These days it seems like everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. For instance, according to a Fox Business News report a couple years ago, nearly half of Americans wanted to own their own business.
If so many people want to own a business, why is it that so few do?
The answer is simple. It’s hard. I firmly believe that anyone can be an entrepreneur, but most people won’t put in the time, energy, and commitment it takes to be successful at the ownership level.
And that’s OK. Not everyone needs to be a business owner. But if you’re wondering whether the entrepreneurship game is for you, consider the following five statements. If you say yes to any of these, you might want to reconsider.
If, however, you read these five statements and don’t feel that they represent you, then maybe it’s time to take the leap.
- You don’t have thick skin. It seems that as soon as you announce you are starting a business everyone is an expert in starting a business. Not everyone will love your idea or product, and they won’t be afraid to tell you. I’m not saying you shouldn’t listen to criticism, but you have to be able to take the punches and not take everything personally.
- You don’t like being “connected”. As an entrepreneur, there really isn’t such a thing as “disconnecting” from the world, not in the beginning anyway. You’ll be living and breathing your new company while trying to educate everyone about your business. You’ll be constantly thinking about how to improve things, reduce costs, and sell more. There is no such thing as a 9-to-5 work schedule when you’re an entrepreneur.
- You need to be praised for your efforts. If you’re an employee, you’re probably used to getting constant feedback about your performance, task and project completion. A lot of employees are even used to their bosses telling them how great they are – even if they know they aren’t. This is not the case for an entrepreneur. You won’t hear any of that unless you tell yourself. Your praise comes in the form of making money. And it’s going to be a while before you really get the praise you’re looking for.
- You need someone to give you motivation. Similar to needing praise, if you need external motivation, you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur either. When you wake up in the morning as an entrepreneur, there isn’t someone standing in your kitchen ready to give you that day’s tasks. It’s all on you.
- You’re only comfortable wearing one hat. There are people I know that are only comfortable being an accountant, or a writer, or an event planner, These people are only comfortable doing one thing and, as such, should never be an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, especially a solopreneur, you are often putting on different hats, making a multitude of decisions and you need to be confident in doing so.
Here’s the good news. Even if you said yes to one or more of these, you can make a change. I’m a firm believer that anyone can change his or her mindset. All you need is the determination and a little help along the way.
But if you want to be an entrepreneur, change you must. No better time to start than today.