Now is the best time, not ‘now’
Over the past couple of months I have come across a number of articles saying how right now is the best time to start a business. What these articles are referring to is this economic climate is the best time to start a business. To me that is complete garbage. Because jobs are tight and money is tight then that must mean that the best ideas happen today? I don’t think so. If starting a company is about making enough money to support yourself and stay afloat it seems ridiculous to assume this is the type of economy you would want to do it in.
However, I do say that right now is the best time and when I say ‘now’ I mean whenever you feel the urge. The second you are reading this could be right now and 10 years from today could be right now for you. Now is always the best time no matter what the climate, but each climate is the best for different reasons. Matter of fact why don’t you try to start a company that isn’t dependent on the what economic climate you are in. Waste management companies played it smart here.
Now is a good time because maybe you really need to start something on the side to help support yourself and your family. Now is a good time because maybe you won’t copy other ideas you see around the web because now you are starting to understand that many businesses fail. When the world was happy with all their money how often did we see a copycat of a copycat spring up? Now you see people are a bit more careful with what they launch with and this is a good thing. Of course the cycle will go back to copycats eventually, but for now the people who wish to innovate will stand out in a year or two.
Two years ago if you started a company it was much easier to get money than it is now. Now you have to prove yourself a bit more and nothing is wrong with that, unless you were hoping to get easy money. So for many people maybe two years ago was the best time to start a company. Maybe two years ago when they still had a job to support themselves was the best time. Maybe now they have no job or way to survive so now isn’t the best time to take a chance.
The problem with assuming that this climate is the best to start a company is that you will read it from people who tell the story of how their company was started during the last bust. It worked out for them and as with anything else in business it doesn’t mean it will work out for you. As we know sometimes things just fall into place and sometimes they don’t. Maybe you start a company now and it doesn’t really show signs of life until the economy picks up. Who knows.
I can tell you that now will always be the best time to start because we have enough times in our life where we look back and wish we did it earlier. If anything, start now so you don’t regret the next now.