Why ‘I don’t know anything about running a business’ is no longer a valid excuse...
Basics of business can be learnt. There are a number of forums available where first-time entrepreneurs can learn and understand what it takes to ideate, plan and operationalize a business.
Organizations (in India) like TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), Sheroes, NASSCOM, The Hub for Startups, etc., conduct awareness programs and workshops to help first-time entrepreneurs learn from those with entrepreneurial
experience. Additionally, there are a number of online forums where
specific skills and different aspects of entrepreneurship can be learnt.
Specialized help is available: There are numbers of specialized agencies that provide strategic inputs as well as operational support, for services that are essential but not core to the business you are in.
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Why “I am afraid that I might fail” is no longer a valid excuse.
Failure is part of the entrepreneurial journey. If you do not fail in your first venture, you will fail in one of the subsequent ones. The point is not about seeking something that is fail-proof. The point is about being prepared for the risks, and accepting failures as part of the plan.
My argument is that even if your venture does not succeed, entrepreneurship prepares you better for the future – whether it is the next venture or back to a job. (Ask any HR person or a CXO and they will tell you that, all things being otherwise equal, they would prefer a failed entrepreneur over a career professional because the failed entrepreneur is most likely to know more about ‘business’ and life than the career-professional).
Ask any entrepreneur and they will tell you that entrepreneurship is a high that you will enjoy despite all the ups and downs that it brings. It empowers you. It gives you a sense of purpose, a direction and a positive restlessness that makes you believe that you can contribute a lot more to this world. And really, there is no excuse left not to start up.
