Are You Planning for Your Entrepreneurial Future?

I think risks are something very easy to generalize, and say, “oh just take a risk, whatever.” But if you have a mortgage and you have children to go to school, it is not that easy. I think the most important thing is you write down what’s important. You have to pay the mortgage, you have to buy food, and you have to school your children. Then, whatever else is left, maybe you can use the holiday money. Maybe you can use those extras on something that you can afford to loose. But nobody wants to get homeless because they had this great idea, and it didn’t work. So I think you have to keep a percentage aside for the things that maybe you want to try. Or you build your career over those years with children and family, so that when they leave, and when you don’t need quite so much money to do that stuff, maybe that’s the time to become an entrepreneur. And the great thing about entrepreneurs is that you don’t have to be twenty-four. You can be seventy-four. Nobody knows who you are at the end of the phone. And in this world of youth we’re actually seeing the entrepreneur come back and it is an amazing venue for people who have got the experience, which the young people don’t have. 

My best advice for an aspiring entrepreneur is pace yourself. It doesn’t all have to happen tomorrow. Put some money in the bank. Whether you are female or male, have some money tucked away incase things don’t work out. Super important; don’t put all your eggs in one basket. And get out there, because yes, social media is fantastic for building your recognition, but you need friends. Ask anybody over forty-five and they will tell you that the people they have met along the way are the people that have opened doors for them.  Facebook will not open doors for you, because they are not real friends. I don’t think some people realize that. Nurture those people, go out with them, go on a holiday with them, or invite them around for a barbeque. They are the most important people you need.