Are you sitting at your desk, daydreaming of starting your own business? So, what’s stopping you? If you are like many aspiring entrepreneurs, the thought of controlling your own professional and financial destiny is both extremely appealing and totally frightening. Taking the leap requires courage, but certain fears often creep into our thoughts when we least expect it.
- Fear of Failure
- Fear of Success
- Fear of the Unknown
- Fear of losing everything that you’ve worked for so far in your “traditional” career.
So when is the perfect time to start your own business? In reality, there is no perfect time. There will always be obstacles. Perhaps the better question is, “Do I have the passion for starting my own business?”
Finding your passion.
Running a business of any kind requires an unyielding passion. If you have a business concept in mind that you truly love, that you can’t stop thinking about even when you are not “working,” then you are one step ahead of 95% of new business owners.
But don’t mistake “passion” for “resentment.” The two emotions can almost feel exactly the same. If you want to start your own business because you hate your job, hate your boss, or simply hate dealing with customers, then these feelings of resentment can lead you to make a wrong choice.
Business owners don’t usually work 9-5, Monday through Friday, at least, not at first. And you will likely make a lot of mistakes along the way without a supervisor or team of co-workers to help you clean up the mess afterward. But if you are passionate about your business concept, you’ll view these challenges as opportunities. Ask yourself these questions.
- Are you passionate about your business concept?
- Are you always thinking about new ways to improve it?
- Are you an independent thinker?
- Are you a problem solver?
- Are you organised?
- Do you have enough savings to live without income for at least 6-months?
- Do you have an incredible work ethic?
- Do you like taking risks?
- Do you perform better under pressure?
- Are you a great multitasker?
- Are you ready to break free?
Legend has it that Colonel Sanders traveled to 1009 different restaurants before someone finally said yes to his recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Sanders was also 65-years old at the time. When someone asked Thomas Edison if he felt like a failure because he had tried 10,000 different ways to invent the electric light bulb, his response was “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Do you have this same level of passion and commitment? Then it may be time to take the leap and start your own business. Embrace your fears, and use them to power you forward.
