The uncertainty of entrepreneurship causes many entrepreneurs to put off starting their business. For others, losing a job or other economic hardships push them starting their businesses earlier than expected. In our conversations with thousands of entrepreneurs we’ve seen so much variety in when, how and why people started their business and so we wanted to share a wide variety of views and reflections on the question of whether these folks wished they had started sooner or waited longer before starting their businesses.

Duchess Simone D

There are only two things I wish were different. I wish I had learned to tap into finding my creative rhythm sooner, and I wish I was not so hard on myself for not having things figured out right away. I officially started my business in February 2015 during my final semester at Temple University. Read More>>

Noel Ransom Washington

If I could go back in time, I would have started my business sooner. I launched SigmaCertify after nearly two decades of leading large-scale enterprise transformations and teaching Lean Six Sigma and Project Management at the university level. Read More>>

Lexie Quigley

If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change the timing of my business for anything. Pink Cloud Naturals was born right when it was supposed to be, during one of the most pivotal and refining chapters of my life. I was rebuilding from addiction, loss, and a complete unraveling of who I thought I was. Read More>>

Sable Jones

If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t start iSpeak Life any sooner or later, I’d start it exactly when I did. It was God’s timing, not mine. When I created iSpeak Life, I was in a season of deep healing and rediscovery. I had walked through heartbreak, transition, motherhood, and moments where I felt unseen. Read More>>

Cedric Frazier

That’s such a great question because I’ve thought about that many times. Looking back, I don’t think I would have started my business any sooner or later—I believe it happened at the exact time it was supposed to. Every season of my life prepared me for The Cedric Frazier Experience. Read More>>

Mary Ann Garcia

If I could do it all over again, I would have started my non-profit, Raices Unidas, much sooner than six years ago. The desire to serve was always intense, yet I had no mentorship or guidance to channel that passion effectively. Read More>>

Merry Huerta

When I started MH Rentals, I was in a place in life where I was just tired of waiting on “perfect timing.” I had worked hard, helped others build their dreams, and finally decided it was time to build my own. I wanted something that gave people reliable, clean, and affordable vehicles while creating something I could be proud of right here in my community. Read More>>

Zayra Torres Colorado

I started my business when I was 20 years old, and I have no regrets. I’m so glad I took the time to really think about what I wanted to do exactly where I’m meant to be Read More>>

John (JJ) Hayden

Not at all, everything happened when it was suppose to. I started a tattoo studio of my own after professionally tattooing for 12 years. Though it took 9 months to physically get the location open, I always say it was actually 12 years in the making. In fact I never wanted to own my own studio in the beginning. Read More>>

Todd Hostetler

If I could go back, I don’t think I’d change the timing of when I started. I was figuring things out back then, splitting my time between design and music and trying to make both work without really knowing where either would lead. It was messy, but it taught me a lot about who I am and what I want to create. Read More>>

Kandra Kolour

I one hundred percent wish I had started my business sooner. I feel like I was more optimistic ,at age 18-21 I was eager for something but I didn’t have the direction. Creating things became natural for me early on in my childhood. Read More>>

JOSH MASON

Business ownership can change ones life – ditching the ‘security’ of a ‘9-5’ to pursue an actionable idea has been one the most rewarding choices of my life. Getting an earlier start with business ownership would have meant more time, money and freedom on the backend. Read More>>

Lisa Brown

I wish I would have started earlier because it does take a long time for things to come together in business . At this age I would have scaled the business by now . Read More>>

Joy Nash

I do wish I’d started looking for Voiceover and Narration work earlier. My first year in college, I had an acting teacher tell me ‘you really should look into voiceover’ and at the time, I felt she was telling me that she could see that I was talented, but she didn’t think I would work much, considering my ‘look’. Read More>>

Kate Leal

The arts have always been a part of my life in one way or another. Taking as many painting classes as I was able, sometimes repeating the same class over the years. It wasn’t until college that I was faced with a decision to pursue the arts as a career, or venture down another path and continue painting as a hobby. Read More>>

Ankana Sarkar

If I could go back in time, yes, there are moments when I feel I should have started my creative career sooner. I’m in my early 30s now, and sometimes I think — maybe if I had started earlier, I would’ve been further along by now. Read More>>

Francisco Hernandez

I actually started my painting career in my late 40s, which some might consider a bit late to dive into the art world, but honestly, I believe it was the perfect timing for me. Before that, I had a long career as an engineer — a field that taught me structure, precision, and how to approach problems creatively but systematically. Read More>>