Entrepreneurship Today - Too Risky, or Just The Right Time?

Small Business Ideas

As the economic news seems to get worse by the day, it seems that a different company is going bust every time you switch on the news. People are finding work harder to come by, and those who do have jobs are often finding themselves with fewer hours, or missing out on pay rises due to their employer finding it impossible to find the money that is required to keep a business thriving and its employees earning what they thought they would. For employees, there are more and more situations developing where they find themselves coming to work and wondering what bad news will filter through in the morning meeting. And as employees, they are also finding that there is not a whole lot they can do about this, that they just have to accept the latest piece of negative news.

In this climate it seems that it would be a brave individual who decides to up and start their own business. Watching companies go to the wall is going to be enough to turn off a number of potential entrepreneurs, who look at the situation as it is and doubt that they could make their own company work where the established names are failing. If the big companies with decades of experience are unable to keep their heads above water, then what chance does a greenhorn with a dream have? It is perfectly understandable that a number of potentially excellent businessmen and women are keeping their ideas to themselves right now.

It is absolutely the case that fewer businesses start up during a recession. For one thing, there is often a lot of capital required to set up a new business, especially where new premises are involved. For most people, this necessitates borrowing, and we are living in times where borrowing money is getting harder and harder, with banks not wanting to take any kind of risk in the light of a climate that has driven some to their worst operating losses ever. But on the other side of this, if you have made savings of any kind you may well have what the banks are looking for – a deposit. By raising this kind of operating capital, or giving the banks an assurance that you are likely to be careful with your money, you increase your chances of getting a business off to its best start.

Alternatively, the Internet has made it possible to start up a business without having any premises. All you need is your home computer, an idea, and the materials to put it into practice. Even the materials do not need to be expensive, depending on the nature of your business. From a very low start-up cost you could find yourself earning money pretty quickly. Obviously it is no time to be setting up a company selling executive holidays – the take up would be rather low – but if you have an idea to supply a need that has not been diminished by the credit crunch, now could just be the best time to go for it. A narrowed field, and a market that is not far from bottoming out – what are you waiting for?
First Published: May 7, 2009 EntrepreneurJourney.com