Tips for the Entrepreneurial Apprentice in 2021

Nobody wants to work every day for the rest of their life. I think the average person would agree with that, at least until the robots take over. But nerd jokes aside. Many people are quite happy with their 8-hour, 5 day a week grind, or even longer workdays and workweeks.

However, a lot of us dream of starting our own businesses and creating our own companies.

Perhaps some of us have an inherent will to grab the reigns of life and take control of our future with our own hands. That is to say, we don’t like leaving our future in the hands of employers.

Though, society seems to push the narrative that there’s only one path or method to success. That method being, educate yourself then get a job.

We at ojt.com like to think otherwise. We believe that there are many paths to success and knowledge, and only you should decide the best for yourself. This is why we bring you content via our blogs, that show alternatives and help you with those decisions.

So, here is our entrepreneurial guide for apprentices. Let’s get the entrepreneur in you going.

Start your Entrepreneurial Journey

Well, there are two scenarios to this:

• Scenario #1 – you’re on the verge of deciding which apprenticeship or if apprenticeships are right for you. This is why you’re here, trying to figure out what options you may have in your future as an apprentice. In that case, we urge you to firstly, look through our blogs section on this site, to assist with your decision or put your doubts to rest. Then you can feel free to revisit this blog post at any time.
• Scenario # 2 – you’ve graduated to Journeyman’s level or you’re about to complete your apprenticeship. Therefore, we can go ahead and jump right into the meat of the matter. Consider most of the apprenticeship programs revolve around a particular skill set, in a particular field. These skills solve several common problems for many in their daily life, which is why they’re always in demand.

That being said, the core of any business or company is to offer a product or service. Hence, the best way to start your entrepreneurial journey is to understand where your skills can help the average person, in all scales of the job. How?

Network, Gain Experience and Pursue Excellence in your Career Pathway 

Many entrepreneurial ideas die in their early stages because we’re afraid to start on a smaller scale. Since a considerable amount of the work performed by Journeymen are tasks that one person can perform, starting small isn’t hard.

So don’t pass up on those little jobs that may pop up as you’re growing. It gives you a chance to network and gain experience with the needs of the average person. Subsequently, refining your professionalism, while gaining the opportunity to build a decent level of trust that will be attached to your name.

At that point, you’re a business with a single employee. If you’re someone that put’s their customers first, and focuses on delivering quality service, the only place to go from there is up.

That’s because, when you begin expanding your employees will get to ride your wave of trust and experience. But that doesn’t mean you won’t need to ensure they uphold the standards you established though.

Make a Decision and Set your Goal 

Whether it’s a coding, electrical, plumbing apprenticeship, or otherwise, these principles apply across the board in many cases. You start in the residential areas gaining momentum, with the goal of expanding. However, your next task will be deciding what type of business model or company you want to have. There are two major ways you can go about it.

Having a business targeted at providing the needs of the residential areas you’re accustomed to.

Gathering a team of skilled individuals in your trade or even other trades and be the “one-stop-shop” for residents or businesses to resolve their issues. You will essentially be the bridge between a skilled Journeyman and a customer in need, for a percentage of the fees charged.

A more difficult approach, or it can even be the next step in your journey, is to become a Contractor. You basically take on large-scale projects, not only providing skilled individuals, but there can be a lot more.

For example, you’re also responsible for, biding, sourcing the materials required, overseeing the entire job, while also making sure you stay on budget and schedule.

Above all, you need to acquire the necessary licenses and permits as dictated by your country or state. With all said, that is still only a fraction of a contractor’s responsibilities.

But even if that business model is harder, the rewards can be much higher. Luckily though, if you’re going the contract route, and you reside in the United States, the US Small Business Administration can take some stress off your plate.

As their website allows you to look up what licenses and permits you may require for your state.

OJT.com Supports the Entrepreneurial Apprentice 

Our general intent is to show how far you can reach with apprenticeship and ambition. There is no reason to limit yourself, so don’t be afraid to go out there and grab success by its collar.

We hope our entrepreneurial guide for apprentices has inspired you in some way or brought you new ideas. If you enjoyed this blog or found it helpful, visit us again for more or check out more of our content here.