Sunday, December 9, 2012

Why New Entrepreneurs Should Listen To Recruiters

can you hear me? by pj_vanf
can you hear me?, a photo by pj_vanf on Flickr.



If you’ve decided to ditch your cubicle for your own startup, congratulations. No doubt you intend to stay connected to some of your former colleagues, your bosses or your former clients to insure your success—because all of them can help you build your business.

Add an additional remnant of your corporate past to be a catalyst for your entrepreneurial success: recruiters who have come to know you over the years.
Before you diss the recruiters who pitch you new job opportunities while you’re exiting your old one, consider the benefits of continuing your relationship with them:

Recruiters in your field are experts at monitoring the business landscape.  The obvious shift in your relationship is that you no longer rely on your recruiter for resume tips or job leads. But consider that a good recruiter spends hours a day talking to business leaders, conversing daily with  movers and shakers in your industry, negotiating compensation and networking constantly. You won’t ever be able to grow your business in a vacuum. Staying in touch with someone who’s got his ear to the ground for their own livelihood is a person you definitely want in your corner.

Recruiters own the skills you need for your own success.  A new business owner taps into the expertise they’ve developed as an employee and leverages it by selling it in the marketplace. Whether you’re a Subject Matter Expert in healthcare consulting, human resources outsourcing, technology or another line of business, you will have to sell your services quickly in order to launch. You can learn a lot about how to network, set business goals and close deals from a trusted recruiter—simply because their livelihood depends on it as much as yours.

If your startup doesn’t get off the ground, you need to stay current.  Simply put—a lot of startups build slowly or fail. Whether you need to seed your business by working temporarily for another company or you decide to return to work in a traditional role, don’t burn your bridges, Keep in touch with a trusted recruiter that can help you.

Business relationships are like any other; you need to give as well as take. Offer something to the recruiters you stay in close touch with. Share some market news or refer a contact that might consider a job change. Engage in a discussion with them about an industry trend. Keep the dialogue going in both directions and the relationship will last.

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