When are you ready to start your own business? Or to launch a proposal for a buy-out from your business unit?
Impactful steps in your life, both businesswise and private. All the more reason to prepare well and to make a choice after careful consideration. Nevertheless, if you want something, you have to jump at some point in time. With a healthy dose of opportunism, draw your plan, go ahead and go for it. Nobody can predict the future 100%. If you could look in the future, you would see a different reality, full of new opportunities and threats.
Try to imagine what a life as an entrepreneur will mean for you. Does the uncertain life suit you? On what tasks are you able to work independently? How time consuming is a life as an entrepreneur? Do you have the creativity to develop new innovations? What is the financial impact? But also: what pleasure and freedom will it give you?
For all these questions, surround yourself with the right people! People you really trust and who are aware of your full potential. Be open and vulnerable to test and sharpen your ideas. To give you an extra push or to protect you from mistakes. This way you are ready for a life as an entrepreneur, with your buddies around you. Ready to jump as soon as the opportunity arises.
But then again, why would you do it at all? Life is good, you have a nice income and pension, nice work and fine colleagues. There is more than just work and who knows which things will happen to you in your future private life? Fair question! Everyone must make their own personal considerations in this matter. But if you long for the adventure of entrepreneurship, be brave and go for it. At least open your mind, without the impediments of those golden chains and the potential bears on the road.
The best advice I ever received when thinking about my own venture: “Arjen, at some point you have to stop thinking and just jump“.