Being an entrepreneur can be one of the most rewarding of careers. But it is not for everyone. I would strongly encourage anyone contemplating a mid-life shift to entrepreneurship to be deadly honest with themselves: * it will be hard (on you and your relationships) * it's high risk (the odds are steeply against you) * it will push your capacity for resilience (far beyond your comfort level). If you honestly can accept these conditions - and if it is the autonomy and independence of being an entrepreneur that drives you - then take the leap. The path is hard. But heroic.

I left a good job at SAP in 2015 for becoming a freelancer. I was lucky though: due to my family situation I did not have to earn my rent from day one. Based on this experience I would advise you to figure out if you can start in part-time or with a fall-back option in place. This drastically increases your wellbeing in the first months when customers are not yet standing in line to work with you or to buy your products. Now – 9 years later – I do not regret it a single bit. I have founded two companies and am working with great partners. So go for it! It's worthwhile.

Do not let fear of failure hold you back but there must be some sanity check too. Running a business takes resources. Be realistic about your finances. How much can you comfortably invest? Can you handle a potential income dip while you get established? Do the numbers to avoid any nasty surprises. Being your own boss doesn't mean endless free time. It often means working long hours, especially in the beginning. Can you manage the potential strain on your personal life?

Before taking the plunge into entrepreneurship, it's essential to assess your readiness for this new venture. Evaluate your skills, experience, and financial situation to determine if you're well-positioned to start a business.

Take a deep dive into your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) concerning your entrepreneurial journey. Assess your financial stability, emotional readiness, and willingness to take calculated risks. Reflect on your past experiences and how they have prepared you for this endeavor.

In addition to gathering feedback from potential customers, look for emerging trends, shifts in consumer behavior, and gaps in the market that your idea can address.

The validation of idea saves you from a lot of problems and hassels. It is a prudent and proactive approach to first test your idea on a smaller scale, It can be done even before launching the product or at smaller scale when you have started to validate your assumption and market readiness before you jump into full time and put all your rescources in to it. The market study, consumer surveys, Industry analysis and reports, discussion or feedback from the potential consumer are one of the ways to test you start. It will not only allow you to validate your idea but also helps you understand what changes you have to make into your original idea to make it a success story.

Once you've identified a business idea, it's crucial to validate its viability in the market. Conduct market research, gather feedback from potential customers, and assess the competitive landscape to determine if there is demand for your product or service. Validate your idea early on to mitigate the risk of failure down the line.

If you want to see if there is a market for your product/service, create a waiting list. You don't need people to pay you to validate the idea. That's a lot of commitment for something not proven. Create a landing page for a waiting list, and qualify the people on there. - Why are you wanting to join the waiting list? - What drew you to this? - Are you in need right now for x service? This will show you who is in the most need for the service, and then you can reach out to them directly. But it also shows you there is a market.

Validate your business idea by conducting market research, gathering feedback from potential customers, and analyzing competitors. Determine if there's a demand for your product or service and if your idea solves a genuine problem or fulfills a need in the market.

Networking is an invaluable resource for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially mid-career professionals transitioning into entrepreneurship. Expand your network by connecting with fellow entrepreneurs, industry experts, mentors, and potential collaborators. Seek guidance, support, and advice from individuals who have walked the path before you.

Starting your own business as a mid-career professional can be daunting, especially with the fear of failure. One powerful step is to build a strong network of female founders and "boss girls." These connections provide invaluable support, advice, and inspiration. Join women-focused entrepreneur groups, attend events, and engage on social media platforms like LinkedIn. Learning from their experiences and sharing your journey can boost confidence and provide a safety net of mentorship and collaboration. Surrounding yourself with a supportive community empowers you to take bold steps and navigate challenges more effectively.

You'll need a support system. So, focus on building your network. We're talking mentors who've been there, done that, peers in similar ventures who can share the journey, potential partners to fill in your skill gaps, and even folks who might become suppliers or customers down the line. The more people you know, the more resources, insights, and leads you'll have access to. This tribe you build will be your safety net and your springboard – all rolled into one.

No entrepreneur succeeds in isolation and it isn't until you find yourself in uncomfortable situations that you realise the importance of a strong network/support group. Start connecting with people you want to be surrounded by - fellow entrepreneurs, potential mentors, and industry contacts. Networking events (virtual and in-person), LinkedIn groups, and casual coffee meet ups can be invaluable for shared advice, encouragement in tough times, and potential collaboration opportunities with future clients/brand partners.

Having a network of contacts, even if it is made up of friends and colleagues, is essential for expanding business, today technology allows us to achieve much more! Build new connections that are professional, commercial and personal. The more people know what you do, the further your work goes. Remember “those who are not seen, are not remembered!”

Transitioning from a corporate environment to entrepreneurship may require acquiring new skills and knowledge. Identify areas where you may need to upskill or gain expertise, whether it's in marketing, finance, sales, or technology. Invest in continuous learning and professional development to strengthen your entrepreneurial capabilities.

Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey often requires acquiring new abilities. For mid-career professionals, learning new skills is a pivotal step in preparing to launch a business. This can involve formal education, like courses or workshops, or informal learning, such as self-study or practical experience. Focus on skills that complement your existing expertise while filling in any knowledge gaps that are critical for business management. Embrace technology, which can be a game-changer for new businesses. Stay current with industry trends to ensure relevance and competitive edge. Above all, cultivate a mindset of continuous learning; this agility is essential for navigating the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship.

In a new business, having versatility and diversity is essential for success, so learning new skills never hurts! Discover new paths for your business to scale and never run away or deviate from the main niche.

Dont spend too much time on this part. The new skills will come when you have started taking action. There will be a MVP or a prototype service or product that wont need new skills but the skills you have already gained with years of previous experience.

In this whole process of learning new skills, embrace failure as part of the journey. Understand that setbacks are opportunities for growth and learning. Surround yourself with a supportive network of mentors and peers who can offer guidance and encouragement and remember, every successful entrepreneur has faced failure at some point, but it's how they bounce back that sets them apart.

Creating a minimum viable product (MVP) is a great idea. For someone who has been contemplating an idea to start something of her/ his own but not able to take that ‘leap of faith’; MVP is the answer. Creating and launching something with lesser risk will give a good reality check.

Leaving a stable career can be scary. You can always start small instead of jumping head in and risk everything. Launch a smaller version of your business idea. This way, you can test the market, see if there's interest, and refine your concept based on what you learn. It'll help you minimize risks and get valuable customer insights without going all in from the start.

Just as you started your career by interning, gaining experience in your first formal job, learning new skills to reach positions and competencies, it will be no different in this new journey of the enterprise, start small, clearly publicize your new business, build credibility by promoting service provision with excellence and don't invest everything without having accurate business scale statistics.

Contrary to popular belief, launching a business doesn't mean going all in from day one. It's fine to start small and allow yourself the space to experiment and learn what works and what doesn't (not only commercially but also from the perspective of how this new business fits in with your lifestyle). This could mean starting your business as a side hustle or launching a minimal viable product (MVP) to gauge interest. Starting small can lead to understanding your product in a greater depth and also reduce the pressure of immediate success that most people feel they need to be 'successful'.

Start with few clients, then many clients. Then open a franchise and a 2nd and a 3rd... This is how I envision the future - taking things one step at a time.

Reframe your view of failure: it's not a dead end but an extremely important part of your entrepreneurial journey. Many successful entrepreneurs have faced setbacks before finding the path that works for them and is successful. Learn how to embrace each failure as a lesson and an opportunity to develop and grow. Remember, you're not alone in this; every entrepreneur has been a beginner at some point and it's with humility and passion that they grow and continue their journey in business.

Just DO it. IF you're serious about it. Which means: crunch the numbers, overestimating costs (be thorough and granular) and underestimating revenue, and if you still think you can make a buck at the end of it, go ahead. It's ultimately just a hobby and not a business if you don't - think carefully about this distinction. If your gut suggests the latter, start out as cheaply but intensely and resourcefully as possible. How many more lives do you have?

L’échec est inhérent à l’entrepreneuriat. On passe par de nombreux échecs avant de pouvoir réellement réussir. Parce que l’apprentissage se fait très très souvent dans l’échec. Plus on échoue, plus on apprend. Donc mon premier conseil est d’échouer autant que possible et vite pour apprendre le plus rapidement possible 😉 Ensuite il s’agit de comprendre ce qui se cache derrière cette peur de l’échec. Est-ce que c’est la peur du regard des autres, est-ce que c’est la peur de l’insécurité financière, est-ce que c’est la peur de ne pas être fait•e pour l’entrepreneuriat ? Généralement la peur de l’échec cache plein d’autres peurs. Et sous ces autres peurs se cachent des croyances limitantes.

Develop a Growth Mindset: Cultivate a mindset that sees failure as an integral part of growth. Understand that every attempt brings you closer to refining your business idea. Create a Fail-Safe Plan: Have a plan in place for what steps you'll take if an aspect of your business doesn't go as planned. Knowing you have a fallback can lessen the fear of failure. Seek Stories of Resilience: Actively look for and study stories of entrepreneurs who faced failure and turned it into a success. Such narratives can be incredibly motivating. Set Boundaries for Failure: Define what failure looks like to you and set limits on how much you're willing to risk. This can help manage fears and ensure you're comfortable with the potential outcomes.

For some, this is the single most surprising thing that becoming an entrepreneur entails. Constant and repeating failure. The only way to deal with it is to adjust your mindset around failure as learning something that didn't work is still progress. It might not show in your bank account but it shows in your skillset, your behaviour and your future decision making. Failure is a chance to learn and you can't grow a business without learning. There is no business on earth that has got it right first time for every single aspect of their business so learn to speed up the failure process and decrease the costs associated with it using "Lean Methodologies". Fail fast & fail cheap.

Just do it. Build just enough courage to take the first step and let the rest follow without overthinking it. Failure (small and big) is eminent in entrepreneurship and the only way to your dream of building your own business is through the storm.

•You must make sure that your business meets your potential customers needs. •Don't try to create a market need specially at your early beginnings. •You must conduct a feasibility study. •Assess your personal and professional skills, specially your management, marketing and negotiation ones. •Take the required training courses based on your assessment results. •Assess your financial capabilities and how long you can keep on without profit. •Try to have a financial entity to fund your business. •Most important one is to make sure that you are able to handle the stress of being a business owner.

- Having a roadmap is essential. This will help you define your goals, strategies, and financial projections. - There are many resources available online and from small business associations to help you create a business plan.

The most important thing is to start. Start with nailing your idea, investigating it deeply, and talking to people who have done it. Consider this: - Many business ideas can be started without quitting your job. - It might be easier to start with a partner, someone who compliments your strengths and skills - Start with a meaningful, significant enough, and most importantly, achievable milestone that takes you closer to your goal - Get your life partner on board with your stragegy

One thing I've learnt is the importance of being humble and that there is zero room for ego as an entreprenuer. You will not always know what you need to do. You may not be the smartest person in the room or your team. Acknowledging this and accepting help, hiring people who are the epxerts in areas that you're not is crucial to ensuring success and also overcoming fear of failure