The decision to create your business can be an ambitious choice or an opportunity seized at the right time. However, there are as many entrepreneurial courses as aspirants business leaders. Some feel ready to embrace the adventure at the end of their studies, while others prefer to acquire solid experience in a professional environment. To find out when to take action and embark on entrepreneurship, it is useful to examine different points of view and take into account your personal situation, its objectives and the nature of the project.
Point of view N ° 01: Starting from the end of studies
Some future leaders decide to start their start-up as soon as they graduate. They then take advantage of the momentum acquired during their studies, where they were able to develop technical or managerial skills, and forge a first network of contacts. This strategy relies on a major advantage: the freedom to explore without being forced by a pre -established professional career. The young entrepreneur is often more inclined to take risks, animated by the thirst to learn and by the energy of youth.
However, starting so early requires a certain lucidity. The lack of practical experience in the world of work can weaken the project, especially in terms of team management and decision -making. To get around this pitfall, it is advisable to surround yourself with mentors or experienced partners, capable of bringing an enlightened look at the challenges of the company. The incubators and innovation competitions also constitute good springboards to validate his idea and become familiar with the reality of entrepreneurship.
Point of view N ° 02: wait to gain business experience
Other entrepreneurs choose to make their weapons for several years within major organizations before founding their own structure. This approach has the advantage of consolidating your skills in a marked environment, observing the operational operation of a company. The missions entrusted and interactions with experienced colleagues make it possible to better understand the problems of management, finance or marketing, while constituting a precious address book.
By having evolved in a more formal framework, the aspiring manager has an in -depth knowledge of his sector. He can thus detect market flaws or gaps in the existing offer, which he will then work to fill by launching his own project. This more prudent strategy tends to limit the risks of failure in the first months of activity, even if it requires knowing how to break with a certain comfort and to overcome the inertia linked to the safety of employee employment.
Point of view N ° 03: Take advantage of an innovation or rupture context
Sometimes the best time to undertake coincides with the emergence of a new technology or the appearance of a phenomenon of market rupture. Digital or ecological revolutions, for example, regularly create breaches in which it is possible to rush. It is then the relevance of the idea that determines the opportune moment: if we identify a strong opportunity-under-exploited technology or an unwanted customer need-it can be wise to react quickly.
However, betting on an innovation context is not without danger. The market is not always mature, and we must compose with high uncertainty about the reception reserved for new offers. The manager must then show great agility, adapt his business model as a continuous and regularly request user feedback. In this environment, the ability to pivot quickly to refine your value proposal becomes a decisive asset.
Point of view n ° 04: embarking on entrepreneurship after a change of life or career
Sometimes the click occurs following a personal or professional event: job loss, moving, retraining or even deep questioning of his life choices. These pivotal moments sometimes push to step back and consider a new path, carried by an ambition of freedom and personal accomplishment. Entrepreneurship then appears to be an opportunity to reinvent itself and take advantage of unexploited skills.
In this scenario, the energy taken from change acts as a psychological lever: we engage in a project with more determination, because it symbolizes a new step. However, the economic viability of the idea should be checked and gauge its financial means, because the starting enthusiasm is not enough to build a lasting business. Training specific to business creation or experts’ aid can greatly facilitate transition and limit beginner errors.
Point of view N ° 05: Make the big jump after 50 years
Last point of view, far from trivial: many executives and experienced professionals decide to cross the CAP of entrepreneurship around the fifties. They then have a sectoral credibility and a developed network, which facilitates access to funding or strategic partnerships. In addition, their vision is based on fine knowledge of the market and on proven managerial skills.
One of the main fears for late entrepreneurs concerns financial risk and the ability to work at a sustained pace. To remedy this, it is necessary to set up a realistic business plan, by tabling on a lasting economic model and relying on additional partners. Motivation, when you launch a project at this age, is often based on the desire to make a passion that have remained unanswered or to extend your career with more autonomy. Well prepared, this initiative can be particularly fruitful, both professionally and personal.
A deeply individual choice
To determine the right time to get started in entrepreneurship does not respond to a universal formula. Young graduate, a seasoned or senior executive in search of renewal, everyone must assess their own resources, their aspirations and the nature of the opportunity. Sometimes, a favorable external situation – such as a subsidy or the emergence of a niche market – can accelerate the decision, while in other cases, the need to consolidate its premium skills. In reality, what matters most is the clarity of the project and the desire to devote itself to it fully.
