It is no secret that I love business and entrepreneurship! The highs and even the lows! 

I love the entire process and it is what really gets me going. 

However, being an entrepreneur and going into business is not for everyone and that is okay. Although I speak about the many benefits of going into business, there are some reasons why I think you should not go build a business too! 

Here are my top 5 reasons for not going into business:

1. Instant Success

Business success is a marathon, not a sprint and with this you will need a massive amount of patience whilst building your business. 

Don’t expect that just because you have registered your business, have an epic brand, a great idea and product that the sales will just pour in. Business does not work this way.

Even if you do well in your business, most sales do not come in an orderly, timely manner as your monthly wage does.

We see so many images of successful business owners posting images of their possessions, such as Lamborghinis and new watches. There is nothing wrong with doing that, but please do not get sucked into the fact they got those things overnight. 

This is not to say your life cannot dramatically change within 12 months, but typically business success can take anywhere up to 3-7+ years, so you’ll need to ride the waves while staying committed to your goals. You can build your business whilst still working in your full-time role in the police service too. 

The good news is that time will come anyway so you may as well work towards something that is going to help your future.

2. Sacrifice 

To achieve business success, you will need a lot of sacrifices.

TV shows, hobbies, BBQ’s, nights out and parties may have to be put on the back burner because you only have a certain amount of time to build your business each day. 

Business is like having a baby! Well, not an actual human baby, but stay with me…

Just like having a baby, you need to nurture and care for your business baby. The food for your business baby is your energy and effort; and the more time you give to your business, especially in the start-up phase, the quicker it will develop to become bigger and stronger. 

Baby (business) comes first and by making this commitment, everything you’ve sacrificed will come back into your life two-fold once you’ve made a success of your business and regained your time (whether you’re staying in the job or not).

If you can’t trade a short term sacrifice for a long term gain, then, unfortunately, a business will not be for you. 

3. The Blame Game

Having a job is very different from going into business. 

When you are an employee it is far easier to blame someone or something for your lack of results or achievement.

If you do this in business, you will fail. 

Anything bad that happens within my companies is my fault, always. Even if I was not involved in the situation. 

Why? 

Because I am not willing to give that power of responsibility over to someone else. I own it 100%. 

When you are more responsible for your life and business, your life will blossom.

You think about things that you may have not thought of before. Ensuring that tasks which are started are also finished. By doing this you set the standard. 

The truth is, no one is coming to save you – not a mentor, not your team, not your parents and not some magical unicorn. 

If you cannot come to terms with the fact that when things go wrong in business, that it is always your fault you, will always be controlled by external factors. 

Only when you eliminate your excuses and stop blaming others for why you have not gotten to where you want to be, only then will you find your results.

Whatever success or failure your company experiences is squarely on your shoulders. If you cannot take responsibility, you may be better suited to stay in your job.


4. Unfocused 

Life has many distractions, especially with the technological era we now live in. Because of this, our attention span has been conditioned to be shorter than that of a goldfish! 

If you cannot remove yourself from social media when the important things in your business need to be done, or stop yourself from sharing that funny video, then your agenda will be stolen from you.

By mindlessly drifting through social media you actually release little dopamine hits, which only spur on the addictive behaviour. 

For you to achieve your goals in business, you have to be relentlessly focused and this is one of the many reasons having a mentor there to support you is so key. 

You need to be mindful of every action you take throughout the day and if that action is going to take you closer towards your goals or not. 

There is no in-between, you are either succeeding or failing in life, and your actions no matter how small and insignificant they seem determines this. 

Starve your distractions and feed your focus. If you cannot do this, then again a job may be better suited for you. 

5. Hustle

Your work ethic will be a critical factor to the results you get in life, especially when starting your business. 

What is baffling about this is that the effort you apply to your business, goals and dreams is a controllable variable. Meaning, you’re in control of your ability to apply yourself, your energy and your effort, already!

If you look at how far you have to go to achieve your goals and get overwhelmed with the thought of the amount of work you have to do, then business success may not be for you.

Anything worth having in life requires a strong work ethic. You cannot count the cost of success because when you do that, you will lose.

I am not the smartest, in fact, I came out of school with average GCSE grades and dropped out of college. My teachers labelled me as “not going far in life”, but I do put in the work and effort towards my businesses, investors, team and clients. 

This is why I believe that having a strong work ethic and using it to work towards a desirable goal can change your life in an extraordinary way. 

If you don’t have a strong work ethic, and you know deep down you are a bit lazy, then I believe business won’t be for you. 

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You will notice with these points it is all about your mindset, it isn’t about resources. 

Your ability to think and act like a successful entrepreneur is vital for your success.

Of course, you will get persuaded by friends, family and society as a whole to think like them but please be aware that the majority of people in life are trading their happiness for an awful salary. 

With this in mind, if you want success, freedom, passion and a rewarding career, then please think of what thinking habits will best support you.

My entire life changed when I started thinking differently against the status quo and I sincerely hope your life changes too.