Motivations to start or join a small enterprise in environmental chemistry
For every environmental chemist who has put a foot on the first rung of a career ladder, there comes a pivotal moment when they reflect on their position and decide whether that career is acceptable to them or not. Some will decide that security is their main priority, others will decide to leave and seek out fresh opportunities. Ultimately, the specific circumstances and the personality of the individual will decide their path. Depending upon their skill base, unique insights, and exposure to market opportunities, a small number of environmental chemists will decide to be their own master and start up a small business of their own. This decision will be a life changing one.
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The challenge for anybody considering a career in environmental chemistry is to understand the potential pathways that allow either partial or full deployment of the expertise they gathered before, during, or after their formal education. Historically, many chemistry graduates have found places in the chemical industry (usually in petrochemical, inorganic and pharmaceutical companies). These sectors previously provided a stable, long term career in research and development, production, regulatory compliance or management, but as the chemistry industry has evolved to be more competitive and specialised, many of the ‘peripheral’ areas such as process improvement or innovation have been outsourced to smaller companies that can deliver state-of-the-art customised solutions.
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Business with environmental concern. Credit: Shutterstock
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The result of these changes has been an overall narrowing of the traditional chemist’s role and a diversification of the roles available in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly roles requiring environmental chemistry expertise. Combined with the emergence of new, interdisciplinary industries based on digital, electronic or genetic technologies, the options for environmental chemists have become bewilderingly diverse. This diversification, however, does not mean that chemists, biochemists, microbiologists, ecologists, and toxicologists are no longer in demand: the basic science of chemistry remains a key a foundation to several emerging industries. As such, a good career within this increasingly multidisciplinary field requires the ability to change with circumstance and learn continuously: a single area of expertise no longer ensures a career for life. Change will be the ever present constant, and those willing to embrace it will be the winners.
Successful start-ups foster great opportunities for individual expression and recognition, but also engender risk; ventures may fail for various commercial, intellectual or competitive reasons. For some, this offers an exciting, adventurous and fast-moving career. Others prefer the comparatively more sedate pace in an established SME, perhaps after gaining experience at a larger company. Choosing to work for an SME or establish an entrepreneurial career is a matter of personal preference, skill base, and attitude to risk. All these factors contribute to future economic growth and innovation.
The problem of experience (or rather the lack of it), is probably the main barrier graduates find when entering a career in SMEs. SMEs often prefer employees who have received industrial training and experience at a larger company, since they are often small and have limited capacity for training. However, because of the pace of progress in some notable fields of science, such as genetics and biochemistry, lack of experience can be overcome by up-to-date knowledge in specific technologies. This is probably more true for the SME start up companies spun out from academic research. The massive increase in high tech companies in the Oxford Cambridge corridor is testament to the need for very specific qualifications. This demand for qualified personnel is similar to the demand for highly qualified IT graduates in Silicon Valley.
A graduate who finds an initial placement in one of the larger companies and progresses from there to an SME is likely to find it a somewhat different environment, primarily because they will move to an organisation that is involved in all stages of development. In successful SMEs, the company trains the individual in the core skills, services and management systems of the organisation. The net effect is that the individual has the opportunity to see the result of their efforts and accrue more robust and transferable skills.
For those attempting entrepreneurial careers by starting their own company, there is even greater risk. According to Small Business (business.co.uk) and other industry sources, the failure rate of start-ups within five years can be as high as 40%, often the requirement for careful financial management is underestimated. Generally, the finances required, even for a small business, are much higher than most individuals anticipate. This often means that more time is spent organising the cash reserves of the business than actually conducting the day to day operations. A business plan is critical for building achievable goals and assessing how far ahead or behind target the business is, even if the target is revised. The business plan also provides transparency for potential investors. These less exciting (but necessary) activities are core to a successful business, but do not always fulfil the ambitions of the environmental chemist at the helm.
Some organisations and charities (such as The Oxford Trust) provide intermediary support for incubator companies, helping them to establish themselves with lower rents and mentoring. For the novice, good mentoring and support is invaluable.
The RSC provides career support to members at all stages, including bespoke one-to-one consultations. Additionally, the RSC Consultancy Group is an interest group that runs a regular programme of networking and professional development events, and hosts an online discussion forum. Chemistry World, the RSC’s flagship magazine, administers an award for ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ that recognises individuals who demonstrate creativity and vision, driving chemistry innovation to commercial success for their business.
The amount of effort and understanding required to start a business is typically much greater than ever anticipated and, significantly, falls outside the expertise in environmental science that the entrepreneur typically possesses. But, for those that choose to go down this path, the rewards will usually be deemed worth the effort.
References and Further Information
Successful start-ups foster great opportunities for individual expression and recognition, but also engender risk; ventures may fail for various commercial, intellectual or competitive reasons. For some, this offers an exciting, adventurous and fast-moving career. Others prefer the comparatively more sedate pace in an established SME, perhaps after gaining experience at a larger company. Choosing to work for an SME or establish an entrepreneurial career is a matter of personal preference, skill base, and attitude to risk. All these factors contribute to future economic growth and innovation.
The problem of experience (or rather the lack of it), is probably the main barrier graduates find when entering a career in SMEs. SMEs often prefer employees who have received industrial training and experience at a larger company, since they are often small and have limited capacity for training. However, because of the pace of progress in some notable fields of science, such as genetics and biochemistry, lack of experience can be overcome by up-to-date knowledge in specific technologies. This is probably more true for the SME start up companies spun out from academic research. The massive increase in high tech companies in the Oxford Cambridge corridor is testament to the need for very specific qualifications. This demand for qualified personnel is similar to the demand for highly qualified IT graduates in Silicon Valley.
A graduate who finds an initial placement in one of the larger companies and progresses from there to an SME is likely to find it a somewhat different environment, primarily because they will move to an organisation that is involved in all stages of development. In successful SMEs, the company trains the individual in the core skills, services and management systems of the organisation. The net effect is that the individual has the opportunity to see the result of their efforts and accrue more robust and transferable skills.
For those attempting entrepreneurial careers by starting their own company, there is even greater risk. According to Small Business (business.co.uk) and other industry sources, the failure rate of start-ups within five years can be as high as 40%, often the requirement for careful financial management is underestimated. Generally, the finances required, even for a small business, are much higher than most individuals anticipate. This often means that more time is spent organising the cash reserves of the business than actually conducting the day to day operations. A business plan is critical for building achievable goals and assessing how far ahead or behind target the business is, even if the target is revised. The business plan also provides transparency for potential investors. These less exciting (but necessary) activities are core to a successful business, but do not always fulfil the ambitions of the environmental chemist at the helm.
Some organisations and charities (such as The Oxford Trust) provide intermediary support for incubator companies, helping them to establish themselves with lower rents and mentoring. For the novice, good mentoring and support is invaluable.
The RSC provides career support to members at all stages, including bespoke one-to-one consultations. Additionally, the RSC Consultancy Group is an interest group that runs a regular programme of networking and professional development events, and hosts an online discussion forum. Chemistry World, the RSC’s flagship magazine, administers an award for ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ that recognises individuals who demonstrate creativity and vision, driving chemistry innovation to commercial success for their business.
The amount of effort and understanding required to start a business is typically much greater than ever anticipated and, significantly, falls outside the expertise in environmental science that the entrepreneur typically possesses. But, for those that choose to go down this path, the rewards will usually be deemed worth the effort.
References and Further Information
- RSC Careers Support (http://www.rsc.org/careers/)
- Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year (http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Awards/EntrepreneuroftheYear/)
- RSC Consultancy Group (http://www.rsc.org/Membership/Networking/InterestGroups/Consultancy/)
- Small Business (http://business.co.uk)
- The Oxford Trust (http://theoxfordtrust.co.uk/)
- Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy)
