After interviewing many successful entrepreneur’s and also a wide variety of career driven 9-5’ers in many diverse professions, I began to notice a repetition of frequently used words and statements when asked about each individuals thoughts on entrepreneurship. The why’s and why not’s, were very similar in thought as well as actions. The blue-collar professionals remained in their chosen careers far more miserable than the grinch at Christmas, while their thriving counter parts were successors of their own self made companies.
The question of the year would obviously be, why were they holding themselves back from achieving their dreams of entrepreneurship? After all a successful entrepreneur is the “American Dream” isn’t it? Well here are the most popular reasons I came across that seem to be the most common denominators in every suit and skirt that are miserably sitting behind their desks, desperately seeking some sort of escape from their day-to-day lives.
If any of them sound familiar to you then pay close attention, you need to hear this.
Reason #1
You must have a fancy MBA to run your own business
Fact: You can absolutely run a successful business without an MBA. Not saying that you shouldn’t go for it, but don’t let it hold you back from your journey. There are long lists of successful names including Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerburg and countless others that show you it can be done.
Reason #2
You must have a beautiful downtown city office or an official storefront to run your own business.
Fact: Billion dollar tech companies started in basements, dorm rooms and kitchen tables. Millionaire entrepreneurs are working right now on their laptops as we speak in their living rooms or on a flight to Japan. It can most certainly be a laptop lifestyle for anyone who really wants it.
Reason #3
You must have thousands stashed away in a Swiss bank account somewhere to fund your business dream.
Fact: Depending on the business venture you’re pursuing, sometimes a laptop and a few business cards are all you may need. For product driven businesses you may find requires a significant amount of capital but it still can be done with a strict budget and strategic bootstrapping.
Reason #4
You can’t make a great income or provide for your family while working from at home.
Fact: Home businesses have been known to gross a six figure annual income if run efficiently and marketed effectively. Your income limits are endless as an entrepreneur. It’s all about creativity and getting into the mindset of your target market.
Reason #5
My full time job will not allow me the time to start a business.
Fact: Ninety percent of successful entrepreneur’s started their company part time at home, while working a full time job. Then gradually moved from part time business owner to full time entrepreneur thus allowing them to quit their full time jobs. It’s all about time management.
These are just a few of many reasons or we can call them myths, as to why many people are remaining in their stagnant positions. My job as a business consultant and coach is to break this mold and show others why and how they can make their dream a reality. Successful entrepreneurs not only pave the way for others to follow, their small businesses account for a large percentage of new jobs, therefore releasing the strain on the economy.
Believing that you can’t do it will inevitably make sure that you don’t. The mind is a very powerful source. So how do we break the non-believers out of their closed minded shell? The answer is an endless stream of knowledge by educating individuals on entrepreneurship, giving them valuable information, training and resources. We will eventually increase the amount of entrepreneurs branching out into an uncertain yet rewarding field.
The goal of educating aspiring entrepreneur’s is not for them to have a belief that being an entrepreneur is easy, it is to let them know that with hard work and dedication, it’s attainable. I stress the famous quote “knowledge Is Power”!
Adriana Langford is the founder of the Chic Entrepreneur Enterprise. A women’s enterprise dedicated to helping entrepreneurs run and grow their businesses through market and branding strategies.
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