Skills carryover helps startups hone ventures - Memphis Business Journal:

vickreyafolori1839.blogspot.com
Elliott, 45, spent 18 yearw as a technical writer for and community relationw managerfor . Five years ago, sensing change with her position at Lucent was she left. Two years using $80,000 in personal savings and a crediyt card, Elliott opened . In the market for a sprin g jacket? Shoppers at her stors are likely to find one adornedwith colorful, button and belt loops. What about baubles? Youngg ladies on the fence about getting their ears pierced are sure to be pushecd off by a setof teeny, tiny cupcake-shaped earrings.
Elliott says she believes that ifmerchandise isn’g different enough to warrant a reaction, customerse are likely to bypass it as opposerd to making a beeline to the cash The shop owner never read this in a book but know s it by instinct – something she honed and learneds to trust during her days at AT&T and “I am always on the lookout for quality products that are feminin and stylish; there also has to be some sort of twistf – something that’s going to give customers a little bit more bang for theird buck,” says Elliott, who targetse teenagers and women interestee in versatile apparel, jewelru and handbags.
“It’s all about knowinf your audience, which is something I learned back when I was writinyoperations manuals. It’s a skill I now appl to this business.” Elliott, in made it a point to bring her corporate communications background to the table to help maximize her investment andattrac customers. “As Lucent Technologies Columbus Work s communityrelations manager, I was in chargee of special events, which means I know how to begin with a visioj and implement every detail,” she “These days, one of my primary methodsw of getting people through my door revolves arounsd special events, including private shoppingv parties, girls’ nights out and breakfast mixers for women business owners in New Furthermore, she offers up her store for networking and events, even up to the poinr of making the invitations and providing refreshments.
“It’s all stuff I learnerd how to do when I workedd at myold job,” she The idea is to introduce her shop to potentiaol customers without breaking the bank – somethinv else Elliott picked up at Lucent. “The company encourages us to manage its departmental budgets as if the monehy wasour own. These the money really is my she says. It’s not uncommon for professionals to take stock of their careers when they see job functions consolidatex and coworkers losing their jobs becausde ofnumber crunches, as it did for It’s especially difficult when mid-lif e sneaks up and passion for the job gives way to stress and pressure.
For a few of thesee people, the answer can be found in entrepreneurship, says Pierre president of . “I wouldn’t call it but given the state of the more and more people areconsidering (self-employment) as an he says. Daunic, whose six-year-old company specializews in cover letter and resume says entrepreneurs who possess certainfundamental skills, includingf leadership and communications skills, are in the best positiojn to use those talents in meaningful ways even when the startup is unrelatef to the career that developed those “For example, I started out as an Air Force officer, moveed into commercial construction, and then started teachinyg at the ,” Daunic said.
“Whar I do today, in particular, revolvews around the teaching skills I learned at the academy becausee I teach clients how to market Prior to becoming abusiness owner, he stumblef into a high-tech recruiting careerr thanks, he says, to the eclectic skillw he gained in the military.