Tough economic times have often been the best times for starting a new business – just ask the creators of General Electric, Walt Disney, Burger King and Microsoft.
The slow recovery -- rather than discouraging enterprise -- may actually be the ideal time to make major moves towards the free enterprise dream. With more funding options than ever, cheaper office space, and increases in technology, the time to start a business is now.
In fact, 2013 could be a big year for startups, according to Small Business Trends.
Many are predicting more businesses will be started in 2013. Part of it led by Millennials who have wholeheartedly embraced entrepreneurship, and part of it from the explosive growth of the freelance economy. In the latest Elance Global Business Survey, 40 percent of respondents were doing online freelancing work on the side while working full-time jobs. Elance predicts with the advent of Obamacare, many of these part-time freelancers will ditch their jobs for full-time freelance entrepreneurship.
This infographic presented by ProfitBricks further makes the case for why it’s startup time in America.
Click Image To Enlarge
COMMENTARY: I tend to agree that the environment for raising capital for new startups may never be better. There are still abundant opportunities for startups in the mobile devices, mobile apps and cloud technologies. Robotics and visual reality could be the next next new frontiers for entrepreneurs and investors alike. There are also opportunites in social media for entreprenrus who are able to crack the social media DNA code once and for all. Data mining and sector mostly for big corporations, is now within reach of both small and medium size companies, and big data holds the promise of breakthrough methods in marketing and reaching consumers.
The development of crowdfunding and the recently enacted Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act or JOBS Act provide exciting new opportunities for raising capital through donations and sales of equity securities through both private and public markets.
Dark clouds remain on the horizon as roblems in the Eurozone and our own fiscal cliff and debt ceiling issues could prove problematic and many investors may hold off making investments in risky ventures like startups.
True entrepreneurship and innovation will win the day. If you have a great new idea that fills a big need or solves a big problem, and you have the team, successful and proven business model and strategies to executive your marketing initiatives, you will have an easier time raising venture capital.
For a complete discussion of startup entrepreneurship and venture capital see all my blog posts HERE.
Courtesy of an article dated January 4, 2013 appearing in FreeEnterprise
I hope you are right that 2013 could be the year to start a new business. Let's face it, our economy is starting to chug along a little better, making the chances of success for a new business better. I know very little about crowdfunding. It sounds risky to me. Can you tell me more about it and why you think this technique might help entrepreneurs get started? Thanks!
Posted by: Mary Kaplan | 01/14/2013 at 06:01 PM