Factors Paper: Lourenz R. Acosta

Lourenz R. Acosta                                                                                                                            02 April 2012 Entrepreneurship                                                                                                                            Prof. Jorge My qualities as an entrepreneur What are the qualities of an entrepreneur? This question was thrown in class last week an dit made me thinking. Just this past Friday, I filed my 30-day resignation notice to the company that I've been working with for the past 4 years. The reason behind my resignation is entrepreneurship. I'll be starting my own construction company. I've been doing my private practice for the past 2 years but I've never really given it enough time. Now, the plan is to do just that. For me being an entrepreneur requires courage. Courage to venture out to unfamiliar territories outside the comfort of the regular pay provided by an employer. Courage to build something that you can call your own. Courage to deafen the whispers of fear who calls for your failure. I believe that this is something that I have. As I leave my comfortable job and venture towards entrepreneurship, I am aware of the risks that I am taking but I am not afraid of these risk and, more importantly, I am not afraid of failing. I believe that fear has no place in the mind of an entrepreneur. When there is fear, creativity is limited and a person may be crippled to inaction. An entrepreneur needs the courage to try things out, be adventurous, experiment, and, even, taste the bitter pill of failure from time to time. A friend once told me that in becoming an entrepreneur, the biggest challenge that one faces is the challenge posed by yourself. It is the challenge of being in control of oneself – your fears, worries, attitudes, and habits. Without this self mastery, the entrepreneur will ultimately fail. I believe that this is something that I am strong at. I've proven to myself and others that I can get my act together and focus to the task at hand. I can get things done. I have the discipline to do what it takes to achieve a certain goal. I'm not saying that I have complete mastery of myself, but I do know I can always will myself to do whats need to be done. When placed in situations that needs performance, I've never failed to deliver. I believe that I can apply the same self-mastery as I enter entrepreneurship.  I always try to keep an open mind and not limit what I can do to my own abilities. I try not to put limitations to myself and I always think that no matter how difficult something may seem, it really is not that difficult. I've always had this thinking growing up. I remember when I was in graduating from grade school and many of my classmates were talking about how difficult the math subjects are in high school such as geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. All of my classmates, and even myself, became very worried. We thought that it was insurmountable and very difficult. As I went through those math subjects, I realized that something always look more difficult than it actually is. I made good marks in high school math and even went on take to an engineering degree. I believe that the same applies to the challenges that I will face as an entrepreneur. These challenges may look daunting at the start, but I'm pretty sure that its not as hard as I am believe it to be so. The qualities that I have that will make me a successful entrepreneur are courage, determination, and an ever-growing mastery of myself. Every other quality, in my opinion, comes secondary. As I start my own construction business in May, I've not doubt in my mind that I have what it takes to succeed.

Learning Agreement - Lourenz Acosta

Personal Data  -  Learning Agreement   Student Data                                                                                                                                                                                  Date:  03 APRIL 2012 Name:  LOURENZ R. ACOSTA   Cell Phone No. 0917561524 Email: lourenz_acosta@yahoo.com Business Address:  FIRST BALFOUR, KM 19 WEST SERVICE ROAD  Current Position: SR. SUPERVISOR                                                                                                                                                                &nb sp;                  Residence Address:  39 BEGONIA ST., TAHANAN VILLAGE, PARANAQUE CITY Educational Attainment:                                                      School                        Year                            Course               Honors Post Graduate              Undergraduate            UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, DILIMAN, 2007, CIVIL ENGINEERING        Special Skills:             _________________________________________________________________ Hobbies:                      BASKETBALL, READING Work Experience Company                                Position/Responsibility                Period                     Achievement FIRST BALFOUR INC          SR. SUPERVISOR CIVIL ENGINEERING 2008-2012 UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, INSTRUCTOR, DEPT OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2007-2008 Business / Enterprise Experience: ______________________________________________________ Business Plan Topic in Mind: START-UP OF A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY 1.  Notable Achievement/s. _____________________________________________________________________________________SEVERAL CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION WORKS _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2.  Failures (if any?) _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3.  Dark secrets, if any: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4.  SELF ANALYSIS (WHERE AM I NOW?) (Related to Entrepreneurship)                                     STRENGTHS                                                             WEAKNESSES HABITS                  WORKS FOR LONG HOURS                            DOES NOT TAKE CARE OF SELF WELL                                      ATTITUDE             DISCIPLINED, ACTION ORIENTED                TACTLESS AT TIMES AND IMPATIENT                                 HARDWORKING                                 SKILLS                  GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS                                  TECHNICAL SKILLS                                 MANAGEMENT SKILLS KNOWLEDGE      CIVIL ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE                                 CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE 5.  WHERE AM I GOING? a. Personal Vision Statement:  TO BE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE TO THE PEOPLE I GET IN CONTACT WITH, b. Personal Mission Statement: TO PRACTICE MY KNOWLEDGE IN ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION TO MAKE LIVES BETTER.                c. Desired Material Reward for the next 5 years – SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Based)                                     WHAT                                                  HOW TO GET THERE                           WHO WILL HELP (position/ annual salary,                                                                                           YOU GET THERE? perks, cars, house/ wealth)                  Year 1 CONTRACTOR                      (R 10M)                 HARDWORK                                        MYSELF AND OTHERS  Year 2 CONTRACTOR PCAB C      (R 30M)                 HARDWORK                                        MYSELF AND OTHERS  Year 3 CONTRACTOR PCAB B      (R 100M)              HARDWORK                                        MYSELF AND OTHERS  Year 4 CONTRACTOR PCAB B      (R150M)                                HARDWORK                                        MYSELF AND OTHERS  Year 5 CONTRACTOR PCAB A      (R 250M)               HARDWORK                                        MYSELF AND OTHERS 6.  What will be the value if any of the subject, to your profession? I'LL BE STARTING MY OWN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SOON, SO THE SUBJECT IS VERY VALUABLE. 8.  What grade do you expect?  IM NOT GRADE CONSCIOUS, I JUST WANT TO LEARN 9.  How will you get the grade that you expect?  N/A               I undertake to abide by this learning agreement. LOURENZ R. ACOSTA                                      03 APRIL 2012  Students Printed Name/Signature                                                     Date