The Gamble Of Entrepreneurship: Risks vs Rewards

The lure of entrepreneurship has long been a shining light for 9-to-5ers. The opportunity to put your ideas, initiative and intuition on the line is an exciting prospect with potentially life-changing rewards. The generation currently entering the workforce has grown-up watching peers make millions in the dot-com bubble, while long-time professionals are being laid off and left to pursue million-pound ideas.

Entrepreneurship offers an undeniable freedom and excitement, but the advantages are accompanied by serious liabilities. The celebrated start-ups of our time seemed to hit the ground running as if knew what was coming, but reality of starting your own business is usually much more of a grind. Weigh the risks and rewards as you consider launching your own business, or you may find yourself playing blackjack at Intercasino as you send out resumes.

What You Leave Behind

Risk
You may feel worn down after years of grinding away at a job, but a different perspective may change your outlook. A global recession is leaving capable workers without a job, and a startup's chance of survival appears to be still low. Many startups are doomed from the start. Your may not have the dream job you hoped for, but in tough economic times, a reliable paycheck isn't something you want to give up on a whim.
Reward
Life is about more than the job you have, but chances are you spend more time at your place of work then anywhere else. The chance to start fresh and create something from scratch will, for better or worse, change your life. Work culture contributes to our attitude, productivity and overall happiness, so the opportunity to break off from a negative work culture may be well worth the risk.

You are Your Own Boss

Risk
To some extent, it seems like everyone has visions of life without a looming superior. The chance to own your own business offers a solution to one of the most frustrating feelings in the workplace: being managed. The reason systems of accountability are so common is simple, they usually work. In order for a business to succeed, a group of capable people must push each other to get the most productivity. After a life of being managed, the foreseeable result of newfound freedom would seem to be a drop in productivity. As the leader of a start-up, the business will only go as far as you push it. If you can't get the best out of yourself, entrepreneurship may not be the right move.
Reward
Your education and experience may have led you to this moment. As your own boss, you'll have the ability to call the shots and determine the direction of your business. Without a bureaucracy to contend with, you'll have the flexibility and authority to do what makes the most sense.

Performance Pays the Rent

Risk
Even as you set out on your journey of entrepreneurship, monthly bills don't take a break. A regular paycheck enables you to budget your experiences and plan a life within your means. Without consistent compensation, you and the family become vulnerable if your business doesn't succeed as you hoped.
Reward
Unlike a typical salary position, where employers will incrementally increase compensation based on performance, your income will depend solely on the success of your product or service. If your business model is sound and you manage resources well, the reward for owning your own business can be great. As you see the results of your effort, you'll know that you're not working in vein.