Why should you be an entrepreneur?

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
— Mark Twain

Many people from a very young age wanted to be many different things when they would grow up. Some wanted to be doctors, some engineers, some wanted to be layers, some footballers, others had no clue what to be. But the question is how many young children actually wanted to be entrepreneurs when they grow up? What would the proportion be, of children wanting to become entrepreneurs? I have a strong feeling that it is not many. The number of children saying that they would one day like to run their own business and work for themselves is far less than those who are willing to follow the traditional route of finding a job and being employed. Why is this the case? In this blog I aim address why is this the case and why I strongly believe that everyone should strive to become an entrepreneur.

Common childhood dreams

(Source: Insuffucientscotty, Image by Unknown)

1. Archaeologist
2. President
3. Scientist
4. Lawyer
5. Zoologist
6. Pilot
7. Doctor
8. Baker/Cook
9. Teacher
10. Veterinarian
11. Model
12. Police Office
13. Detective
14. Firefighter
15. Photographer
16. Train Engineer
17. Actor
18. Athlete
19. Musician
20. Astronaut
21. Dancer
22. Writer

The above list comprises of the 22 most popular childhood dreams which are found in adults according to Flexjobs; have you noticed that entrepreneurship is not among this list? Why is this the case? The reason is simple - education. The education system that we grew up with spews out the same refrain; work hard in school, get good grades so you could get into a good university, so eventually you could earn a decent income in a good job. I am pretty sure that you remember this being repeated to you over and over again during your childhood years. If getting a good job which pays well, is the goal here, then why doesn't our education system talk about how to really make money through starting your own project or business. I am afraid to say that it is the educational system which has greatly failed our youths today.

Reasons for entrepreneurship

(Source: LinkedIn, Image by Ben Botes)

The reasons for becoming an entrepreneur is staggering and far out ways the reasons for following the route to a traditional job. In the part below I will list the top five reasons why I firmly believe that everyone should become an entrepreneur:

#1 Financial freedom

The greatest reason I can think of for becoming an entrepreneur is the financial freedom; the blissful state of not having to worry about paying bills and depending on anyone else for help or support. With financial freedom one is able to do the things he/she loves or wanted to do for a very long time without the need to worry about money. How many times did you want to pursue the hobby that you wanted to, but you couldn't because of a lack of money? How many times you wanted to go on that vacation, but you couldn't because of the lack of money? How many times you wanted to treat your family to that fancy restaurant, but you simply couldn't afford it because your boss did not give you that rise your were anticipating? All of these problem are due to a lack of financial freed. Being an entrepreneur can give you financial freedom, and allow you to the thing which truly matter to you.

#2 More free time

We only live once in this world, and most of us would agree that life is very precious, therefore I believe that time is the most important thing we have. Once it goes we can never get it back. How many hours of our life is wasted away behind a desk in a 9 - 5 job which we hate. Most of our lives is spent in our workplaces, it is because of our loyalty to our workplaces, we greatly limit ourselves in doing the things which we really want to do. Many of us want to travel the world and improve ourselves through various activities, but we simply can not do that because we are stuck in our jobs. How amazing would the feeling be waking up everyday, knowing that you are doing the things which you love everyday and which are truly contributing to your development.

#3 You are your own boss

Gone are the days where you need to constantly conform to the system and follow the orders of someone higher up. You can make your own decisions which best suit your lifestyle. This is also more fulfilling as you get to see the fruits of your own labour and creativity, rather than work hard to make someone else a fortune. You do not need to turn up at a specific time, you get to choose when to start and finish; the freedom to tailor your business according to your needs is truly liberating and refreshing.

#4 Doing what you love

Also being an entrepreneur allows you to pursue something which your truly love and are passionate about. Life is too short to do the things which does not interest you or which bore you. Many people live for the weekends, this is not what life is about. Being an entrepreneur will allow the individual to follow what really motivates them.

#5 Self-actualization

"What a man can be, he must be. This need we call self-actualization"
—Abraham Maslow (psychologist)

(Source: Thefutureofgolf, Image by EGCOA)
The above diagram is a pyramid showing Maslow's hierarchy of need; at the bottom of the pyramid are the essentials that wee need in order to survive, like food, water, breathing etc. It then progresses upwards towards "self-actualization". This top level of self-actualization is a sate in which we reach our full potential is a day where you could say we do what we were destined for. It is according to Maslow that self-actualised people tend to be usually the most satisfied and happiest; "Self-actualizing people enjoy life in general and practically all its aspects, while most other people enjoy only the stray moment of triumph..."(Maslow, 1999, p.37.)

I strongly believe that it is much more likely for an individual to reach this top stage of self-actualization if he tries his very best to become an entrepreneur. The reason for this includes all of the five points above, and the fact that entrepreneurship is a lifelong journey where you will learn many new things and meet many wonderful people. It will give you the tools you would require, such as financial freedom, to allow you to live life to the fullest. Of course making money is not the end goal of an entrepreneur; money is just viewed as a tool by the entrepreneur to do the things which truly matter to him, like helping people out by starting a charity for example.

Conclusion

I believe being an entrepreneur allows the individual to take charge of his life drastically, it enables the person to have a positive impact not just on himself, but the community and the wider world in general. It is through entrepreneurship, in which an individual can put a "dent in the universe" to quote the late Steve Jobs. It is for these reasons that I remain convinced that everyone should aim to be an entrepreneur. I hope this article may have changed your perspective on entrepreneurship for the better.

Thanks for reading

~Evanescent

Bibliography:

1. Astronaut image, Image by Unknown http://www.untamedscience.com/science/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/astronaut-bones.jpg Date accessed 29/06/17

2. Why has It become Cool To Be An Entrepreneur?, Image by Ben Botes https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140902075932-687858-why-has-it-become-cool-to-be-an-entrepreneur Date accessed 29/06/17

3. The future of golf, Image by EGCOA http://thefutureofgolf.eu/maslows-hierarchy-needs/ Date accessed 29/06/17

4. The pursuit of happiness, Author unknown, http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/abraham-maslow/, Date accessed 29/06/17