Contributed by SBOC Member:
Founder of the Small Business Owners Community
A new QuickBooks Entrepreneurship Survey revealed something remarkable: one in three Americans—that’s 110 million people—want to start their own business.
Let that sink in. One in every three people you pass on the street dreams of being their own boss.
But here’s the uncomfortable follow-up question: If 110 million people want to start a business, why don’t they?
The answer isn’t money. It’s not time. It’s not talent.
They’re waiting for permission.
We’ve been conditioned our entire lives to wait for permission. Permission from a teacher to speak. Permission from a boss to take vacation. Permission from a bank to buy a house.
So when we think about starting a business, we unconsciously wait for someone to give us the green light.
Permission from a spouse who says “I believe in you.”
Permission from a bank that says “Here’s the loan.”
Permission from a mentor who says “Now is your time.”
Permission from the universe in the form of some cosmic sign.
But here’s what nobody tells you: that permission is never coming.
Nobody is going to tap you on the shoulder and tell you how to start a business. The business license doesn’t come with a permission slip attached. There’s no certification for “ready to be an entrepreneur.”
The entrepreneurship industry has convinced aspiring business owners that they need a checklist of things before they can start:
A detailed business plan. A professional logo. A polished website. Business cards. A social media presence. Funding.
You know what you actually need? One paying customer.
That’s it. One person willing to exchange money for your product or service.
Your first paying customer validates your idea more than any business plan ever could. They tell you what they actually want, what they’ll actually pay, and what actually matters to them.
Everything else—the logo, the website, the business cards—can come later. And here’s a secret: nobody cares about your logo until they care about you. And they only care about you after you’ve helped them.
If you’re reading this and you’re one of those 110 million people waiting to start, here’s your permission:
Go.
Not when the timing is perfect. Not when you have more money saved. Not when you’ve taken another course or read another book.
Now.
Find one person who has a problem you can solve. Solve it. Get paid.
Congratulations. You have a business.
The permission you’ve been waiting for was always yours to give. Stop waiting for someone else to grant it.
Listen to the full discussion on Businessing with Pat Miller, available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Don’t Grow It Alone®
Pat spent two decades in broadcasting management and hosting. After leaving the radio industry, he spent time consulting small businesses and realized the support system for entrepreneurs was broken. Where could you find help for improving small businesses and building real connections with other like-minded people. In June of 2020, the Idea Collective Small Business Community was born.