I can’t help but shake my head when I read another business piece about successful business owners and the character traits they share. Many of these now-millionaires had companies before their big success. Some of them folded, some of them failed, and some of them were auctioned off to the highest bidder before the owner moved on to his/her next big idea. I don’t get it. The thinking seems to be that in order to succeed one must be willing to take risks. This is true, but how big of a risk are you willing to take?
buy online
It helps if all of your chips are on the table, anyway. Many successful business owners (and bloggers!) succeeded simply because they had no choice but to succeed. If your house is on the line and your car is about to reposessed, that is one hell of a motivator to hit the ground running. While it’s an approach that works for many..I don’t really recommend it as a path for those looking to strike out on their own.
Part of the reason I’m self-employed now is because the mutual fund that I worked for decided to outsource their shareholder services to another firm. I was faced with the option of making the leap or continuing my current path of faithful corporate drone. I decided to take the leap, but I had a safety net. I had a freelance gig lined up that would give me enough to live on, and my site portfolio has been steadily gaining steam as well. I wouldn’t starve if my new endeavors failed, I had a plan. Sure, it was a risk, but with my benefits covered and a base salary in place, it really wasn’t that hard of a decision.
Is this the “right” way to doing what you love? Should it always be a balls to the wall race to the goal and you better be eating, sleeping, and breathing your business or you’ll be cut down by those who will? I don’t knot, but it’s something to think about. Maybe huge risks aren’t what they’re cracked up to be.