What do you love about being an entrepreneur? I recently asked this question and more than 100 entrepreneurs shared with me the benefits of being a small business owner.
Many people cited freedom and creativity as a few of the many reasons they adore being entrepreneurs. The more I listened to the responses, the more I heard truly incredible reasons to love entrepreneurship. Becoming an entrepreneur allows you to solve problems, hire talent, and share existing expertise and knowledge with others. It’s also a space for discovery, growth, and continuous learning.
Being an entrepreneur may be a risk, but fortune favors the bold. And bold behavior creates a domino effect that empowers you and everyone you meet. Here is what 21 business owners love being an entrepreneur.
1. My flexible schedule.
“Being able to flex my schedule to add a last-minute trip, take a mental health day, the ability to evolve into new offerings each year, and not worrying about anyone else changing the vision for my business.
I can’t imagine any other way after three years on my own!” — Devin VonderHaar, Owner, the modern minimalist
2. Personal growth.
“What I love most about being an entrepreneur is that it continually provides me with the answers to personal questions on how I would approach life’s challenges.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, I was never certain how I would face difficult issues. So now, when faced with a challenge, I am reminded of the opportunity it has given me and continues to give me in defining myself. It reaffirms my choices and is constantly instilling the confidence that I can handle whatever comes my way.” — Cody Candee, Founder and CEO, Bounce
3. Sharing my passion with others.
“The best thing about being a small business owner is that I get to be fully committed to sharing what I’m most passionate about with others. Being a small business owner has shown me how much more you can accomplish when you are truly so passionate about something. Despite the challenges and obstacles that come with starting your own business. The journey is fun, exciting, and full of adrenaline.
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be building this business alongside my partner. We are equally passionate about sharing bits of our story as first-generation Asian-Americans with others in the form of tasty and fun drinks.” — Holly Paul, Co-Founder, MIZO Hard Seltzer
4. Doing what I believe in.
“My favorite thing about being an entrepreneur is that I get to be part of something I believe in. The services I provide are services that I love, and it’s so fulfilling to be able to bring them to those who need them.
Making a difference in others’ lives through something I care about has been an absolute joy.” — Andre Kazimierski, CEO, Improovy
5. Connecting with people.
“What I enjoy so much about being an entrepreneur is that it has put me in contact with some of the most innovative and creative minds around. It has allowed me to work in tandem with people who feed off each other’s enthusiasm. It provides me the opportunity to engage with some of the most influential and creative people in the business and entertainment world.
Being an entrepreneur has many fantastic benefits, but what I love the most are the people and experiences unlike any other.” — Woody Sears, Founder, HearHere
6. No limits.
“There are simply no limits in terms of what can be accomplished. Each day is different and filled with endless variety, ranging from daily client projects to long term goal setting to management, hiring, and new marketing initiatives.
Dreaming is doing as an entrepreneur. There’s a never-ending search for new business opportunities, which is always incredibly exciting.” — William Scott Goldman, Managing Attorney and Founder, Goldman Law Group
7. Filling a need.
“One of the major aspects that I appreciate most about being an entrepreneur and founder of a company is the assistance and knowledge I’m able to provide to not only customers, but those looking for information.
I created my business because of the lack of transparency and information available at the time of purchasing an engagement ring for my now-wife. There was a huge gap for businesses in the diamond space that offered honesty, confidence, and pricing that was reasonable and did not include a large brand-name markup. Since founding the company five years ago and the hard work of my incredible team, we’ve been able to provide hundreds of educational articles, and offer a staff full of gemologists to answer questions with educated responses on not only our own products, but any diamonds someone may reach out about.
One of my greatest accomplishments is knowing that I am helping to create a more open, honest, and confident marketplace, by giving customers the ability to research and educate themselves without having to rely on just one’s advice. Being able to offer others what I saw was missing and a need for in the space, is something I’m very proud of. I will continue to grow, and appreciate the success of my team, together.” — Ajay Anand, CEO and Founder, Rare Carat
8. Community impact.
“What I love about entrepreneurship is the community impact.
It’s a great feeling to know that you are making a positive impact on families! My books make military-connected families feel heard and seen.” — Shermaine Perry-Knights, Chief Learning Officer, Amazingly Shermaine LLC
9. Hiring talent.
“What I love about being an entrepreneur is having the ability to realize my ideas and visions. I am bringing others into that journey with me.
When I take people in, it’s not just about hiring the ones with the right qualifications. It’s about hiring people who understand my vision and feel just as passionate about seeing it come to light. What started out as a simple idea has now grown and expanded into a large group of people planning and executing it into fruition. It has made me feel like I have really created something meaningful. I am constantly thankful for the relationships I have made along the way.” — Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO, Lawn Love
10. Helping others achieve their dreams.
“I love the huge impact that our small business has on the lives of our clients. As a boutique matchmaking firm, we get to introduce our clients to the love of their life and create meaningful connections every single day.
When I get a text message or voicemail from a client saying that they are pursuing a relationship or getting married to someone we introduced them to, it is the best feeling in the world!” — Amber Lee, Co-Founder, Select Date Society
11. Always learning.
“When I hear the word entrepreneurship, the first thing that comes to mind is running a business. However, I’ve come to learn that entrepreneurship encompasses much more than just running a business.
As a CEO, I feel that one of the things I enjoy about entrepreneurship is because it is all about learning and discovering new things every day. I can promise you that there is always a lesson in entrepreneurship, whether you are losing or winning.” — Dan Belcher, Founder and CEO, Mortgage Relief
12. Giving back.
“As a business owner, I feel I have an obligation to give back to the community around me. To do so, I go above and beyond to support local athletic programs around our community. Each of these is a staple in the community around us and provides the community’s youth guidance and keeps them out of trouble.
Currently, I sponsor three local high school athletic programs, The local rodeo association, and our local BMX bike racing venue at Cactus Park in Lakeside, California. I reached out today to add a 4th high school to the list of athletic programs we support.
There is no measurable ROI that a business can be contributed to this type of community support. But it’s near and dear to our family’s heart. You decide to help where and when you can to say thank you to the community at large.” — Luke Hamel, Owner, Hamel’s Air Conditioning & Heating Inc.
13. Learning to overcome challenges.
“What I love most about entrepreneurship are the constant opportunities to learn and grow. There are always challenges to overcome and solving them gives me a real feeling of satisfaction. It’s an exciting time to be working in the virtual health care industry when this type of industry is quickly advancing.
Being an entrepreneur is a journey, and that’s what I love most about it.” — Rachel Blank, Founder and CEO, Allara
14. Choice.
“One of the reasons I love being an entrepreneur is that I get to offer services that truly make a difference. I love connecting individuals to amazing job opportunities that could potentially change their lives. I also feel a great deal of satisfaction helping other businesses identify talented workers, especially for hard to fill roles.
The best part is that I choose with whom to work, which isn’t always possible when you are employed. The ability to choose my client means I can give my very best toward ensuring that their needs are met and that they get true value for their money.” — Debbie Winkelbauer, CEO, Surf Search
15. Encouragement.
“I love entrepreneurship because it is always encouraging and allowing for evolution – what is love without growth! Business and creativity goes hand in hand, and are where I have found my passion thrives.
Although entrepreneurship has caused many ups and downs, what is worth loving that hasn’t?” — Sharon Terera, Founder and CEO, AfroLovely
16. Problem solving.
“The payments industry is constantly evolving and presenting new problems, and I love getting the opportunity to solve those problems.
I love to learn and be challenged by my peers. I often find myself fueled by brainstorming sessions and finding innovative ways to tackle fraud. There’s never a dull moment in the fast-paced and ever-changing environment of entrepreneurship.” — Monica Eaton-Cardone, Co-Founder and COO, Chargebacks911
17. Getting creative.
“I love being an entrepreneur because it allows me to be creative and innovative.
Being an entrepreneur is a constant challenge that requires me to be constantly learning and growing. It’s also gratifying to see your ideas come to life and make a difference in the world.
I get to come up with new ideas and see them through to fruition. I also enjoy the challenge of running my own business and the sense of accomplishment that comes with it. Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone, but it’s definitely a rewarding career choice.” — Randy VanderVaate, CEO and Founder, Funeral Funds of America
18. Setting my own goals.
“I love being able to set my own goals based on what I want to accomplish, whether on a daily basis or long-term. No one else is managing my day-to-day tasks. No one tells me what goals or benchmarks I need to hit for a given week, quarter, or year.
In a world out of our control in so many ways, it’s so freeing and empowering to know that I’m in control of my business goals and where I want to be in 5, 10, 20 years.” — Kate De Palma, Owner, Scented Designs
19. Propel great people and ideas into the spotlight.
“For me, the best thing about entrepreneurship is having the opportunity to propel great people and ideas into the spotlight.
For too long, I had watched incredibly talented employees at other companies not be given the platform they deserve to share their talents and insights with the world. Now, as a business leader, I am finally in a place where I can help bring attention to people who are on the cusp of changing entire industries with their diverse perspectives, hard work, and brilliant ideas.” — Joe Coletta, Founder and CEO, 180 Engineering
20. Building genuine relationships.
“I can take a more personalized approach to connect with people.
My job as a CEO is to keep us in the game. Brands that build genuine relationships with their people, customers and employees alike, tend to last longer and maximize opportunity.” — Jeffrey Zhou, Co-Founder and CEO, Fig Loans
21. Seeing a direct correlation between my work and results.
“What I love most about being an entrepreneur is seeing a direct correlation between my work or effort and the results.
Previously I worked in a big corporation. I didn’t always see the connection between my work on the overall company. Now, when I work late, work on the weekends, I see the fruits of my labor. This work translates into new features, more sign ups, and better Google search rankings. I also love that what my app does has a direct impact on people’s lives. It helps them not just find a roommate or a room, but find someone that they will actually get along with and maybe even become good friends with.” — Rany Burstein, CEO and Founder, Diggz.co
What do you love about being an entrepreneur? Leave us a comment below and let us know. Call us at 877-692-6772 or visit us at mycorporation.com to incorporate or form an LLC today.