Why Start a Business?
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- 16 Apr 2013
Are you happy doing what you do? Yes? Maybe? Kind of? Everyone has down days, but if you’ve dragged yourself through the company doors every day at 8:59am, and sprinted out at 5pm on the dot, then it’s probably time to change something. We spend so many hours in the office that a job should be more than a monthly paycheque: it should inspire you. If you’ve got an idea, a talent, or a passion, put it to use. Do the research, and start your own business.
We’ve rallied round the troops at MOO HQ and members of the MOO community and come up with a short guide focused on why you should start your own business (there’s nothing like a bit of peer pressure to get you going!)
Stop making excuses, and take the plunge.
Be your own boss
Starting your own business entitles you to a whole new level of freedom. You can incorporate your own morals and ethics into decision making, and you can pick when you work, what you work on, where you work, and what you wear to work. Wonderful!
Say goodbye to the 9 – 5 structure, and say hello to working whenever suits you: early risers can start before the sun comes up, and night owls can stay in bed until lunch, and work well into the night, without getting odd looks from colleagues and the boss.
The flexibility that being your own boss entails means you can juggle children, pets, and socialising with your work, without the worry of having to find child-minders, or rushing home in heavy traffic to take the dog to the vet. As you can work wherever you want, you can bid farewell to rush hour traffic, or overcrowded commuter trains, and all the stress (and money!) that comes with travelling to and from work.
It’s a constant challenge: as it’s your company, you’re not only the boss, but every other potential role too. Every day will be different, and you’ll constantly be learning, meeting new people and gaining new skills, so you’ll never worry about being bored.
This is your life: you should be the one running it.
Do what you love
Work is always going to be work, but doing something you love will make it more rewarding. Starting your own business requires a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, so basing your venture on something you’re passionate about will make the 100-hour weeks fly by.
Enthusiasm is contagious, and prospective customers, partners or funders will appreciate it, and find themselves swept up in your vision. As long as there’s a gap in the market for the area you love, why not try making a living from it?
For all the creative types, starting your own business gives you full artistic and creative freedom: you decide what you do, when you do it, and for whom. You can share what you’re good at, and show people what you can really do. You don’t need to abide by anyone else’s vision (apart from possibly your client’s!).
Whether you’re a dab hand at photography, make brownies that taste like no other, or you just love the thrill of setting businesses up, if you’ve researched your idea, your customers, and your market, there’s nothing holding you back from starting your own business.
Life is too short to do something you don’t care about, so if you’ve got a great idea, get it out there.
Doing good
“They say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing, and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.”
– Banksy
Everyone wants to be remembered for something, and starting your own business could be exactly that: whether it’s because it turns out to be the most successful start-up of 2013 (or ever), or the biggest failure, it’s your way of leaving a legacy – or something for your family.
Maybe you hate the way your industry is perceived, and you think your business idea could revolutionise it, or you want to give something back to the community you live: wanting to do something good is a great reason for starting business.
For more informative advice, and expert tips on starting a business, why not have a look at some of our remarkable customers? We’ve got Michael Acton Smith, CEO of Moshi Monsters, talking about how he got started, or former teenage entrepreneur Fraser Doherty from SuperJam explaining what it took to get his business up and running. Plus, have a look at Enterprise Nation – it’s full of simple ways to get your idea off the ground.