What to do if you are afraid to start a business

Once a friend admitted that he is afraid to start a business. He said his friend had tried, and it was a fiasco, “What if I don’t make it too?” I tried not to slip my ideas or thoughts, but he asked, “As far as I know, you’ve set up more than one company, so you’ve got experience. What would you advise me? How to behave?”

What do you think I replied?

My advice: 

Do you say you want to start a business? Are you crazy??? Don’t be a fool! Why the hell should you get into business??? Understand, building a business is risky! Did you know that over 60% of businesses have closed this year due to the coronavirus? Look around, man! The tax office cannot give you a guarantee that your business will survive, so I advise you to stop considering whether to start a business or not! Better get a job at McDonald’s. And throw your dreams into the garbage bin, like millions of other people for whom guarantees are more important than dreams! 

As you understand, my words surprised the interlocutor. But after a while, he realized what was happening. He started laughing, “No, you are kidding, Alex?”

Oh yes, when I’m asked for advice on how to avoid risk, I always suggest going out to the attic, opening the box containing unfulfilled childhood dreams, and adding any other unfulfilled dreams to them. 

Why should you take a risk? After all, everyone knows life is a complicated affair and is overwhelmed by disgusting dangers like this box:

However, it is important to understand that the 1% of people who earn 99% of the world’s money do not run away from risk. But they do it with gloves. And when it comes to entering the forest of risks, they put on rubber boots. Do you understand what I’m talking about? This means that it is not those who choose the easy path and most successful ideas but those who go to places with the greatest risk.

When it comes to the enormous risks, mention should be made of Elon Musk’s baby—SpaceX. For this baby to mature, it was necessary to invest in rocket production, not knowing if it would be able to ascend to the sky. So the first rockets failed—they exploded. Nevertheless, Elon succeeded. So I want to ask a question. Why does Elon Musk have to take risks and you don’t? Maybe you are the privileged one? Maybe your blood is blue? Why the hell does Elon have to work hard to keep his companies from going bankrupt, and why do you want an easier path? 

But enough about Elon. Let’s talk about Alex, who also takes risks.  

For example, today, I was out in the city.

Here in Monaco, a policeman approached me. 

“Hello, why are you not wearing a mask? It’s not allowed without a mask,” he told me. 

For heaven’s sake, I barely got a fine! 

And on the way home, I had to cross a pedestrian crossing. And it is risky, right? Do you know that number of walkers who were hit and killed by drivers in 2019 exceeds 6205? We’re only talking about America, and how many died worldwide? Why did my mom let me go to the streets? 

Eh…    

Not to mention the risky moments when you get into a car driven by a professional nose scraper. I call such people pseudo-drivers. I went with Bolt once. The driver asked if he could smoke. I made a mistake and let him. So he was driving all the way with one hand. He held his right hand like some Persian prince. Hrrrrr… I doubt he cared about my life when it hit the curb… I doubt that he knew that 740 people in Lithuania died because of such pseudo-drivers only in 2007. And there are about 5 million accidents in America each year. Still, people agree to use cars! 

The strangest thing is that people who avoid the word “risk” dare to drive a car and are afraid to start a serious business. 

Eh… 

Can you imagine some people dream of driving an F1 race (although they know it’s the riskiest sport (see Formula 1 death list) but are afraid to start a company because it could go bankrupt? Do you know that one of the drivers killed 83 spectators at Le Mans?

Yes, the world is a strange place where the logical deeds of people sleep sweetly, and it’s happening from the first steps of civilization…   

Therefore, I have met many cowards who avoid activities that cannot kill but are willing to do work that threatens their physical health. For example, I have met men who smoke 2 packs a day, risking their health, but are afraid to start a conversation with the person who they liked at the party… 

Do you understand what I’m about? 

Many people are aware of this, but it didn’t solve the problems, so people say, “Hmm, I’ll do some more work at McDonald’s, and then….” 

But let’s be fair. Let’s look pessimistic about creating a business. After all, it will not be hard; I’m a realist. I think starting a business is extremely risky when you want to cheat people like Aršauskas does. However, it is not risky to build an honest business that will only provide a very high-quality service that you do yourself and when all the stocks are entirely yours. For example, when I started my business, I did everything myself. I didn’t take loans; I didn’t split stocks. However, complications may arise when you share a company’s stocks. 

However, if the stocks are yours and you run a business that doesn’t need refrigerators, or you buy products ahead of time, you can maneuver. Oh yeah, in the age of dropshipping and affiliates (which is happening right now), when you don’t need to have products in your warehouse, starting and maintaining a business has become extremely easy, especially if you’ve created a small partnership that doesn’t raise taxes like a JSC. Sure, when you start a business, you always have questions about advertising (how to advertise products when you don’t have the money), but you can make some pretty solid sales by taking the time to study marketing. It all depends on moderation. If you are greedy, your decisions can cause a lot of unnecessary trouble as you try to get around the tax system and so on. But if you have good intentions, you probably won’t lose everything you have. For example, I can start a new business and grow it without any investment because I know Google Optimization and I know how to use viral marketing. Therefore, I will always have bread. And I don’t need millions, so there’s no use taking loans. I have never taken any loans, so I was never on the verge of bankruptcy, although at times, it was tough.

“Alex, dude, you’re talking nonsense; business can really ruin you, that’s why I lost it all! I had no penny left! So I have NOTHING TO EAT!” a man who somehow got a connection to the net will write this comment… I have an answer for this person: If everything were so bad for you, you wouldn’t be able to go online to post this comment! And how do you still have the strength to write a message if you haven’t eaten in three months??? 

Let’s look around, people. How is it that people who complain about tax audits and huge taxes are somehow able to pay for the internet? Somehow the ends don’t go together? 

Once I was asked for help and came to the poor family’s house. There was a massive TV on the wall in the guest room! When I came over, they were watching it… I don’t understand how you can complain about a poor life while watching TV series? 

I rarely find time for movies, and they do, so who of us lives worse?  

I realize that complaining is hundreds of times easier than working, but those who complain risk more than those who don’t pursue their goals. Why? 

Understand: If you fail to achieve your goals in old age, you will regret not having done what you wanted.  

I know, sometimes it’s hard to believe in yourself; I used to feel the same way. How do you think I solved my fear questions? “You sent it as far away as possible!” a reader will say. Yes, I once tried to send it but failed. So I changed my style. In order for you to understand the essence, I created a mini poem. Learn it!  

Once on your way, you meet fear, grumbling, 
Please don’t you dare to tread on it—  
Better help it—
Take it in your arms 
Like a small creation, shaking. 
Comfort it, calm it down, and bring it with you.
After all, fear acts as a mini chihuahua, 
Frozen, 
Attention-begging.