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What's the best time for starting a business?

By Susan Ward, About.com

Question: What's the best time for starting a business?
Answer:

Starting a business is similar to starting a relationship; the best time to start a business is when you have the time to devote your attention to it.

This isn’t to say that there's anything wrong with starting a part-time business or starting a business when you are still working at a job. People have different energy levels and different capabilities. It’s just to say that to give yourself the best shot at starting a business, you have to be able to focus on it.

So it’s the wrong time for starting a business if you are already experiencing a lot of turmoil or stress in your life. (Starting a business will be stressful in itself, even if everything goes smoothly.) If you are in the process of getting a divorce, have just lost your job, or are moving, for instance, it’s wise to put off starting a business until your life is once again on a more even keel.

The best time for starting a business has nothing to do with how old you are; it’s a matter of where you are in your life and whether you’re ready and able to face new challenges.

Think you’re ready for starting a business but are concerned about whether or not you have the “right” traits and attitudes to be an entrepreneur? Take the Are You Ready to Start a Business? Quiz to find out.

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