Tips for New Graduates Who Want to Be Their Own Boss 畢業生自主創業小貼士

杰茜卡·阿什克納齊　吳漪妮

Make the most of networking opportunities

Get to those networking events and talk， talk， talk. “There is value in every conversation you have， you never know where your next piece of work may come from. Changing the mindset to professionalism and saying， ‘I am a graphic designer rather than ‘I am a graduate is very important，” says Lydia Wakefield， education and training manager at the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed.

Know your worth

Its hard to persuade people to pay for your work if youre willing to give it away. “Value your worth from the beginning. A lot of people feel the pressure to work for nothing or charge a really low rate if theyve been studying. Clients are willing to pay for the quality of the work that you do，” says Wakefield.

Set up with the tools to get paid

Register for self-assessment1 and file those tax returns. “Make sure you have contracts and invoice templates in place，” says Wakefield. It doesnt hurt to get some advice from a professional， says Jeff Skinner， of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the London Business School. “Find an accountant or someone doing something similar and ask them for commercial advice，” he says.

Manage expectations

Know the limits to your capabilities. “You can feel the need to say yes to every project. Have a self-awareness of how much work you can take on at any time and manage expectations，” says Wakefield.

Resilience

Wakefield highlights the importance of having a thick skin. “If you get a no， dont take it to heart. Keep going， you will find your next client，” she says， “ask for feedback， you can always use it for testimonial.” And， remember that youre not alone. “It really is emotional highs and lows for any entrepreneur in early stages. But youre in a network with other people on the same journey as you，” says Skinner.

充分利用社交機會

去參加社交活動，不停與人交流。獨立職業人士與個體經營協會教育培訓經理莉迪婭·韋克菲爾德表示：“每段交流都有價值，你永遠不知道下一個客戶可能從事什么行業，而且，轉變心態從專業角度自我介紹十分重要。例如，用‘我是平面設計師，來代替‘我剛畢業。”

了解自身價值

如果自己選擇了放棄，那就很難指望有人會給你報酬。韋克菲爾德說：“從一開始就要了解自身價值，剛起步時，許多人承受了無薪工作或低薪工作的壓力。可是，客戶是愿意為你的高質量成果買單的。”

運用記賬工具

注冊自我評稅報表并將納稅申報表存檔。“確保存有合同和發票模板。”韋克菲爾德表示。倫敦商學院創新與創業研究所的杰夫·斯金納認為，從專業人士處獲取建議有益無害，“找個會計師或從事相關行業的人，向他們征求商務建議”。

量力而行

了解自己的能力極限。“你或許覺得有必要接下各個項目，可是，要時刻保持清醒，把握自己的工作量上限，量力而行。”韋克菲爾德表示。

發揮韌性

韋克菲爾德強調了厚臉皮的重要性。“如果有人否定你，別往心里去，繼續前進，總會受到賞識的。要尋求反饋，因為它可以成為你認真工作的證據。”請記住，你并不是孤身一人。斯金納說：“每個企業家在創業初期，都經歷過情緒上的高低起伏。但是，在創業的世界還有人與你并肩同行。”

（譯者單位：天津外國語大學濱海外事學院）