Venture nothing - gain nothing.
One thing is for sure if you keep doing what you did you will keep getting what you got.
When I started my consultancy business I was struck by
reaction of people who knew me and knew my experiences and background. The reaction of my wife was totally supportive and my children were neutral. (they were going thro' college at time!)
Many friends were not surprised because as an independently minded person with my own views and thoughts I was a bit of a free wheeler.
However, one friend was askance and a conversation on golf course explaining what was going on created comment "I could not do it, I need support of a corporation around me".
Having left employment in corporate world behind his comments stayed with me. About six months later he called to ask what he should do as secure corporate world had just decided to dispense with his services.
Discussing his alternatives with him - employment or independence, I advised that to secure further employment could take a while so he may as well get busy on his own account as well. He was/is a talented electronic engineer with vast commercial and training experience, which could be commercially exploited.
Helping him through this phase was rewarding because he never went back to employment. He became confident in his abilities and consulted successfully. Specialising in management training. Now he and his wife spend a good part of year in their house in Mediterranean, even though they still work together in business rest of time.
Another downsized accountant friend now has a thriving business helping small business owners with their accounts and tax matters. When discussing our corporate backgrounds and subsequent good fortune in being able to set our own agenda he made observation that we would not have been able to succeed so well without our home computers.
This is so true because computer as a business tool has revolutionised opportunities for so many all around globe. Knowledge based service businesses are particularly suited to use of computers.
Having said all of that how about these true successful ventures? I recently read of a 21year student who needed new spectacles but was astounded by cost. He decided to see if he could do better and is now a millionaire. How? He ventured to believe that he could and would do something to reduce high cost of what is an essential for most people.
