6 Reasons Your Business Won’t Make You Rich
There are many reasons to enter the world of entrepreneurship, but the one that seems to draw the most newcomers is the prospect of getting rich.
Some studies illustrate that entrepreneurs, over the course of their careers, tend to live happier lives and make more money doing so, and occasional stories of breakout entrepreneurs selling their businesses for millions of dollars naturally pique everyone’s interest.
Between these factors, it’s no wonder why so many people strive to own their own businesses for a shot at getting rich.
But it’s unlikely that merely owning a business will earn you the riches you seek. Here’s why:
1. Most businesses fail. It’s hard to come up with good business ideas, and according to Neil Patel, 90% of startups fail. Not only do you need to come up with an idea that’s original, appealing, and potentially profitable, you also have to get the timing right. And coming up with an idea is only the first part of the equation — you also have to ensure you execute your idea flawlessly, and are willing to change it as circumstances evolve over time. for these reasons, it’s no wonder why the vast majority of businesses fail. Even if you have near-absolute confidence in your own ideas and abilities as an entrepreneur, this doesn’t exempt you from the loom of the statistic.
2. Get-rich-quick stories are rare and often exaggerated. Media outlets like to play up the stories of entrepreneurial “rock stars” who skyrocket to success and make millions of dollars. These entrepreneurs become the poster children for business ownership, and lull many inexperienced entrepreneurs into thinking that overnight successes and instant riches are possible. In most cases, these stories are greatly exaggerated — it takes years of effort and working past multiple failures for most people to get to this point. If you aren’t willing to accept those obstacles and keep moving past them, you’ll never get to that point.
3. Running a business is expensive. Don’t forget that running a business is more than just collecting revenue — you also have to pay for everything that happens behind the scenes, including many unforeseen expenses. You’ll be paying for raw materials, human labor, utility costs, rent, equipment costs, and don’t forget easily-neglected expenses like taxes, insurance, and legal fees. Even if you can produce something profitably by itself, there are hundreds of expenses you’ll need to work into your final equations. Many novice entrepreneurs underestimate how expensive it really is to run a business, and end up selling themselves short.
4. There are always unseen variables. No matter how carefully you make your decisions or plan the course of your business, there are always unseen and unpredictable variables affecting how your business plays out. A new competitor might come out of nowhere to threaten you. A new technology may transform the way people think about your product. Your revenue might explode overnight or vanish without much of a trace. It’s hard to tell exactly how the market’s going to change, and if you’re not ready for that uncertainty, you’ll be hit hard when it comes for you.
5. High profitability alone won’t make — or keep — you rich. This is an important lesson you might forget in the excitement of becoming an entrepreneur — you still need personal finance skills if you’re going to become or stay rich. Your business might become profitable, earning you hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in recurring salary, but if you blow all that money on cheap trinkets or make lousy investment decisions, you might end up with nothing by the end of your journey. Regardless of how profitable your business is, getting and staying rich demands careful attention, frugality, smart investments, and responsibility.
6. Most wealth is accumulated from multiple sources. This is another important financial lesson to bear in mind. Even though many entrepreneurs accumulated a chunk of their wealth through business endeavors, most personal riches are gathered from multiple sources of income. After earning significant money, most entrepreneurs try to invest a portion of their cash into stocks and bonds, or real estate, or even other startups. They hedge their bets with multiple streams of income — meaning they’re not just getting rich from the success of one business. Aim to optimize your income with multiple sources.
Entrepreneurship isn’t always pleasant — in fact, sometimes it’s downright miserable. Not only will your first business probably fail to make you rich, it might even leave you in financial ruin. Still, if you have an exceptional idea and the willingness to keep growing and adapting no matter what’s thrown at you, eventually you’ll find a route to higher revenue.
It may not make you a billionaire, but it should at least earn you a good living and provide you the satisfaction that comes with being a creator and leader.
