Entrepreneurship as a Career alternative Ilkka O. Lavas Serial Entrepreneur Photo: Iceland, By aromano / Flickr Anything is possible when you believe in yourself.
Entrepreneurship as a Career alternative
Ilkka O. Lavas
Serial Entrepreneur
Photo: Iceland, By aromano / Flickr
Anything is possible
when you believe in yourself.
Different Career Choices
Examples
Photo: Lavas @ Tahko
Company X
Career in one company
Position1
• Title1
• Challenge1
• Developement1
Position2
• Title2
• Challenge2
• Developement2
Position3
• Title3
• Challenge3
• Developement3
Career by changing a company
•Challenge1
•Develpment1 Company1
•Challenge2
•Develpment2 Company2
•Challenge3
•Develpment3 Company3
1-5 years 2-7 years 2-7 years
Career as Serial Entrepreneur / Portfolio Entrepreneur / Consultant
Company1 Challenge1 Development1
Company2 Challenge2 Development2
Company3 Challenge3 Development3
As entrepreneur you can
• Run lifestyle company / hobby
• Run single growing company
• Many businesses one after one (establish/buy, develop, sell)
• Many paraller businesses (Establish/buy, develop) (Establish/buy, develop) (Establish/buy, develop) What is maximum amount?
Anella Olimpica, Barcelona, Catalonia,Spain, By dbaron / Flickr
Digital media Success (opportunity)
Ownership Change – Rethink business
Print media is suffering
Where I work? When I buy? When I sell? Where I establish New?
City.fi challenge 26 years old City Culture magazine. Making Loss.
What are my risks? What are my possibilities?
City.fi challenge Great brand! Great service Deitti.net
What are my risks? What are my possibilities?
Ilkka O. Lavas
• Started my first company at high school. Since that I have been entrepreneur. Now I am related to more than 10 businesses.
• Have bought/sold 6 companies/businesses • Founder member in 5 businesses • Survived 2 recessions • Young Entrepreneur of the year 2009
in Uusimaa • Entrepreneur of the year, 2010 Kerava
Statistics: • 33years, 2 boys, 1 wife, 1000+ fb connections, 500+
linkedin conns, twitter @lavas
Ice climbing Glaciar Viedma by alextorrenegra / Flickr
Entrepreneurship is your
own choice
Why people are scared of starting
• What is so scary in starting up a new company? – If it does not work, you can always stop being an entrepreneur
and go back to work 8-16. (Sometimes you can even agree this in advance.)
• Risk management: – What can you really lose? Do you need to take debt? – How big is your risk? Can you handle it? – If your biggest costs are your salary + rental, then your loosing
risk is NO salary for 1-6 months + rental costs = max 10k€
”The big unknown heaven is more scary than known hell” – Kaija Koo.
My Career definition
Sometimes I enjoy success
Sometimes I fail Sometimes I survive
Entrepreneurial life is all about
New Experiences
Locomotive 2005 Rovaniemi By Juska Wendland / Flickr
This is where I started. I had 0€. Took 50.000 FIM Loan for start
Business portfolio 1. Lavasdesign Oy – investment, it –consulting, startups and
entrepreneurship
eCommerce, Internet
marketing and logistics
company LaKo Trade Oy
Suomikauppa.FI WanhatWarikset.co
m Karkkigalleria.fi
Customs declaration
software company
Samex Solutions Oy Sad-e.fi
EMCS stock reporting software
3D-Cad / BIM
Software import
company Micro Aided Design Oy
Publishing business
and services
Web portal
business Ilmainensana
kirja.fi Kaannos.com
Team Entrepreneur Partners in my businesses constist of: Business Angels, Professional Directors, Customs Software professional, Software Hosting professional, talented Software developers, Internet Marketing specialists, BIM specialists and professionals, Financial Geniouses, Watch Enthusiastic I have 10-100% ownership of my companies. Total 70+ people working in these companies and total revenue 6 Meur.
W3 Group Finland
Oy
Software projects
Drupal specialists Druid Oy
Web projects
Different types of StartUP
1. Self employment StartUP LD Hair Maarit Lavas Hairdresser No big money/exit opportunities, but you do what you like to do and get living.
Different types of StartUP
2. Lifestyle StartUP
MADbike.org
Motorbike trips
for people.
Entrepreneur Severi Virolainen loves to drive abroad, in Jungle and exotic places. This is good way to do what you love and get funding for your hobby. At the moment in Laos/Cambodia
My First StartUP + reincarnation of the business after 15 years / Growth business
- Started 1995 for my self employment in high school - reborn W3 Group Finland Oy 2010 reborn to become growth company: Bought 3 companies / businesses. New board and new management and entrepreneurship team. New name and company structure. New Growth strategy. • 2011: More than 200 customers, 2 Meur revenue, 30
people working. Growing!
StartUP Cash Flow businesses
• Cash Flow business is best business if you are willing to stay owner for 10+ years.
• Build this business to survive recessions and to grow all time.
Build to be sold StartUP
• Another type for startup is build business to be sold. Ownership time 3-7 years.
• Our Artic.net startup 1997 fastest growing site in 90’s.
• I was one of the team together with Lauri, Henri and Robert.
• Later Artic.net was sold to Lycos by Interactivum + entrepreneurship team.
• I sold too early and earned 1 markka (20cent) of my share.
My dictionary businesses
Specialize in niche market
• Sometimes small niche market may be more profitable than existing market. You need to be the best in your area.
• For example Samex has 3 customs specialist and they are selling electronic customs declaration software as a software (SaaS).
• Business opportunity Driver: Law Change Eu directive which says all companies must do declarations electronically
Ownership changes
• Sometimes you need to change company culture to make sure company will survive.
– Management Changes, Employee changes, Owner changes
– Reinventing business models
– Stopping to publish print
– Concentrating on Web and Services
Entrepreneurship: The best career choice!
• I can help people and companies with IT solutions • You can be your own boss • You can choose when to work and what to do • You can choose where your workplace is located • You will learn new things • You will get as much challenges as you want or need • Work day is flexible, not only 8-16. • You can change the world , woohoo!! Remember: Making money is only result of making good work Entrepreneurship is Hard work and it makes you stronger
Why Entrepreneuship?
• Passion of Competition
• Passion of Success and Adventure
• Passion of personal career development
• Passion for growth
• Passion for Challenges
• Way to build career
Lake Shasta, California, June 2008, Mike Vondran, Wakeboarding. By over_kind_man
When you spend 8 hours doing something, you should be able enjoy it
• Most important in worklife is to enjoy work and your achievements at work itself
• you need to have good feeling to
go to work every day • if you don’t like your job or don’t feel good at
job: QUIT
My Books
• In finnish 2005
• About positive Things in entre-
preneurial life
ISBN: 952-91-8686-X
New book coming 2013 about Unstoppable Entrepreneurship (in Finnish).
2012 Ilkka O. Lavas, Serial Entrepreneur, www.ilkkaolavas.com
How do you define success? Can Entrepreneurial career be part of it?
7.10.2012 Ilkka Lavas, Serial Entrepreneur
Questions
• Questions: – www.ilkkaolavas.com – http://menestyvayrittaja.yrittaja.info – [email protected] – Twitter: @lavas – Linkedin ilkkalavas