The Myth of the “Right Time” to Start Your Small Business
If you have dreams of starting your own small business, you’ve likely heard well-meaning advice like “make sure timing is right before taking the leap.” People citing concerns about the economy, your personal finances, or even astrological signs might advise putting your entrepreneurial aspirations on hold. But is there truly a “right” time to start a small business? Or is this advice just a myth holding would-be business owners back?
The reality is that you could spend years, even decades, waiting and preparing for the “perfect” time to start. And that time may never come. Uncertainty is inherent with entrepreneurship. The economy will always have ups and downs. Your finances may never look as healthy as you’d hope. And even the stars can’t guarantee everything will align.
Rather than passively waiting for the right time, take an active role in making it the right time. Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t put your small business dreams on hold:
You’ll Gain Experience and Feedback
No business owner starts out with all the answers. You’ll inevitably make mistakes, get valuable customer feedback, and learn as you go. By waiting for the “right” time, you only deny yourself opportunities to gain the experience you need. Even if your business fails, you’ll walk away wiser. Many hugely successful entrepreneurs reflect on early failures as their most important learning experiences.
Your Idea Could Become Irrelevant
Entrepreneurship is all about solving problems. But problems don’t stand still and wait for solutions. The longer you wait to launch, the greater the risk your brilliant idea becomes obsolete. Others might recognize the opportunity and beat you to market. Strike while your idea is fresh and relevant to have the best chance of succeeding.
You May Regret the Lost Time
Starting a business requires tremendous dedication over many years. Every year you wait is one less year to build your dreams. While reflecting back decades from now, will you regret playing it safe in your youth? Or will you be glad you took a chance and chased your ambitions when you were young enough to recover from potential setbacks? Lost time is the one resource you’ll never get back. Make the most of it now pursuing your passions.
Economic Conditions Are Always Changing
Concerns about a recession might scare you away from starting. But economies are cyclical. Downturns create opportunities that wouldn’t exist in prosperous times. Savvy entrepreneurs actually leverage recessions to launch compelling products and services.
Rather than passively reacting to economic cycles, focus on variables within your control like controlling costs or creatively marketing your unique value. With grit and ingenuity, many businesses thrive even in recessions. Timing the markets perfectly is impossible – it’s best to get started now.
Funding Might Be More Accessible Than You Realize
You may believe starting requires tens of thousands in upfront capital. The allure of waiting until you’ve stockpiled a war chest or convinced investors is tempting. But many businesses can launch on a shoestring budget leveraging creativity and technology. Options like equity crowdfunding websites and small business loans provide accessible funding for smart, calculated risks.
Rather than indefinitely save up capital, get started now in a lean way. Build proof of concept, get customer traction, then secure funding to scale things up. Sitting on the sidelines waiting for a big bankroll is unnecessary nowadays.
In Summary Rather than agonizing over finding the “right time,” understand that no conditions will ever be perfect. Economic uncertainty, money pressures, and other anxieties may always plague would-be entrepreneurs paralyzed pondering perpetual question marks. But by taking a chance on yourself, actively learning from failures, passionately solving relevant problems, making the most of your best years, controlling variables within reach, and securing creative funding, you put the odds for success firmly in your favor regardless of external timing.
Sure, on paper, timings might align better years down the road. But realize conditions seem to perpetually worsen the longer you wait. And while you spend best years passively waiting on the sidelines, watching for the “right time,” others live their dreams, gaining experience daily through doing.
So shed fears that have you paralyzed in place year after year. Stop pondering elusive external variables far outside your control. Commit now to actively making conditions right to start the small business you’ve always dreamed of, regardless of supposed alignments of the economy, personal finances, or stars overhead.
The only wrong time to start was yesterday. Today is the first day taking steps towards the small business you deserve. Have the courage to begin. Be willing to learn hard lessons when things go awry. But trust that by decisively taking action towards your dreams starting right now, you maximize the chances those dreams ultimately succeed.
I know taking the entrepreneurial leap is scary. But I promise you have what it takes for success within. You may not feel completely ready – but few greats ever do at first. Still, they show courage staring fear in the face. I believe you can too.
Don’t buy into the paralyzing myth there’s a perfect “right time” coming that eliminates uncertainty. Stop waiting for ideal conditions that may never arrive. Commit now to actively start making today the right time to turn your entrepreneurial aspirations into reality. You’ve got this! Feel free to reply if you need any guidance or support getting started!