Being an Entrepreneur - The Truth About Taking the Plunge

In today's uncertain financial climate, is entrepreneurialism a case of taking unnecessary risks, or securing your future and that of your family, in a more direct way? Certainly there are more and more people today leaving the humdrum of office life, or the hectic and often bureaucratic ways of what is often termed 'normal' life, and forging a new personal future as an entrepreneur.

Perhaps one of the most surprising things noticeable is that the many people we come across taking a personal stake in their work and financial future in this way are perfectly normal people. Often we can visualise entrepreneurs as being high-flyer, city business men and women with more cash in the bank than the bank, and an already secure future.

The truth is that these people are perhaps least likely to leave the well trodden path of security, and that those of us who have taken the step of creating our own business idea, and following it through, are just ordinary individuals; people, in fact, like you and me.

So why are so many normal individuals deciding to leave the security of a traditional job and its reassuring income to become solely dependent upon their own wit and determination? There are many reasons, but perhaps these are the most common:

1. Financial security. This might seem an unlikely reason, given the apparent risk. But the truth is that fewer traditional jobs these days are anywhere near secure. Each time we turn on the news, we see reports of yet another major business or company either going under, or laying off vast numbers of employees. The days of job security are long gone, and increasingly employees are not considered the blood of the company, but expendable assets. Worse still is that very often the last people to hear of any financial instability and likely action are the employees themselves. Often those facing job losses are the last to hear of it. Being reliant on other people above you can be a constant worry, and being able to cut those ties, and be responsible to no one but yourself allows you to relax a little, knowing that you know everything about how the business is doing, and where you stand.

2. Enthusiasm. Relatively few people employed in traditional jobs can claim to be enthusiastic about the work they do. Some people can, but sadly the majority of people find work merely a tedious means to an end, rather than something which excites them, and motivates them. When you wake up in the morning, do you go to work because you have to, or because you want to? Entrepreneurialism enables people to pursue dreams and personal goals, and when combined with a personal stake and personal responsibility, this can become a powerful motivating force. Needless to say, the more motivated you are, the more likely you are to succeed. Almost exclusively, entrepreneurs enjoy a higher quality of life, and worry less because of the personal feeling of purpose, progress and success.

3. Making a difference. How much of a difference can we really make towards a business' overall success? It can be easy to feel downhearted, watching our hard work filed away for future reference, merely a tick on an agenda distantly glimpsed through a manager's door. Many entrepreneurs want to feel useful, and enjoy knowing that everything they are doing, each working day, is making a difference. That difference affects a great many people, from the person themselves, to their family, and of course those customers who take advantage of the service or product being offered.

Any of these reasons make it clear why this way of living represents a tremendous advantage in terms of the quality of life and attitude to work. But with all these benefits, there are clearly some issues which will justifiably cause some people concern.

Often people associate being an entrepreneur with being a risk taker or a gambler, having huge financial backing or a team of people to support you. In fact, none of these things are true or necessary. Very few entrepreneurs would consider themselves gamblers. Perhaps those workers who turn up to work each day in traditional jobs are gambling every bit as much, yet never knowing exactly how the dice is falling until they're made redundant. Those working for themselves tend to have a very good game plan, a good understanding of the way forward, of the product or service, the marketing and how best to approach the dream of running their own business.

It needs planning, certainly, and plenty of preparation. But you don't need any financial backing in many cases, and you don't need a team of people. In terms of starting your own business, what you do need to be able to set out on your own, working for yourself and running your own company, is passion, a dream, and plenty of ambition. With many forums on the web it is easier than ever to share experience and understanding of being an entrepreneur by talking with those who have already taken the plunge.