Entrepreneurship is often glamorized, more so in social media. The dream of being your own boss, making your own hours, and working in a field you love sounds like the ultimate career move. Let’s get real—none of that matters if you can’t turn a profit.
If you’re thinking about starting a business, the first and most important question you need to ask yourself is: Do I want to make money, or do I want to feel comfortable? Because if comfort is your priority, you should stop reading now and keep your 9-to-5 job. Being an entrepreneur isn’t about comfort; it’s about building something that sustains your life and grows your wealth. I heard it said, follow the money, then follow your dreams; otherwise if you chase your dreams and try to make money, you may start disliking the chase.Let’s tear apart the biggest myths about entrepreneurship and get to the real reason why you should—or shouldn’t—take the leap.
The worst advice anyone can give an aspiring entrepreneur is: “Just follow your passion” or “Start a business doing what you know.”
Why? Because running a business is about profitability, not personal comfort. Many first-time entrepreneurs mistakenly think that because they were great at their job, they will automatically be great at running a business in that field. But being good at a job and being good at making money are two entirely different skill sets.
When I took the leap to start my longest running business, my audio visual firm, I acquired those skills as an employee and thought I could make this work. Yes, I have this trait where I believe I can start something and "figure this sh*it out as I go". Nothing prepared me for the work involved in running my business: payroll, client relations, marketing, legal, supplier relations, bookkeeping, taxes, etc. Even though I had the experience to do the business - they were two vastly different skill sets.
Let’s look at some real-world examples:
Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth Revisited, argues that most small business owners fail because they don’t understand this concept. He tells the story of a woman who loved baking and decided to open a bakery—only to find out she had no idea how to run a business, manage employees, handle accounting, or scale her operations. Passion for baking wasn’t enough to make it work.
Steve Strauss (Best-selling author and columnist), argues that being passionate about your business won't address critical aspects like balancing your budget or managing operations. He emphasizes that while passion can be a driving force, it doesn't replace the need for practical business skills and a focus on profitability. [Source: Inc., 2023]
Reality Check: Your expertise might help you in some ways, but if you don’t master sales, cash flow, and customer acquisition, your business will collapse no matter how much you “love” what you do.
Many people want to become entrepreneurs because they hate taking orders from a boss. They believe that starting their own business will give them freedom, flexibility, and autonomy.
Let’s be clear: Business ownership does not give you freedom—it gives you responsibility.
If you’re running a profitable business, you will likely work more hours than you ever did in a job. Your responsibilities will grow, not shrink. The difference is that you are now the one responsible for making sure the money flows in. Freedom may come later when you've learned to scale your business and you're teaching others how to replace you.
Real-world example:
Elon Musk has openly said that being an entrepreneur means working “80 to 100 hours a week” to keep a business alive. Musk has highlighted that if someone is working 50 hours per week and another person is working 100 hours per week, even if they're doing the same thing, the person putting in more hours will achieve in four months what it takes the other person a year to accomplish. . [Source: Yahoo Finance, 2024]
Reality Check: If your primary reason for starting a business is to avoid the structure of a job, you are in for a rude awakening. Your business owns you—until you make enough profit to own it.
Many people believe that quitting their job and starting a business will fast-track them to wealth. Here's a delusion!
Most businesses take years to become profitable. The early years are about reinvesting, surviving, and learning. If you are not financially prepared for the struggle, you will quit before you ever see real success.
Case studies:
Jeff Bezos didn’t turn a profit with Amazon until 2003—nearly a decade after starting the company. He reinvested every dollar back into growth. If he had expected quick wealth, Amazon would have died in the late ‘90s. [Source: Yahoo Finance, 2024]
Sarah Blakely, the founder of Spanx, worked her day job for two years while building her business on the side. She didn’t quit her stable income until she knew she had a profitable, scalable business. [Source: Forbes, 2012]
Reality Check: If you aren’t prepared to work multiple years before seeing significant returns, you don’t have the mindset required for entrepreneurship.
There is only one legitimate reason to start a business: to create wealth.
Profit pays your bills. Passion does not.
Revenue lets you invest and grow. Comfort does not.
Cash flow buys you freedom. A “love for your craft” does not.
If your business is not making money, it’s not a business—it’s a hobby. And hobbies don’t pay for your mortgage, your car, or your future.
That's why choosing the right business model matters more than choosing something you “enjoy” or something that feels familiar. The best businesses are not the ones built around personal passion, but rather those that solve a problem, meet market demand, and generate repeatable, scalable profits. You may become passionate about what you do in business as you build your reputation, your brand, and increase the value of your business based on how you solve market problems.
If you’re considering becoming an entrepreneur, take a moment to answer these questions honestly:
Am I willing to focus on profit over passion?
Do I have the ability to learn sales, marketing, and financial management?
Am I willing to struggle for years before seeing major success?
Can I handle the responsibility of making every financial decision?
Is my business idea scalable, or am I just trying to replace my salary?
If your answers to these questions are unclear, stay at your job until you figure them out. Notice that most of the "success stories" you read about were doing something else while building up their business. You still have to pay the bills and put food on your table.
If you want to be your own boss because you think it will be easier than having a job, you’re not ready. If you’re starting a business because you want to “do what you love,” you’re not ready.
But if you are willing to embrace discomfort, focus on profit, and put in the years of effort required to build wealth, then entrepreneurship is the path to financial independence.
You don’t start a business to escape something. You start a business to build something.
The question is: Are you ready to build, or do you just want to feel comfortable?