Age Is No Barrier to Being a Successful Entrepreneur
Age is a number not a speed bump or the end of the road
Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash
Here are just a few names you might know who found success but didn’t become millionaires or billionaires until after their 50th birthday.
Colonel Sanders - 74 (KFC), Ray Kroc – 52 (McDonalds), Grandma Moses – 78 (Artist), Laura Ingalls Wilder – 65 (Author of “Little House” book series), Henry Ford – 50 (Ford Motor Co.), Judge Judy – 54 (TV Show).
Honorable Mention: Wally Amos – 49 (Famous Amos Cookies). Wally was the overachiever of the bunch.
The list is endless of those who started late in life and found success and great fortune. Not all became millionaires, but many came close.
What if any of them had let age stand in their way? What if they threw in the towel before the fight even started?
I was 62 when I got my own radio show. I was 66 when I became a nationally published business author.
Now in my late 70s I’m doing YouTube videos, podcasts and writing on Medium, Vocal and Substack.
Why am I not sitting on my deck with an adult beverage watching the beautiful Montana sunsets and enjoying my waning years?
Because there’s a lot I want to accomplish before my time comes. And it’s getting closer every day.
The 50+ folks above probably thought the same thing. It’s not a time to sit it’s a time to move.
There’s Never a Bad Time to Start Becoming an Entrepreneur
I’ve always had a problem with authority. I always liked being in control even though to those around me I seem out of control most of the time.
For some people that’s their inspiration and they go looking for the right opportunity. Others as in my case opportunity found me.
Many years ago, a gentleman named Joe Karbo wrote a little book that changed people’s lives.
The book was, “The Lazy Man’s Way to Riches!”
The book has a very simple premise. In 315 pages Joe told people to “Find a Need and Fill It.”
That was it. Easier than the Pet Rock or the Hula Hoop. Joe told people the obvious. And millions bought the book.
If your town needs a shoe store open one. Fill a need that’s not being filled.
Beware of the Entrepreneur Trap
Here is a list of businesses. Which one sounds best to you?
Restaurant or diner, coffee shop, barbershop, nightclub, local event planner, business selling t-shirts, boutiques, grocery stores, jewelry shops, animal care or grooming, landscaping business, moving business, gym, frozen yogurt, ice cream shop, deli, liquor store, sandwich shop, beauty salon, hair salon, spa, daycare business, hardware store, commercial cleaning, residential cleaning, car wash, florist, bakery, general contractor business, dog walking, pet sitting, martial arts studio, dance studio, cleaners, lawn care, home improvement.
All of these are on YouTube under businesses to start in your city by several YouTubers.
Let me ask the question again.
Which one is right for you?
The correct answer is none of them unless you have some sort of experience in that business.
Why Entrepreneurs Fail
It’s that inspiration thing I spoke of earlier.
The over age 50 entrepreneurs at the beginning of this article came up with their own idea or expanded someone else’s idea in a totally new and successful way.
They didn’t pick their business from some get rich quick ad in the back of a magazine or some suggestion from a YouTube video.
Bill Gates saw the future of computers that the brains at IBM failed to see. Now they run his programs and operating system.
If you don’t have the “failure is not an option” mentality that all these older folks had, then what will keep you motivated over the tough times?
Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Motorola, Procter & Gamble all started as home-based businesses. Dell computers and Facebook started in college dorm rooms.
Entrepreneurs find a need and fill it. They see opportunity others miss.
They see things that should be done but aren’t being done.
If Henry Ford had asked people in 1900 what they wanted most they probably would have said, “Bigger stronger horses.”
That’s exactly what Henry gave them. It just took a few years.
Some Final Thoughts on Entrepreneurial Success
The other thing entrepreneurs often have in common is a series of failures.
Abe Lincoln failed many times but overcame those failures became president and is still the only president that holds a patent.
He also taught himself trigonometry. I can’t even spell it.
Henry Ford failed several times before making Ford Motor Company a reality.
What inspires you? What topics are you constantly searching for on the net? What do you think about when you wake up and before you go to sleep?
What’s missing that no one else seems to see?
Keep thinking you’ll find it. Just don’t forget me in your will.
I want to thank all my followers and subscribers. You make writing so much more fun, and I appreciate every single one of you, and your comments and emails.