Why You Should Be Growing Your Own Business

“Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people.”--Nido Qubein

It has been tradition that education is the key to success. Graduate through college, get a job, get laid off, get another job, get laid off again and the cycle goes like that until you retire (without the secure retirement). People have been in, what is commonly called, the Rat Race thinking that it is the safer way to earn money. Rat race is actually, the unpleasant life of people who have jobs that require them to work very hard in order to compete with others for money, power, status, etc. (Merriam-Webster).

It’s hurting to realize that after years of working under a company, even doing all nighters, they just can’t hold unto you. Unfair. Right? Well, not for the company though. It’s just plain business for them. So, what should you do? There you are left hanging with a wife and children to clothe and feed. You decide.

Starting a business can be intimidating and frightening. Pessimists would say, “Don’t get into it, you’ll just fail”, or “It’s just a waste of your time and money (a whole lot of it)”, or “You’ll just get your hands dirty”. Those are just some of the words you can hear from people which could make you doubt from getting into the business world. And here I am to kick your ass (not literally though) so you can get your engine starting. Just to clear off your doubts and fears, I’ll show you a glimpse of what you can have when you become an entrepreneur.

Years or generations ago, when we talk about Job Security, it meant working in a big company and making a business on your own was risky. But for today, the opposite is happening.  Working for your self has become the new Job Security. “If I’ m working for someone else, I’m trading time for money, but I’m not building any equity. As an entrepreneur, I’m the master of my own destiny,” says Duncan MacPherson, co-founder and co-CEO of Pareto Systems, a consulting firm.

Another benefit is Freedom. Ever imagine you not being obliged to wake up early, no bosses, being able to attend to family outings, and not deal with co-workers you don’t like? You have the freedom to design your own success without compromising your relationship with your loved ones. Aside from that, with the improving technology nowadays, you can do your business online. Dealing with partners or customers across the globe is not a problem anymore. With just a simple click, emails and conference calls can be done. It’s Flexibility that you can get.

I like the line of Jeffrey Gitomer, best-selling author of the Little Red Book of Selling and The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude, “When you’re in business for yourself, you write your own history, you write your own success story, you write your own legacy and most important, you write your own paycheck. Being in business for your self gives you the opportunity to work your heart out for something you love.”

You have the leisure to do what you’re passionate about and at the same time Make More Money from it. It can also create a Life of Greater Impact not just on you but also on the people around you. Doing something you love makes you do it well.  It also provides you a Second Career.  It’s just so different if we do things that reflect our personality, something that matters.

Author Dan Clements (Escape 101) says, “Leaving the rat race is not as daunting as it may seem, you’ll look back in later years and marvel at how easy it was and how much you gained for so little cost.” So, take the plunge, take a leap of faith and courage. You might be thinking that you’re not qualified because you don’t have that MBA, or cash to start with, or you’re not good with numbers.

What the hell? The only qualification needed is your “Burning Desire” (as what Napoleon Hill emphasizes) and that indestructible passion in you. If you have that, everything else will all come naturally. You only need the Why for the What and the How to come in. Believe and Act. Act fast. For if you don’t start now, then, when? As what Henry Ford says, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are Right.” Choose well. It’s never too late to have a good life.