Starting your own business sounds great until you think too long and hard and feel bogged down by all of the things that could go wrong. While 70 percent of Americans aren’t engaged in what they do daily for a living; it’s nerve-racking to leave a stable job with dependable income and vacation time. If the years continue to go by and you know that the eight-to-five day in the office isn’t for you, it’s time to revisit the idea of starting your own business. Here are 4 of the biggest fears to overcome to make your pipe dream a reality.
Failure
This is a really common fear that prevents eager business owners from leaving their day job. It’s not easy to put everything you have – your hopes and dreams and finances – all on the line. No one wants to invest everything in a business and have to suffer through it crashing and burning. Fear of failure is scary and not easy to overcome. Redefine success to conquer your fear of starting a business. Maybe you feel that success is trying new things, and being complacent is failing. If that’s the case, staying put at your current job is actually failure. Remember that there are social marketing tools and apps to make your life easier – you just have to take advantage of them.
Feeling incapable
Starting a business is a lot of work. It requires you to get your business license, register your trade name, complete necessary tax forms, secure funding and more. It’s often quite overwhelming, and all of those “musts” can make an aspiring business owner’s head start to swim. If you’re really contemplating starting your own business, don’t let these details deter you. Take one thing at a time and be patient. If you have trouble securing a bank loan, opt for personal loans with guaranteed approval. Prepare and condition yourself to be flexible; you’ll find flexibility is a key part of starting your business, and also a key part of successfully running it.
Inadequacy
If you hear a little voice in your head telling you that no one will take you seriously as a business owner, tell it to back off. While it may seem that other colleagues and business owners are naturally confident and born for success, that’s not true. There are times everyone feels insecure and inadequate. Learn to deal with these feelings so you can push yourself to go far professionally and grow your business quickly.
Humiliation
The fear of rejection can be just as strong as the fear of failure. It’s natural to feel anxious about what others think of you; don’t let made-up embarrassments limit what you do. It’s easy to say, but don’t worry what others think of you. There’s an excellent chance that your family and friends will be beyond supportive and encouraging and root for you every step of the way.
There is no denying that your life will change significantly when you make the leap and start your own business. Recognize that you have what it takes to run a successful business and that you owe it to yourself to give it a try. There is no one holding you back but you.
