Corporate experience aids entrepreneur
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 03/02/2010
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Taking the leap from the corporate world into an entrepreneurship can be a difficult one – just ask Purdue graduate Mike Scherenberg.
Scherenberg, who graduated from Purdue in 2001 with a degree in computer engineering, launched his company, Fixit99.com, about a year ago. Fixit99.com is a technical support Web site which allows computers to be remotely repaired.
This is a new road for Scherenberg, who has been part of the corporate world since his graduation. He worked in corporate consulting for companies such as Sears Holdings Corporation and Computer Sciences Corporation, where he said he felt dissatisfied.
“I love helping people, but was focused on businesses. I wanted to move away from that and have a sense of ownership, so this past year I decided to start this company,” Scherenberg said.
He said this was a scary transition, since he would be leaving a steady paycheck, among other stabilities.
“It was one of the most difficult choices I had to make,” Scherenberg said. “But in the long run it’s where I wanted to be.”
According to Nathalie Duval-Couetil, associate director of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, the average age of an entrepreneur is 35 to 40. She said that, therefore, successful entrepreneurs usually have significant background experience.
“Very often, the high-value, high-potential, high-growth opportunities will come from people who have considerable experience and industry knowledge under their belts,” Duval-Couetil said.
Scherenberg, who was 29 when he began his company, is younger than the average entrepreneur, but said his six years of corporate experience aided in the creation of his business because he was able to network and gain contacts. However, he faced his fair share of difficulties in the transition from the corporate world. He said it was challenging from a financial standpoint, as well as a physical standpoint – with increased hours and stress.
“I had to become three people: the entrepreneur, the manager and the technician, whereas before I was just the technician,” Scherenberg said.
The biggest challenge, according to Scherenberg, is stepping back and delegating tasks to others, instead of trying to do everything himself. Although he has faced struggles along the way, Scherenberg said he has no regrets.
“It’s still extremely challenging, but I look back at all my customers and I realize it’s rewarding,” Scherenberg said. “I know I’m doing something needed.”