By Ron Kustek
It’s very likely that you — or someone you know, owns their own business. They’ve taken the ‘Entrepreneurial Plunge’ and have created a brand new business, employing themselves and others in our community. You’ve likely asked them ‘why’ and have gotten various responses, often with a smile on their faces and a glow in their eyes. There are many reasons why people go into business for themselves:
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- Independence — Many of us love not having to be somewhere or expected to do something for someone else. Instead, an entrepreneur wants to be somewhere and do the things that are important to them.
- Seizing An Opportunity — Freedom of choice – Destiny – Doing what you believe in, seeing what others don’t, and just getting stuff done!
- Family — The option of working from home, whether that means in a quiet and comfortable environment and/or one that includes partners, pets or children – or just working in a geographic area that you really love.
- Legacy — What does your life mean after spending hours, days, weeks and years working – many feel it’s important to leave something tangible to one’s family in order to self-actualize, or to feel like this journey makes sense and is worth the trip.
- Personal Challenge & Growth — Can you do it, especially if you’ve always wanted to? Being an entrepreneur will never be boring. You’ll always be learning, especially if you have a passion to keep up with the latest knowledge and information that impacts your business, and the lifestyles and needs of your customers.
- Control — Being your own boss and making the decisions you feel are best, without any bureaucracy of larger companies that require memo writing & meetings.
- Flexibility — Working your own schedule, when you get inspired or even when you just can’t sleep. Maybe you don’t want the “9 to 5” lifestyle and all that goes along with it.
- Choice — The ability to focus on what matters to you, whether that means dealing with just a few key customers or working with people you like to be around (and hire).
- Impact — The chance to develop a reputation for creating something of quality and service, and also making a difference in society by solving problems.
- Change — Especially when your creativity is being stifled from many corporate environments, being an entrepreneur allows you to experience new and different business challenges.
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Making the decision to launch your own business requires time, reflection, and being honest with what you know, and what you don’t know.
There are many great resources to help you flush out whether you’re the entrepreneurial type or not, from Business courses from Cabrillo College, to consulting with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), to speaking with representatives from the Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE).
Regardless of the reasons, owning your own business is preferred by members of the Santa Cruz business community, and by all of us who ‘shop local’ and support our independent businesses.
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Ron Kustek is a business instructor at Cabrillo College. Email: rokustek@cabrillo.edu.