The old advice used to be “go and work for someone for several years before you try and start a business.” The thought was that you needed to learn about business, grow up, save some money, etc. Young aspiring entrepreneurs were discouraged from jumping in too quickly.
I rarely hear that kind of advice any more. We see growing numbers of young people leaving college and starting successful careers as entrepreneurs. Many even are starting their entrepreneurial careers while in school.
StartupJournal has some great advice for young, aspiring collegiate entrepreneurs (written by a young intern, but the way). Use your flexibility and low cost of living as part of your opportunity, leverage the resources and expertise that being a student entrepreneur can offer, and view your early experience as part of your education.
(Thanks to John Russell for suggesting this article).
Dr Jeff Cornwall
Co-founder of The Entrepreneurial Mind, serial entrepreneur and professor of entrepreneurship.
I only worked 2 years in a job before i got disillusioned and wanted the freedom that comes with working for myself. I have now been self-employed for only 2 years and the only advice that i could give is that progress takes time and one should never give up even when times are tough. I think the rewards of being self employed and having your own business outways any negatives
Before I started my small online promotion business, I worked in the company for three years. Then I understood – that I have everything to start my business. So I decided to take this risk: )I will never regret this decision, even when the times are not so easy on me.