We are all busy people. Too often, our cramped schedules get in the way of bigger prospects, like starting a business -- or at least, that's what we tell ourselves. Would-be entrepreneurs come up with all kinds of reasons why tomorrow's better than today … emails, school, family, you name it.
We asked 11 entrepreneurs which excuses for not launching a business they hear most often -- and their tips for forging ahead, regardless.
Q. What is the #1 excuse you hear from aspiring entrepreneurs who want to launch a business and what advice do you give them to keep moving forward?
Their best answers are below:
1. I'm Still in School
School is a perfect place to start a business! You have the time, the risks to take and amazing resources around you. You have people, a ton of free resources that aren't free in the "real world" and an amazing test market. Keep pushing, and get your friends involved to make it fun for everyone.
- Bryan Silverman, Star Toilet Paper
2. I'm Not Good at Marketing
There are tons of people out there who say they are not good at marketing. When I hear that, I just think they have a fear of putting themselves out there. I encourage them to take baby steps on creating valuable content that their ideal clients will love, and possibly look into a marketing coach. Having self-confidence in your product/service will also have a huge impact.
- Angela Pan, Angela B Pan Photography
3. I Need a Technical Founder
It's a fallacy to say you need technical expertise to start a company. To succeed in the long run? Absolutely! But in order to start prototyping your business and learning about its effectiveness, all you need is a little effort. There are cheap tools that even a history major like me can use to build a functional site. We began Modify with a Weebly.com website and terrible photography!
- Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches
4. I'm Afraid of Failure
There is always risk involved in starting a new venture, but it's important to understand that if the proper research is done, saving money is at the top of the list, and if they're willing to work very hard, the risk of failure is significantly reduced.
- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
5. I Don't Have Time
People constantly say they haven't gotten around to starting their business yet or they are still doing “market research.” The reality is that they probably watch 10 to 20 hours of TV per week. Eliminate TV and non-productive time-sinks, and you will likely have plenty of time to start your venture. If you actually want to be an entrepreneur, you will have way more fun building your company.
6. I Don't Know Where to Start
The No. 1 excuse is that they don’t know where to start. They get overwhelmed. My suggestion: Keep it simple. Simplicity always wins. Seek perfection with your brand. Never settle. Put up a site, get a phone number and get organized. Keep moving. Act, reflect, repeat.
- Ziver Birg, ZIVELO
7. I Need Significant Outside Funding
Many entrepreneurs think they just don’t have enough money to launch their own businesses. This is usually not the case. Bootstrapping isn’t just a money-saving technique, but the key to many successful companies. Bootstrapping helps you focus, gives you more time to focus on developing your product/service, requires you to prioritize, gives you independence and yields greater profit margins.
- David Ehrenberg, Early Growth Financial Services
8. I Don't Have Time to Make a Business Plan
Many people say they don’t have enough time to develop their business plan. Move forward, incorporate your company (at very little cost) and test product ideas with a simple website and a few hundred dollars in Google ads. Very little time commitment is required, and the need for a long, drawn-out business plan isn’t always the answer to getting a startup off the ground.
- Matt Murphy, Global Citizens Travel
9. I Don't Have Any Business Experience
There's a belief that you need to have "business experience" before founding a company. Though it's helpful, countless change-makers like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg succeeded because they opened the door when opportunity knocked. They didn't tell it to come back later when they would have MBAs and corporate grooming. Those opportunities will be there. Your dream may not.
- Heidi Allstop, Spill
10. It's Not Ready Yet
I hear this all the time, but if "perfect" is the goal, you're never going to be ready. Just. Do. It. You can always tweak and revise as you go, but progress is more important than perfection. I learned this lesson the hard way!
- Alexis Wolfer, The Beauty Bean
11. I Can't Quit My Job
I hear this all the time: "I can't quit my job!" Risk aversion prevents a lot of smart, creative people from taking the entrepreneurial leap. That's a shame. No one ever started a successful company without a healthy dose of risk. You need to embrace the risk and use it as motivation. The pressure of not having a steady paycheck will help you succeed. Necessity is the mother of invention.
