Driven Entrepreneur

If you've seen my homepage, you'll notice I've decided to close it down. After two years of attempting a few entrepreneurial endeavors, I've decided I don't want to be an entrepreneur right now. The only venture I ever officially undertook was running my Dad's tax and accounting company, and I learned that I hate not only accounting, but dealing with customers. So that, as well as several other failed business ideas that never even became a legal reality, failed. And you know what? I'm okay with that.

It took me two years to learn that I'm not ready to be an entrepreneur, nor do I even want to be one right now. Instead, I've decided to devote my energies and talents to school. I'd never really left school. I graduated in 2006 with my Bachelors in English Education, a teaching degree, and I continued my studies as a post-bac student for a year focusing on accounting, as my parents suggested, to get into a Master's program in accounting. That worked until December of last year, but because I was never passionate about accounting, I didn't do well. in my International Business class this semester, I got a really low grade, because I just didn't care about what I was studying. And am now teaching middle school at small, private, Islamic school. I enjoy the heck out of it, but I don't want to make it my permanent career. I'm taking a literature class this summer (Chaucer), so I can improve my reading skills and eventually get into some grad program I actually want to be in.

I've enjoyed writing about the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey. I thank David Askaripour for allowing to be a part of Mind Petals, a group of young and ambitious entrepreneurs and for everyone who read my blog, and left comments. I will miss you all, but I won't be far. You can drop me a line at http://perfecshunist.livejournal.com. More power to the young people who are making a difference in this world! Keep it up guys :)

- Mari (short for Mariam)

I haven't been communicating very well with my clients -- I'm surprised I still have them! Tomorrow's the deadline for three major business reports:

• Annual Report
• 941 - Employee Tax return
• UCT-6 State Unemployment Tax Return

And I just informed several clients that they must pay hundreds of dollars for employee taxes etc, by Monday -- some don't have enough money in their accounts and others were caught off guard. I had all of this week to get my business act together since my final final exam was on Tuesday, but I chose leisurely to complete these three major returns -- and I still have a list of UCT-6s to do tomorrow. May God be with me, because I'm not sure I can complete them all by 5. Nothing will happen without His will. I shall pray that everything works out. I can't run the business like my Dad does, whose been doing this son long, he's bored, worn out and knows how to get things done last minute if necessary while I am just learning -- I need to stay on top of deadlines otherwise how am I going to get more clients?!

I've also been bad about keeping my word with my friends, saying I'd call her back after work when I called her back at 9 pm (she gets off at 5)-- this is very un-Muslim like of me, and I should ask forgiveness. I have certainly erred. If you're reading this, I'm sorry for not calling you back earlier, it was all my fault, and I do apologize. I have some improvements to do in my business relations, and personal relationships.

Newsflash: My Dad is in the hospital and I'm attempting to take over all operations of his tax & accounting company but getting money from clients is one of the more difficult parts. My Dad isn't exactly a businessman, so he takes what he can get, and does what he does best: tax and accounting, I'm a bit more organize then he, but when I don't know whether clients have paid their monthly fee since January how am I supposed to begin to collect - especially if they argue and I have no records?! Or missing records, since some just pay cash?! It's not easy, but I'm trying. I learned a few months ago that Islam has provisions for doing business, and here is a link to obtain money before the good are delivered:

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/035.sbt.html

Which states that one should take the money from the client if and when the goods have been estimatedly weighted and have a date range from when it will be delivered, insha Allah (God willing). Cool, I say. Less thinking for me since God has apparently already outlined the proper way to handle business. The hadith (stories of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH) also states that one should take what one is due, no more and no less, here:

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/034.sbt.html

Which is what I've been doing for corporate tax returns and other related documents/preperations. Did you know that in the Prophet's time women owned businesses? Like Khadija (as) the Prophet Muhammad's wife who was attracted to the prophet because of his great business skills. It was not until the 1920s that women were allowed to vote here in America. And race determined if one could own property

Anyway, as Islam calls man to think, I invite you to do the same, because when I thought of entrepreneurship in light of my corporate America thinking, business sounded kind of evil - taking advantage of other people, which is why I initially went into teaching, but knew in my heart I was more of an entrepreneur. I always thought business was trying to get people's money for goods they didn't need. Then, as I learned more about American business theory, I learned it was about getting people what they need at a fair price, which is why I started liking business. Besides, I was an accouting major, how could I not?! Anyway, I love the freedom being an entrepreneur allows me, but when it comes to making decisions and extra responsibility, I become taxed, stressed, etc and want to give it all up! My source of peace in decision making are the hadith, which I was surprised to see, deleinate how one should do business. Awesome! I don't have to worry about asking for money, since by God's laws, a fair price is owed to me. If they don't pay, I find another customer without worries or a jolt to my pride. Since all that happens is God's will.

I have several pending tasks on my desk here at this moment, I'm waiting on a bowl full of rice and meatballs to heat up, and am yet again persisting in my lately regular habits of odd eating, odd hours, and incessant busy-ness. I get some time to rest at night when I am there memorizing Quran (holy book for humanity) and checking my email and facebook (college networking site) account. For the first time this semester I skipped my class to stay at home and work at "my" business. I've claimed it as mine since August but didn't put enough effort into it until my Dad went to the hospital a few weeks ago and the tasks were all on me. While family friends and my aunt are cooking meals for us, God's helping me pass my classes and making everything go round, I'm getting offers to do people's payrolls and income taxes. It's amazing. I feel as though I'm giving up my education to run this business, and, you know what, I'm liking it, but I have little to no time for my classes. Does this mean I have to make a choice? School or business? I hope now. But I'll see what happens as things progress. God willing, I'll keep you updated!

A short update is due....

I haven't been writing much online, because I've been doing so much offline. Attending my auditing class (upper level undergrad accounting course), working 19 hours a week at a CPA firm, and running around town to see clients, make deposits, and do tax returns at home with the help of my Dad over the phone. I've also been memorizing the
Quran, our holy book. I have had to run the company for him since he's been in the hospital for a little over two weeks, only necessity pushed me full force into the role. Without my being at the helm, our household will not run, so with the help of God, I've been doing as much book keeping, financial statement prep, and tax returns as possible to keep the clients happy, even though we're already behind this tax season. But which CPA/accountant isn't?! Wish me luck, and pray for me! I'll be back soon!

Tax season has got me swamped at work and at my home office. My father is sadly ill, bed-ridden, but due to this unfortunate event I've been given the blessing to learn all I can from him about sales tax, 941s, and tax returns both corporate and individual. He's well enough to talk and guide me in my completing the work he normally does for the business, so I take it as a blessing. During this Spring Break I've been working hard at my job as a bookkeeper and working hard at home to complete tax returns for [my] clients. It's certainly an interesting experience, so I'm taking more control of the business than I'd initially envisioned, but we'll see how it goes. God willing, I'll keep you updated!

An interesting turn of events came with the coming and ending of Winter Break. Saldy, the weather does not change enough in Florida for me to register a seasonal change, but psychologically, I've experienced a great change which I believe is due for exploration!

I teeter between the responsibilities of an entrepreneur this tax season and a student, and friend. I've been enjoying working and socializing this winter break, but as I re enter a school semester, I must consider where my priorities lie. I know I barely passed last semester due to God's will, but what of this semester? Shall I pretend I can take the challenge of being an entrepreneur and student and neglect my new found social life or devote my efforts to being more of an entrepreneur and less of a friend? More interesting and challenging would be trying to be an entrepreneur and student, since my social life will likely follow my ambitious endeavors, but why do I feel a sense of neglect to my friends if I do such? Perhaps instead of devoting myself to my friends, I should continue to learn from them and do what I do best: Be an independent young person. Why would I want to get caught up in social drama anyway?

Until the age of 21, before earning my bachelors degree and legally be an independent, I did as many crazy, exciting, and interesting things I could think of to enjoy my life and make a career for myself. Today, the weekend before final exams, I realize I simply cannot keep flailing in the wind like this. Jumping from one exciting thing to another, the adult lifestyle has imposed its unsung restrictions upon me: there's only so much time in a day and I need to choose one field to stick to -- at least for the time being. I've been spending 18-20 hours at the CPA firm bookkeeping over the past week, and then coming home to spend another hour or two bookkeeping for my own company, and spending the remainder of the time keeping the family entertained: playing Super Nintendo with my 13-year-old brother, watching 20 minutes of a movie with my older sister, playing cards with my 10-year-old sister, helping my father by bringing him the phone, being excited about the creative dinners my mom cooks -- if I can't evade them, might as well join them! Ulhumdu lillah (praise be to God), they're fun, lively, and enjoyable when I don't have to study to do work at the home-based office.

No more attempting to establish two businesses, I already have an accounting business, I don't need to add a success business to it for the time being, it shall, for now, remain only a hobby while I concentrate making a fortune with my current business venture, job, and student lifestyle. God willing, it'll all work out well. My final exams, on the other hand? Only God knows....