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1. Going by the increasing toll of unemployment in Nigeria
and in most countries of the world, one option that readily
comes to mind is churning out business ideas and making
a living from such ventures.

2. However, good as entrepreneurship may seem, certain
challenges are likely to be faced by the aspiring/budding
entrepreneur who, due to lack of experience in his chosen
career path, finds it difficult to get notice in the
marketplace.

3. Amongst other qualities, experience, is obviously the most
vital requirement needed for a successful service business.
But this is not to say that some service business can't be
ventured into with little or no experience.

4. If you are thinking of starting an interior decorations
business, for example, you are most likely to do well if you
have worked in an organization or with someone having
similar interest. Consider someone who starts a business
and offers human relations management services, but
never worked in an HR firm or as an HR administrator for a
company!

5. Experience readily brings the judgment you would need to
manage your business. This is the single most important
skill needed in the service industry (and perhaps, in all
types of businesses).

6. All hope is not lost if you are just a fresher. You can start a
particular service business, and do well even if you have
not worked professionally in a similar field. "How?" you
ask. I will tell you now.

7. Let me identify two types of experience. These are: 1.
Hands-on Experience; and 2. Self-Acquiring Experience.

8. Hands-on experience is the type of training you get as a
result of your involvement in a particular activity.
Here, you learn the skill first-hand; you make
mistakes/errors and get corrected. Over the years, hands-
on experience has proven to be the most accepted
method of staff training, and many companies are aware
of this fact. An accountant just starting off cannot, in any
way, be compared with one with many years of hands-on
experience. Likewise, a veteran sales person will, in most
cases, outsell a beginner.

9. It is, however, worthy of note that acquiring corporate
experience is not limited to the hands-on level. In the self-
acquiring experience level, you engage in a conscious, self-
acquiring exercise in order to be ahead of the game in
your chosen career path.

10. The following are methods you can quickly use to become
an experienced business person:

11. 1. Read books authored by people who have several years
of hands-on experience in the field that interest you. For
instance, one of the professional books that have shaped
my career is The Corporate Communications Bible by
Robert Dilenschneider. In just one book, I was able to
acquire public relations "wisdom" which had took the
author several decades to learn!

12. 2. Attend professional training/short courses. Attending
programmes of this nature gives you unique opportunity
to listen to experts as they teach. In most cases, you get
opportunity to ask questions and practice what you have
learnt.

13. 3. Subscribe to and read newsletters regularly (whether
paper or electronic-based). Newsletters offer unique
information that may not be found elsewhere. Your self-
acquiring effort may just pay of by reading one more
newsletter.

14. 4. Associate with 'senior' friends. You have no business
spending your time with people who don't know as much
as you do. Pitch your tent with people who have gone
ahead of you (and are successful) in similar business. Have
them mentor you. By doing this, their experience rubs on
you.

15. 5. Apply what you have acquired. It is important to note
that acquiring does not equal applying. You need to apply
the wisdom acquired. Start small. Offer a kind of service
that you can proffer immediate solutions to. The more you
use what you know, the more you get skilled in the
art, and the more you become experienced in that area! In
the words of Dr. David Oyedepo, "Every fact you locate
and apply puts you in control of life's circumstances."

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