Best time to start a new business? Right Now!

[llcollins82]

If you see yourself as the owner of a successful, thriving company twenty years from now, you need to build the foundation TODAY. Successful entrepreneurs view every moment as an opportunity. Every day they stop moving forward is a moment lost.

[vangogh]

That's a good point and one I think gets missed too often. There is always opportunity in front of you. Part of an entrepreneurial mindset is understanding that you need to be on the lookout for new opportunities and when you see them you need to act on them.

[KristineS]

I think the other half of the equation is doing your research and knowing what will work and what won't work. If you've prepared yourself and understand your market you'll be much further ahead. It's true that there will always be things you can't control, but doing some advance planning and knowledge gathering can help you identify a lot of potential obstacles.

[vangogh]

I agree. I guess that's what I mean when I talk about opportunity. You have to do some research and planning in advance to be prepared for the opportunities that come your way. If you haven't done the research, you'll miss the opportunity when it arrives, but if you've done the prep work though you put yourself in position to succeed.

[cbscreative]

One of the prevailing principles I see whenever you read about success and leadership, is that every day matters (especially today).

[orion_joel]

There is nothing like seizing the moment. i think the advice there is no time like today is best applied to those who have done extensive research, know the business they want and just have not proceeded to do anything about it.

[KristineS]

I think there are a lot of people who have done the research, made the plan, have the desire, and just can't pull the trigger. Starting your own business has a lot of benefits, but it can also be a bit scary. All the responsibility rests on you.

The thing is, you'll never know what might have happened if you don't try.

[vangogh]

All the responsibility rests on you.

True it can be scary, but it's also what makes owning a business so rewarding.

[KristineS]

Oh yeah, I agree. You bear the full brunt of the risks but you also get all of the rewards. There are a lot of advantages to working for yourself as opposed to working for someone else.

[KarenB]

If you see yourself as the owner of a successful, thriving company twenty years from now, you need to build the foundation TODAY. Successful entrepreneurs view every moment as an opportunity. Every day they stop moving forward is a moment lost.

I agree. Even for start-ups, there are SO many creative ways to promote and grow one's business on a day-to-day basis (that don't have to cost an arm and a leg).

[Leatherneck]

At the start there are times where you feel your're just buying yourself a job, but it still beats working for someone else, making them rich,and having to listen to how they didn't make any money this year or what ever other complaints they have. They're way of holding you down.

[vangogh]

Oh yeah. I wouldn't trade working for myself even with all the ups and downs.

[Dan Furman]

Oh yeah. I wouldn't trade working for myself even with all the ups and downs.

Me neither.

Of course, it helps that I have proven to be completely incapable of holding down a real job. 2 years and out - that's the story of my life. :)

[vangogh]

I was the same. Never lasted all that long working for anyone else. Don't even think I ever hit 2 years straight.

[cbscreative]

I see a pattern here. I made it to 3½ years with 4 different jobs, but never beyond that with any job. The rest were all 2 years or less. But, I'm at 6½ years with my current business and no plans on quitting.

[vangogh]

I guess there is a pattern. I think the longest I lasted at any one job straight was 20 months so I never did quite make it 2 years. Sometimes that was my fault, sometimes it was the fault of the company, and sometimes it was no one's fault, just circumstances.

I learned though that I wasn't really meant working for others. I've been working for myself for about 6 years now so I think I finally found an employer I'll stick with, even if he can be demanding at times.

[cbscreative]

If your work for yourself and you have HR problems, you know you're in trouble.

I used to use this in my profile at the old forum, "I love my job, I love my boss. I'm self-employed."

[KristineS]

I think I would enjoy working for myself quite a lot. My problem is the health insurance issue. I have to have health insurance, so that put a bit of a different spin on things. I'm going to dip my toe in the water with some freelancing and see what happens. Perhaps I'll be able to generate enough income that insurance isn't an issue.

[vangogh]

I can understand needing to hang onto the job for health care. Do what you can to start on the side. You won't need the money you make since it'll all be extra and you'll be able to save it. Maybe you can save till you get to the point where you have living expenses and health care covered for 6 months. Then you'll feel better about going it on your own full time since you'll have a nice cushion.