One of the most common reasons why many would be entrepreneurs hesitate to start a business is the fear of failure.

“What if the business fails?”

It’s a scary thought, especially if you’ve given up a lot in order to jumpstart the business. The key is to prepare and have a plan of action.

The first step is to identify what’s the worst thing that can happen if the business fail. This is not being too negative, or even fatalistic (as Ayn Rand said in The Fountainhead, “You don’t start out by giving up” or something to that effect). Thinking through the worst thing could help you get a feel for the risks involved, and whether you can handle the risks if and when it happens.

Some of the worst things that could happen include:

  • Losing all your savings
  • Inability to pay off loans and losing your collateral (your house!)
  • Losing a year of your life
  • Learning that your dream business is not going to work
  • Broken relationships due to failed business partnerships or investments
  • Disappointing yourself, your family and friends




To help mitigate the risks, you can:

  • Work on jumpstarting the business while still employed. You can start the business on a part time basis (or work part time while spending most of your time starting the business). So even if the business fails, you still have your job to sustain you.
  • Get the support of your spouse. Your spouse can work and provide the steady paycheck (and even health insurance) while you focus on building the business.
  • Get the support of your family. If the business fails and you run out of money, you can go back and live with your parents. It may be a tough choice, but living with parents is a sure way to have a roof over your head if the failed business wiped out your savings.
  • Choose a business with lower risks, especially if your resources are limited. If you have poor credit and no savings, don’t start a business producing organic cleaning products that will require millons in production and marketing in order to compete in the marketplace. Start a business that you think you can handle, even if it means foregoing your dream business at the moment until you’ve built enough capital for yourself.
  • Have a fall back position. If the business don’t work out as planned, think of alternative courses of action for you. You can go back to the corporate world. You can go to school. Or you can try again, but this time avoiding the mistakes you made in your first try.
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Isabel Isidro
Isabel Isidro is the Co-founder of PowerHomeBiz.com, one of the longest-running online resources dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs start and grow home-based and small businesses. She is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Ysari Digital, a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, content strategy, and performance marketing for small and mid-sized businesses. With over two decades of experience in online business development, Isabel has launched and managed multiple successful websites, including Women Home Business, Starting Up Tips and Learning from Big Boys.Passionate about empowering others to succeed in business, Isabel combines real-world experience with a deep understanding of digital marketing, monetization strategies, and lean startup principles. A mom of three boys, avid vintage postcard collector, and frustrated scrapbooker, she brings creativity and entrepreneurial hustle to everything she does. Connect with her on Twitter Twitter or explore her work at PowerHomeBiz.com.

6 thoughts on “Starting a Business and the Fear of Failure”

  1. It’s perfectly understandable that some people are afraid of failing at a business, and naturally, I agree with the concept of being employed while jumpstarting an entrepreneurial endeavor. It can be very frightening and frustrating to have to either start a business while being unemployed, having to look for a new job, having to worry about keeping a current job, or being forced (due to various factors) to quit a current job. Luckily, I’ve found a solution that has eased my mind tremendously, and I’m certain that it will prove helpful to you as well. Usually, I’m very skeptical of all the “get-rich-quick schemes” that I see online, and there’s an ebook by Michelle Campbell called “Six Figure Yearly” that is absolutely phenomenal, clearly exceptional. You might not get rich from using this system, but clearly, it allows you to stop having to worry about startup costs for business ventures and any kind of job-related stress.

  2. It’s perfectly understandable that some people are afraid of failing at a business, and naturally, I agree with the concept of being employed while jumpstarting an entrepreneurial endeavor. It can be very frightening and frustrating to have to either start a business while being unemployed, having to look for a new job, having to worry about keeping a current job, or being forced (due to various factors) to quit a current job. Luckily, I’ve found a solution that has eased my mind tremendously, and I’m certain that it will prove helpful to you as well. Usually, I’m very skeptical of all the “get-rich-quick schemes” that I see online, and there’s an ebook by Michelle Campbell called “Six Figure Yearly” that is absolutely phenomenal, clearly exceptional. You might not get rich from using this system, but clearly, it allows you to stop having to worry about startup costs for business ventures and any kind of job-related stress.

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