The entrepreneurship lifestyle. My lifestyle. Keep on reading.

So how old are you? How old were you when you started being an entrepreneur?

I started 10 years ago with no success. I started with a webshop with edgy/festival clothes but had not clue of what I was doing. Now im back with good ideas, a businesscoach and I am the expert now with a strong focus. The last few years im making money as en entrepreneur. I have 3 blogs (2 Dutch and this one). Its not that much, but im working towards boss freedom. Give me 2 a 3 years;)

It is fair to say that a lot of people hav some crazy dream inside us that we would love to turn into a successful business.

Some of us know what that crazy idea is at an early age but never pursue it for a million reasons mainly fear of failure and the misconception that we are too you young to make a success of it,  then it is left till we are too old and never gets done.  Some of us only see the opportunity later in life and then tell ourselves we are too old now and would rather stay in a job till we retire.

Age should never be a barrier to entry into the world of an entrepreneur. You are never too young and certainly never too old. We kid ourselves that we can’t do something because we are of a certain age, too young or too old when the simple truth is fear.

Is there a right age to be an entrepreneur?

It’s a question I am asked, and I have asked many times. What’s the right age to become an entrepreneur?

The answer is that there is no right or wrong age to become an entrepreneur. At no particular age are you going to be more successful or fail less. Age is a barrier to entry nearly everyone makes up, it’s a self-defence mechanism that works surprisingly well. In fact, the same self-defence mechanism works so well that others will tell you that you are too young, too old or words to that effect and further prevent you from doing what you dream of most.

Success at All Ages

Success can come at any age for an entrepreneur. Your lightbulb moment can come at 16 or 60 and the chances of succeeding are equal, you just have more time and maybe a little more energy when younger. However, when you are older you may see things differently or see something younger people can’t that’s makes your idea, plan or business that bit more likely to succeed. You just need to look around at the world and you will see that there are entrepreneurs of all ages. Some of the best known brands in the world were started by the very young with no experience as well as those who should be slowing down and retiring.

Youngest Entrepreneur

There are plenty of young entrepreneurs who are finding their feet in the world today.  You have probably found this very article because of one teenage entrepreneur that changed  the world forever.  Mark Zuckerberg was just 19 when he launched what we all now know as FaceBook. He was young, passionate and hardworking and is now one of the richest and most famous entrepreneurs of all time.

Zuckerberg has set the bar for many entrepreneurs, and it is a high one. It is a bar that many young (and not so young) entrepreneurs and wannabee entrepreneurs base their ambitions on. And there are plenty of other young-trepreneurs that will soon, quite likely be names we all know:

Michael “Mikey” Wren – Started at 8 years old with a head for business and is known for his vending machine business in US schools. Now aged 13 and still going strong

Blake Ross –  aged 19 when he founded Mozilla Firefox the browser you may have found this article on.

There are youngsters who have achieved much in every sector of business, and they just keep arriving with new ideas that can make an impact to anyone’s life.

The oldest entrepreneurs

At the other end of the scale, there are many older, mature entrepreneurs. Many are well over 40 and some long overdue for retirement. Some of the older entrepreneurs are no doubt kicking themselves for not starting what they now do sooner. A handful of these older entrepreneurs know how their age and life to date is perhaps the very reason why they are only doing what they do now.

Reed Hastings is a man you may or may not be familiar with.  At the age of 37 he found success with DVD rentals, but he became even more successful a decade later at the age of 47 when he started putting movies online. Years of experience in a business he loved allowed him to see an opportunity earlier than most, and he created the biggest and most well-known streaming platform Netflix. In his case, his age and timing was a head-on collision that had impressive results.

Old People Feed the World

When it comes to fast food and food that young people love it takes an older, more mature person to make things happen – or so it seems. McDonald’s, The Coca-Cola Company, and Kentucky Fried Chicken all have one thing in common, other than convenience and billions of sales, of course. Every one of these famous brands was started by someone over the age of 50.  Each of these globally recognised brands is living proof that age is not a barrier to entry for any entrepreneur.

So, the right age, again?

So, I get back to the right age and the right time to become an entrepreneur.  The answer to the right age is the age you are now, and the answer to the right time to do it is also now. With planning and preparation, any idea can succeed if you have passion and drive. You don’t always need funding, either, as many ideas can make cash quickly and profits can be used to bootstrap the business and grow it slowly.

There should be nothing stopping you from becoming an entrepreneur and anyone can do so.

I am working my ass off, im still young, but financial freedom at the age of 40 sounds great right?

Lets work it! Lets go!

Where are you young entrepreneurs? Get a shoutout on my platform with your business. Or you old entrepreneur in your 70ties working it on the internet. Where are you?

Its never too late!Follow that passion.

lets discuss: info@iammandyb.com

For the Dutchies we also have www.carrieretijd.nl. Contact us!