I love the subject of entrepreneurship because it takes a professional in any industry into a different realm. It means you’re not restricted to the specific field you are educated or trained in. You are able to visualize the potential of a specific market, essentially turning your passions or interests into addressing the needs of that specific industry or target market.
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit for problem-solving, since I was a kid selling my toys in a garage sale in order to make enough money buy new ones. Today, I no longer want new toys. I want new experiences, adventures, and challenges. That led combining my love of teaching with my passion for ABA, problem-solving the variable needs of those sitting for the exam into a business. Let me be clear, it has not been easy. It is exciting and fun, but also equally challenging and pressure filled. It comes with responsibilities that don’t go away when you clock out. In fact, I don’t get to clock out. What I want to offer any ABA professional who may be considering starting their own business, whether an ABA agency or otherwise, is just go for it.
I get so excited when I see different types of businesses emerging in our field, not just new agencies, which are of course wonderful and needed, but mentorship and supervision businesses, team management businesses, quality assurance, act work, organizational management, safety management, scheduling and data platforms, pet training, and physical fitness support. It is all so reinforcing. It makes me feel that a career in ABA doesn’t mean being pigeonholed exclusively into autism treatment.
I heard a talk by Dr. Henry (Hank) Schlinger (Ph.D., BCBA-D) at a conference years ago, about the future of behavior analysis. He has also done some writing on the subject which you may want to check out. It’s titled “Perspectives on the Future of Behavior Analysis“. He offered a premise– what if there was no longer a need for autism treatment? What would all of us autism experts do? I think what Dr Schlinger wanted us to consider that there is a lot we can do.
I think of entrepreneurship, like behavior analysis. It’s a way of life. In that spirit, think about some of your ideas, your passions, and skills. Ask yourself, who can use my help? Who needs this brilliant science to improve their life? If you’re thinking up some ideas, what you’re doing is exhibiting entrepreneurial behaviors, which I think, makes you an entrepreneur.