The Startup Blog

As I have been an entrepreneur for over  a decade, started several businesses, and even worked for some other start ups, I often get asked why I do it.  It is a fair question.  People see the long hours, stress, pressure and responsibilities along with the lack of job security you get in big business, and they want to know why I do it.  Well, here are the best reasons I could come with on why I choose to start a business, and grow it, rather than work for someone else.

1.  Freedom -  It may seem counter intuitive, considering that I don’t get to “leave work at the office”, like many of my friends working in corporate America do, but nothing could be further from the truth.  I decide my destiny, I work when I want to and don’t when I don’t want to (though the consequences of this are mine alone), and can move myself and my business where I please.  I like to be master of my own destiny, both financially and logistically.

2.  Incentives -  The harder I work, the more thought I put into things, the better I leverage my advantages, the more money I can make.  No one else profits from my labor directly, and I like how that motivates me.  If you work for someone else, that relationship is not direct and clear as it is when you are an entrepreneur.

3.  Creativity – Show me a guy with 6 bosses, a job description and tons of protocols to follow, and I see a man with little creative opportunity in his work life.  I think humans by nature are creative and exploratory, and being an entrepreneur not only allows you to be creative, but rewards and encourages you to do so.  Being an entrepreneur involves wearing many hats, learning new skills on the fly, and pushing yourself to think outside the box.  This brings a sense of excitement and satisfaction that I value quite highly.

4.  Personal Growth -  Working in corporate America you can certainly grow to be a specialist in a field, and that has it own rewards and merits.  But working for yourself allows you to work in many different areas, interact with people of different kinds, and brings creativity and individuality to your work that I feel lets me grow so much more as a person and a professional.  It may be hard to quantify, but it is real and important.

5.  Passion -   Choosing what kind of business I do, the company culture my business will have, being creative and diverse, this all brings passion to my work and my life.  When you ask most people about their work, they dryly tell you about what it is they do, and who they do it for.  Ask an entrepreneur what he does.  The answer is often passionate, descriptive, and full of great stories.  This is what compels us to do what we do, to start a business, to make it succeed, and often, do it all over again!

Have an Idea for a Business?  Well, Get Going!
I was born an entrepreneur, always thinking about new ideas & ways to innovate. This may sound a little corny, but my earliest childhood memory is of getting a tricycle for my birthday. I was so happy riding that little bike—everywhere I could but most of all, I remember just peddling. That feeling of moving—forward momentum—has stayed with me my entire life, from Corporate America to entrepreneur. When I was kid with the cliché neighborhood lemonade stand to the last business venture I sold—NuKitchen, the online food retailer—I’ve been cranking my entrepreneurial wheels.  Now, I’m in the process of launching a website, an online tool to help people manage the entire process to start a business each step of the way. Like NuKitchen, I’m helping people to get going in their own lives- that’s convenient and manageable, whether it’s through healthier eating or starting a successful business.

I worked in Corporate America for several years: While on Wall Street and on a very successful career track, I was making great money. Though I was generally happy, there wasn’t any joy. I wanted to influence and lead in my own way, which was counter to the culture prevailing on Wall Street 10 years ago. Furthermore, that internal flame I’d been feeling since childhood- that forward momentum- was smoldering rather than being ignited. In short, I needed to get going! I I realized that my entrepreneurial spirit was never going to die, and I needed to act on it.

So that’s my story of why I’m an entrepreneur. So what about you? Do you have an idea whirling around in your head that you just can’t seem to shake. Perhaps its something your super passionate about? Perhaps you’re a corporate refugee- you left Corporate America and now you just want to carve out your own niche. Whatever the reason, there is no better time than now to get going and start a business. The Kauffman Index recently cited a stat that more businesses were started in 2010 than in any of the last 15 years. Even though the economic climate is rocky, many people are stepping back to evaluate their lives and their careers. You might think you should be waiting for a better time or hunkering down to ride it out. On the contrary, it’s time to take action and think about what really drives and inspires you. If you’ve thought about becoming an entrepreneur, there’s no reason to put that dream on hold. It’s always going to be hard work. But this is your life. And your life is about creation.
Ok, time to turn your dream into a business. Are you ready to get going?