Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin are some of the figures who inspire entrepreneurs around the world. In jeans and sweatshirts, they present their ideas to revolutionize the way we communicate, work, and play.
This generation of Silicon Valley “geeks” was also responsible for creating a stereotype of what it is to be an entrepreneur, intimidating many people who could also make a big difference. In the market, however, it is observed that experience has a lot to contribute to opening your own business.
Have you been dreaming of your own business and have you ever felt intimidated by your age? Check out what female entrepreneurs have to gain by opening their own business after 30!
Does entrepreneurship have an age range?
Contrary to expectations, research by the Kauffman Foundation showed that, in 2011, entrepreneurs over the age of 45 accounted for 49% of all entrepreneurial activity that year. Those aged between 45 and 54 were responsible for the greatest growth in entrepreneurial activity.
In 2012, Kauffman also reported that almost a quarter of new businesses were started by entrepreneurs over the age of 55 — in 1996, they represented just 14% of businesses.
Financial instability can be frightening for those already living in adulthood, as can the amount of work to be done. However, starting a new business always makes us beginners and, at the end of the day, what matters in the market are good ideas — not age. You need to know how to sell them and reach the right people!
Owning your own business brings levels of autonomy and fulfillment that can rarely be achieved otherwise. Do you want to know other advantages of starting a business after 30? See below!
What do female entrepreneurs over 30 have to gain from opening their own business?
Entrepreneurship has its difficulties, but the search for a more purposeful workday brings a series of benefits for those who take the risk. More mature entrepreneurs bring not only experience but also a more solid network of contacts and resources that they have cultivated throughout their professional lives.
Discover the advantages of investing in self-knowledge and starting a business after 30:
Chance to continually learn and grow
To make your business prosper, you need to be available to continue growing and developing. When we see stories of successful entrepreneurs, it’s common to think that they got where they are overnight.
It is worth remembering that newspaper and magazine articles have character and time limits and are rarely able to tell all the difficulties these professionals went through to achieve success. Remember: there isn’t a successful entrepreneur who hasn’t had to change, “break down” and grow.
Freedom of choice
You can make your own choices in life. If you want your business to grow, you need to choose this option and fight to make it a reality. Not to mention the freedom to choose to invest your time and efforts in what you truly believe in and are connected to your passions.
Entrepreneurship makes it possible to exercise our power of choice, instigating the construction of experiences, skills, authority, and free will to choose to change the society in which we live.
Authority over time
Money comes and goes, but time can pass without you realizing if you are making the most of it. A good entrepreneur knows how to choose how to use the time she has available.
Deciding what to do with your own time is one of the greatest freedoms you can hope for in a hurried society like the one we live in. This is an even greater advantage for women who are already experiencing the challenges of motherhood and need to reconcile motherly care with the desire to transform the world into a better place.
If you experience this situation, check out our Complete Time Management Guide to make your routine lighter and your mind free to take care of the (many!) tasks of an entrepreneurial woman!
Transforming your experience into innovation
The best entrepreneurs are those who see an opportunity where they are located. In many cases, these opportunities are only identified with years of experience in the field. Furthermore, only someone who knows the area well knows how it can be improved.
In some cases, entrepreneurs may have the support of companies to make their ideas viable. If you have identified a solution to a problem in your area of expertise, or even to a difficulty in your routine, it may be time to get this project off the ground!
Focus on functionality
Innovations brought by older people may not always be attractive, but they tend to be more utilitarian, potent, and crucial to progress.
As journalist Stefan Theil wrote for Newsweek, part of the reason companies founded by older people don’t get as much recognition is that they don’t produce easy-to-understand web apps or products. Instead, they tend to involve more complex technologies and solutions. They also tend to sell products and services to other businesses, rarely seen by consumers, but which contribute greatly to the process of innovation and economic growth.
Goodbye to boredom
The life of an entrepreneur is not open to boredom. We all indeed need to do not-so-exciting tasks, such as taking care of the company’s bureaucratic structure, and organizing files, among others.
However, even in the simplest tasks, the entrepreneurial mindset motivates us to do more and better. After all, we are always looking to exercise creativity, willpower, and other skills that can help us run our dream business.
More resources
Many organizations assist older entrepreneurs because, in addition to being committed to the company’s success, they have more resources that ensure the health of the enterprise. Money to invest is just one of these resources: establishing yourself locally, having access to angel investors and a network of contacts help to solidify the foundations of the business, generating greater market reliability.
Entrepreneurship is for everyone. In a way, whether you’re starting your first business or investing in your fifth brilliant idea, it’s as if you’re always a beginner with infinite possibilities for success.
