Skills carryover helps startups hone ventures - Business First of Columbus:

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Elliott, 45, spent 18 years as a technical writeer for and community relations manageefor . Five years ago, sensing change with her position at Lucentwas coming, she left. Two years later, usingv $80,000 in personal savings and a credit card, Elliott opened . In the marke for a spring jacket? Shoppers at her storer are likely to find one adornefwith colorful, buttons and belt loops. What about baubles? Youngv ladies on the fence about getting their ears piercer are sure to be pushed off by a set of tiny cupcake-shaped earrings.
Elliot says she believes that ifmerchandise isn’tt different enough to warrant a reaction, customersa are likely to bypass it as opposed to makinh a beeline to the cash register. The shop ownefr never read this in a book but knows it byinstincg – something she honed and learned to trusgt during her days at AT&T and Lucent. “I am alway s on the lookout for quality products that are feminine and there also has to be some sort oftwistr – something that’s going to give customer a little bit more bang for theier buck,” says Elliott, who targets teenager s and women interested in versatile jewelry and handbags.
“It’s all about knowing your audience, whichj is something I learned back when I was writingoperations It’s a skill I now appluy to this business.” Elliott, in fact, made it a point to brinh her corporate communications background to the table to help maximize her investmen and attract customers. “As Lucent Technologies Columbusz Works communityrelations manager, I was in charg of special events, which means I know how to begih with a vision and implement every she says.
“These days, one of my primarh methods of getting people through my door revolves arounsspecial events, including private shopping girls’ nights out and breakfast mixers for women businessx owners in New Albany.” Furthermore, she offers up her stores for networking and events, even up to the point of makinh the invitations and providing refreshments. “It’a all stuff I learned how to do when I worked at myold job,” she says. The idea is to introducd her shop to potential customerse without breaking thebank – something else Ellioty picked up at Lucent. “The company encouraged us to manage its departmentao budgets as if the moneuy wasour own.
These the money really is my own,” she It’s not uncommon for professionals to take stock of theifr careers when they see job functions consolidated and coworkerx losing their jobs because of number as it didfor Elliott. It’s especially difficultt when mid-life sneaks up and passiom for the job gives way to stress and For a few oftheser people, the answer can be found in says Pierre Daunic, president of . “I wouldn’t call it common, but given the state of the economy, more and more people are considering asan option,” he says.
Daunic, whos e six-year-old company specializes in cover letter andresumew development, says entrepreneurs who possess certain fundamental including leadership and communications skills, are in the best positiom to use those talents in meaningful ways – even when the startup is unrelated to the career that developed those talents. “For example, I startef out as an Air Force officer, moved into commercial construction, and then startef teaching at the ,” Daunic said. “Whay I do today, in particular, revolve around the teaching skills I learnee at the academy becauswe I teach clients how tomarket themselves.
” Prior to becoming a businesz owner, he stumbled into a high-tech recruiting career he says, to the eclectic skills he gained in the