One laments, “I am sick and tired of working as an employee.  I want to stop this.  I got an idea.”  Then, that person blurts out excitingly, “I want to own a business!”  “Wow! That sounds amazing, but how? What are you going to do?” – typical lines from a lost but passionate would be entrepreneur!

While others are gung-ho about the prospect of owning a business, some will end up bouncing back to “reality,” and slap their faces with a negative attitude and say, “That’s crazy.  That is never going to happen. Who am I kidding? My husband (or wife) would not allow me to leave my job.” That mindset of staying in your comfort zone effectively kills the idea.

If your gut tells you that you have something unique to offer to the market, be it a product or service, then by all means start your creative juices flowing. Knowing that you have something solid to carry and depend on is already a major step.

Having a business of your own is truly liberating. Aside from the financial benefits, there is pride, honor and a relatively different kind of comfort in your lifestyle. I am sure some of you have fantasized about owning your own business. Imagine walking into your office feeling all inspired with a sense of freedom and power, and all, profiting, training your staff and educating your kids about the business. What a beautiful picture, is it not?

The flipside is this…successful people have been driven by their craziness.  Look at the recent success stories of dreamers who have become future billionaires!

One inspiring story worth sharing is the rags to riches story of a fellow Ilonggo Manny Villar, known by his moniker “Mr. Sipag and Tiyaga” (Mr. Hard work and Perseverance). He was born to a poor family in Moriones, Tondo and started as a shrimp vendor and his mother’s helper in the wet market.

His mother, Curita “Curing” Bamba was a seafood vendor from a poor family from Orani, Bataan.  While his father, Manuel “Maning” Villar, Sr. was a low-ranking civil servant from Cabatuan, Iloilo who worked as an inspector for the Bureau of Fisheries.

After graduating from UP Diliman, Manny worked briefly as a financial analyst. Wanting to start a business, he quit his job, borrowed P10,000 and started a business in 1975 delivering sand and gravel for construction companies. Fast forward to the present, Manny has built a total of 200,000 homes making his group the largest homebuilder in the country.

Today, Manny is worth an estimated US$3 Billion and heads a diverse property conglomerate comprising listed companies C&P Homes, Vista and Landscapes and Golden Haven. He has made his mark by being the first all-Filipino billionaire to ever made it to the Forbes’ list.

I understand, life is really hard. You are lucky to have an eight to five job in this world of fierce competition, but not so if you are just there, and not loving it. Reasons and excuses are there piling up as high as the sky that close down the door of opportunities to these “walking zombies,” literally dragging themselves to work, unhappy and feeling miserable every single day of their waking life.

And it all boils down to these – a defeatist attitude, lack of vision, lack of family support and the most dreaded obstacle, FEAR! Fear of the UNKNOWN and Fear of the “WHAT IFS!”

Apart from the fear factor, there are other issues to consider: your passion, the capital needed, and of course the business side of selling and promoting the product or service.

Eventually, your head and your heart could get affected on the downside when it comes to issues in professionalizing all activities while keeping your cash flow alive. Sounds familiar?  Yes, especially to someone who is about to embark on his or her entrepreneurial journey.

So, when you struggle to set up your own business, I find it normal and understandable.  Establishing your own business has its many complexities.  The most sensible step to do is to be fully committed and prepared. My advice is to learn and start whatever you can at the earliest possible time, and not just “as soon as possible”: Set a date and do it!

Having a business is really a life changing event. You can be free from the shackles of employment and your family would always be there to support you. Who knows, you will end up like Manny Villar, providing outstanding products and/or services to the public, serve the community, the nation and the whole world!/WDJ