By Tony Rome

Throughout my years as an entrepreneur I have talked with many people about their desires to start a business.  There is a common theme among the people I talk to, and it relates to timing.  Many people believe they are not ready to become business owners.  The common excuses are:  I don’t have enough experience, I’ll do it when my kids go to college, I’m waiting until I retire, or I want to do it when I turn 30, 40, or 50. (Is there some magic associated with certain birthdays?)

The time to start your business is NOW!   People who put off their dreams of entrepreneurship will have another reason to procrastinate when that designated time finally arrives.  The old saying “there is no better time than the present” rings true regarding entrepreneurship.  There are no guarantees in the future and while you’re waiting for that “magic” day, someone else may launch your great business idea.
           
By taking action NOW you can seize the moment and begin to take the first steps down the entrepreneurial road.  Starting and building a business takes a lot of time, as well as physical and emotional energy.  For most small business owners it takes 3 to 5 years to get the business up and somewhat stable. 

Here’s a perfect example of someone who can start their business NOW!  I’m sure some of you have a friend or family member who bakes the best sweet potato pie in the whole world, and that pie has been the talk of your family’s holiday dinners for years.  Each Thanksgiving and Christmas everyone says the same thing, “Aunt Pam you need to sell those sweet potato pies,” and Aunt Pam replies “Yeah, maybe I can do that when I retire in 10 years.”  Are you kidding me?  In ten years, Aunt Pam can turn her sweet potato pie business into a local, national, or global success story. 

The time is NOW for Aunt Pam.  Aunt Pam is already producing a product that people love. She can create a marketing plan today in anticipation of selling pies during the 2008 Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season.  Instead of waiting until 2018, Aunt Pam is in business NOW and well on her way down the entrepreneurship path. 

Imagine if Aunt Pam sold 1,000 pies to her friends and members of her church during this year’s holiday season at $25 pie.  She would generate $25,000 this year, and if she never raised her price and sold 1,000 pies each year for the next 10 years, Aunt Pam would gross $250,000.   It is also very possible that by the 10th year Aunt Pam would be selling 1000 pies per month at $25 per pie for a total of $300,000 per year!  Not bad for sweet potato pie.

You can grab hold of your dream of entrepreneurship right NOW, and I am inviting anyone aspiring to start their own business to join me on Tuesday, February 19 at Camelot by Martin’s in Upper Marlboro from 7-9 p.m. for the Entrepreneurship NOW! seminar.  I created this seminar series to provide people with the tools they need to make their entrepreneurship dreams a reality.  It is my hope that Entrepreneurship NOW! becomes a movement that encourages people to take control of their futures and pursue their passions. 

NOW is your time!

-Tony Rome