Entrepreneurship Opportunities

It has long been said that life as an entrepreneur is not the right path for everyone. In fact, the statistics tell us that only about ten percent of the population has a natural proclivity towards this lifestyle. Yes, entrepreneurship opportunities abound and many people are drawn in to the promise of making their own hours, being their own boss, living anywhere they like, and having the possibility to earn more income than ever before. Yet the numbers are on the decline for those seeking the entrepreneurial lifestyle.

In a news article published by CNBC they found that entrepreneurship actually declined this year after four years of upward growth.

Researchers pointed to a drop in “nascent activity,” meaning that fewer people overall entered into entrepreneurship in 2015. The report underscores the idea that a Main Street post-recession recovery is still a work in progress, with sentiment and overall levels of entrepreneurship potentially wavering.

The number of Americans who see opportunities to launch new businesses also fell from a high of 51 percent in 2014 to 47 percent in 2015, meaning the group is motivated but seeing fewer opportunities to start businesses. Sixty-nine percent of those who did launch businesses were motivated by the pursuit of opportunity and independence.

And you should know that more than two hundred thousand people responded to this annual global survey, so the data is solid and reliable.

Within my own business I have found that when people are in jobs that are stimulating and offer opportunities for advancement, they tend to shy away from riskier entrepreneurial opportunities. The security of a steady paycheck and health benefits trumps the pursuit of financial freedom and independence. Age is also a factor, with entrepreneurship peaking between the ages of about thirty-five and forty-four.

Something to note is that most of the people I work with directly have begun their online businesses while still being employed on a full or part-time basis, whereas these studies are taking into consideration people who are no longer in the work force.

Where do you stand on this issue of taking advantage of entrepreneurship opportunities in your life design? Does the thought of working for yourself hold great appeal, or do you prefer to work in a more structured environment on a daily basis?