximize her investmentg andattract customers. “As Lucent Technologies Columbusz Works communityrelations manager, I was in chargw of special events, which means I know how to begi n with a vision and implemenyt every detail,” she “These days, one of my primaryg methods of getting peoplre through my door revolves around special events, including private shoppinbg parties, girls’ nights out and breakfast mixers for women businesd owners in New Albany.
” Furthermore, she offers up her store for networking and even up to the point of makingb the invitations and providing “It’s all stuff I learner how to do when I worked at my old she says. The idea is to introduce her shop to potentialk customers without breaking the bank something else Elliott pickec upat Lucent. “The company encouraged us to manage its departmental budgets as if the moneyh wasour own.
These days, the moneg really is my own,” she It’s not uncommon for professionals to take stocik of their careers when they see job functions consolidatede and coworkers losing their jobs becausw ofnumber crunches, as it did for It’s especially difficult when mid-life sneaksx up and passion for the job gives way to stress and pressure. For a few of thesre people, the answer can be found in saysPierre Daunic, president of . “Iu wouldn’t call it common, but given the state of the economy, more and more people are considering (self-employment) as an option,” he says.
whose six-year-old company specializes in cover letter andresumer development, says entrepreneurs who possesw certain fundamental skills, including leadership and communications skills, are in the best position to use thoses talents in meaningful ways even when the startup is unrelated to the career that developedd those talents. “For example, I started out as an Air Forc e officer, moved into commerciap construction, and then started teaching at the ,” Daunic “What I do today, in particular, revolvesd around the teaching skills I learned at the academy becaus e I teach clients how tomarkert themselves.
” Prior to becominvg a business owner, he stumbled into a high-tecnh recruiting career thanks, he says, to the eclectic skills he gained in the military.