Should You Start Your Own Business?

There are all kinds of people. Some are meant to get advanced education and become doctors or lawyers, captains of industry. Some of us struggle all our adult lives at jobs we hate because it gives us the money we need to get by, and enjoy other facets of our lives. Then there is a restless sort that can’t function in the structure set up by others, by faceless bureaucracies. I was the last sort. Educated, fairly intelligent, and driven; but just not a very good employee.

Let me preface this by saying, not everyone can or should have their own business. Most people like the idea of being the boss, and answering to no one; but they lack the follow through to go from idea to implementation. You have to be so sold on your business idea that it keeps you up at night. Your business is like one of your children; you worry about it constantly, and take deep pride when things eventually go well.

It takes a great idea, or at least a pretty good idea to start a business. I have known people that take the path of multi level marketing, or get rich schemes. For every driven lady in her pink Mary Kay car, there are hundreds of ladies with boxes of unsold make-up in their closet. It’s hard to have passion for someone else’s idea. You may have a friend who had success with their business idea, and you want to piggy back on their success. When your motivation is money, and not freedom, you are doomed to fail.


There are as many ways to start your business as there are businesses. If you take a class, they will tell you about proper funding, making a business plan, market research and a lot of other things that are great to have. If you have a support system, or plenty of cash saved up, that is a great way to go. If you find yourself unemployed and dreading the thought of another cubicle hell, you will have to sacrifice and work harder than you ever thought.

It is difficult at best to start a business with little or no money. For a lot of new businesses, it is not practical to rely on sales to pay all your bills. What I did, and I recommend to others desperate to make their small business work, is to bite the bullet and get a job. The stress of not having a steady income while working on your business is hard for someone used to getting a paycheck every two weeks. Your business will grow slower; but the lowering of that gut wrenching stress is usually worth it. I made calls on my ten minute breaks, and ran home to check e-mails and send faxes on my one hour lunch break. After a year of working for probably the worst boss in America, I had booked enough sales to fly solo.

So, should you start your own business? It takes a good idea, one that is realistic and within your scope of knowledge. It takes time and money, if you don’t have both; you will need a safety net. Most importantly, it takes a single minded determination to make it work. You have to be willing to miss sleep, miss your favorite TV shows, and miss time with family and friends. For me, it was the only answer. If you can’t say the same, then business ownership may not be the ideal path for you.

By: Mark R Goodrum

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Mark Goodrum