Last week I had lunch with a board member of a community-based organization that is doing great things here in San Diego. Among the many topics we discussed, one she was particularly interested in was whether or not I thought her new book on tips for starting and growing a business would be well received in the marketplace. Actually, I think it would, and here’s why. For the month of November, the government tells us that the U.S. economy lost more than half a million jobs—more than any month since 1974. Many of those people are now out of work, and looking for ways to make money. Add this to the many millions of men and women already out of work, and there is a vast pool of potential entrepreneurs in our country today.
On average, 1 in 25 American adults makes an effort to start their own business each year—that’s 7 million people. However, only about half of these 7 million American adults actually starts their own business while the other half—3.5 million people—never get their new businesses off the ground.
Why not?
While there are plenty of good reasons for not getting a business going (problems securing financing, for example, or a business partner who runs off with your intellectual property), there are also lots of not-so-good reasons. More than a few entrepreneurs-to-be have mastered an entire encyclopedia of excuses why they can’t get their businesses going. “I don’t have enough money.” (Believe us, you’ll never have enough money!) “I don’t know anything about business.” (You can learn as you go, or by hiring experienced employees to help.) “I have problems.” (So what? We all do.) “I’m scared.” (The best way to cure your fear is to embrace it.)
What are you waiting for?
While I expect even more people to think about starting their own businesses given the current state of the economy, many will still hold back. To those of you with a boatload of excuses for why you can’t get started, I say there’s no time like today to take that first step. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month. Today. This very minute—starting right now.
Is there still something holding you back? Post it in the comments and we’ll tell you what you can do to overcome it.
