Why More People Are Building Their Own Business
The entrepreneurial dream of building a business is something that nearly everyone has felt at some point in his or her life. For some it never gets further than a childhood lemonade stand on the street corner, but for others it is desire and a passion that just will not leave them alone.
Why are more and more people turning their dream into reality and building their own business? What drives a person to dive into the uncertain world of entrepreneurship, with all of the attendant risk, hard work, and unknown outcomes? Let's look more closely at some possible answers to these questions and more.
The urge to follow a dream
Some people cannot remember a time when they did not dream about building their own business. Maybe they have a passion for building, or inventing, or selling, or any one of millions of other potential dreams. For these people the urge to follow their dream is stronger than the fear of failure, so it just feels natural to stray from the safe path of employment into the world of business ownership.
The most successful "dreamers" are those who combine their dream with savvy market evaluation, a solid business plan, and the inevitable hard work. Even if they do not succeed on the first try or the second try or more, dreamers are so passionate about their vision that they view failure not as the end, but rather as a temporary stop along the way to ultimate success.
Escape from corporate life
Many people turn to building their own business as a way to escape the corporate life. The reasons for wanting out are nearly endless, ranging from quality of life and family issues all the way to a firm belief that they have a better way of doing business. Regardless of the reasons, one thing these "escapees" have in common is that they have enough business experience and have spent enough time in the working world to have a basic understanding of what it takes to run a business.
In the current marketplace of generally high employment, more and more escapees are making the leap from corporate life because they feel relatively safe doing so. They know that if their business venture ultimately fails the high demand for qualified workers means they will likely not have too much trouble going back to the traditional working world.
Downsized
The entrepreneurial ranks of the downsized are among the fastest growing group of people starting their own business. Like escapees from corporate life, they tend to have strong business backgrounds but unlike escapees, their departure from the corporate world is involuntary. Faced with no job and the need to make a living, many simply choose to start their own business rather than go through the hassles and hoops of finding a new job in the corporate world.
Too much energy to retire
Another increasingly common group of entrepreneurs is retirees who just cannot see themselves living a leisurely life of retirement. Instead, they opt for starting their own business in order to stay busy and occupied in their later years.
For these people, the idea of starting their own business is simply another stage in their life to be embraced and appreciated for all of its challenges and adventures. They typically feel financially secure and are willing to risk some of that financial security for the potential rewards of becoming a successful business owner.