#10. Start-ups in general are risky, but my business plan is so brilliant that I’m sure I’ll be wealthy within a few years.
True or False? (Networkers are not the only entrepreneurs who harbor this secret dream.)
Sorry. Here’s why.
Tom Culley, a former McKinsey consultant who has been involved in dozens of start-ups in Brazil and the U.S., has seen countless would-be tycoons give up in frustration when they don’t achieve instant riches. “Ninety-nine times out of 100, it takes many years of grueling, gritty, sweaty work to create a profitable company,” says Culley, who’s written a wonderfully clear-eyed book, Beating the Odds in Small Business (Fireside, $24.95). “My rule is, survival first, then success – however long it takes.” He adds: “Slow ain’t sexy, but it sure beats falling on your face.”
From Fortune Small Business, June issue quiz, “Are you ready to start a business?”
Scroll about half way down.
