Many people have the dream to start a business of their own and become an entrepreneur. For this, they wait for the business problem they want to solve to make a prominent position in the market. However, experts say that the first step to becoming an entrepreneur is to work for one. This is the first step to learn how a start-up is being built, how the business founders deal with the opportunities and problems, and the ways in which they recruit and manage their teams.

Being part of a startup gives you a lot of information about the industry. It is even said equivalent to getting a degree in entrepreneurship. So, the first step is to find the right entrepreneur to work with. Here are some of the ways that can help you to find the right business owner you can start working with.

The one with the Investor: Research the market and see which business has the series A investor and received a round of more than $5 million. These businesses will be making the next hire in the business.

Be a part of Events: This is said to be the best way to develop your network with the business owners is to spend some time with them. Events are the perfect way you get to connect with the entrepreneurs and become a part of their team.

Find out about the Founders: Go through the internet to find out what the business founders have been doing before they started the business. Their experience and expertise will help you make a decision whether you want to work with them.

See what job postings they post: This will help you get an understanding of the work doing in which they are working, the key skills they are looking for.

Once you get hired by the startup, list down the things, you want to learn from them. Here is a shortlist of the things you should get knowledge about.

Learn the Unknown

You will never be going to make a big impact in a startup when you are joining a company at an entry-level. It is better to lower your expectations. At this stage, it is important that you learn the things that you don’t know. The best way to do this is to ask simple questions even if you know the answers. It is also advised not to take big risks in the initial three months of your joining.

Know the Business Model

It does not matter what role you take up in the company. You need to get a better understanding of the business model you are part of. You need to see how the business generates revenue, how it attracts and acquires new customers. Spending some time with the leaders will give you an understanding of the overall view of the business. This will help you to give your suggestions and openings in the decision making meetings.

See how they work

Business owners and decision-makers can be observed closely in a startup. You can see how these people behave, make decisions, and lead their teams. This gives you an opportunity to see how these people communicate and treat people in the team. You can even see their schedule and the ways in which they work on a daily basis. The bad decisions that they make will also help you understand what can be done instead to come out of difficult situations or not to fall into them in the first place.

Learn How a Team is a Lead

Managing and leading a team of people is not an easy task. You need to learn how to do it, and the best way of doing this is by seeing what your managers do. Observe the ways in which your managers manage you. This can be better understood when you manage an initial project. This will help you to get in touch with a vendor or a contractor. You will also get a chance to work with a small cross-company team. The experience might sound small, but it is a small step towards your greater goal of becoming a small business owner.

Learn from the Mistakes   

Being part of a small company will let you understand that mistakes are quite common. Most of them are unintentional, but things just go wrong. Mistakes can be big and small. These are the opportunities to learn who panics and who stays calm in such situations. The best lesson here to take is to stay calm no matter what. Also, understand what are the one or two steps that can be taken immediately to resolve issues and the lessons that can be learned from these mistakes.

Lessons such as these will certainly help you get an overall outlook of being a small business owner. You learn how to crack customers, lead teams, manage finances, and resolve issues.

Source – Forbes