"I thought long & hard before starting my business but to be honest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I never thought it would be such a challenge (in a good and bad way) but I also never realized all the advantages that come along with it.For everyone, the advantages are different depending on what you do, how big you are, and who you know. Below is a fairly universal list of reasons why you should start."

1. Working on Your Time. There is no better feeling than being asked to go do something, and you don’t have to say no even if it’s in the middle of the work week. You can set your own time and make your own hours. As long as you get what is needed done (or pay someone to do it for you) you have the freedom of time.

2. Learn Discipline. When you are your own boss you are forced to learn discipline or fail. Some may see this as a negative but being that I was once undisciplined, this is a great advantage. This forces you to  become a better person in business and that flows into the rest of your life.

3. Creating Opportunities. When you are working for someone else, you do what you are told. Any ideas you may have will most likely be lost in the bureaucracy. When you work for yourself, you can make your ideas into real opportunities.

4. Opportunities Come to You. When another person or firm wants to make an idea into a reality, they don’t talk to employees. They talk to business owners who can make things happen. If you are a business owner, you are more likely to be presented with great new opportunities.

5. Creating Jobs for Others. Something that creates much pride is knowing that you are providing work for other people. They can do what they love and make a living from it partly because of others efforts.

6. Travel Opportunities. Employees never get to travel unless for business. Now, even with going to school, you can travel more since you will have a higher income and make your own hours. You also have an advantage to get work done. Even better? Vacations are no longer pleasure, they are business trips AND then they are tax deductible.

7. It’s Easier than Ever. Now, with the age of free internet sources and global reach, it is easier than ever to create and profit from a new venture. Where it once cost millions to make a company, now people can prosper from just a few thousand to start off with.

8. The Great Challenge. Love being challenged with every new project and every new day that you operate your business. It’s remarkable what comes around the corner and gives you something to achieve every day.

9. Meeting New People. You will discover that through networking and business functions,you will meet some of the most interesting people to talk to. It is a great joy to be able to chat with those who have had success and are willing to share it.

10. Connections Come in Handy. Also with networking, having a collection of people you know can really come in handy when it comes to making big things happen.

11. Better Earning Potential. Yes, some entrepreneurs lose money, but there is definitely more earning potential being the one to collect the profits than the one to collect a paycheck. More Risk? Maybe. Much more reward? Likely.

12. Doing What You Love. One of the most fulfilling parts of being an entrepreneur is doing what you really love to do. When you are your own boss, you make the rules and you decide what you are going to do. It really gives you the opportunity to do what you love with less limitations.

13. Feeling of Accomplishment. When you are in control of a company that succeeds, you will feel much more fulfilled with your accomplishment then when your success benefits someone else more than it does you.

14. Less Chance of a Burnout. The average person changes their career several times within their life because of the feeling of burn out. When you are constantly challenged in the ways that comes along with owning a business, a burnout is less likely. And if it does occur, you can always sell your venture and start fresh with money in your pocket.

15. No Boss (sort of). With the exception of consumer demand (and your board if you have one), you don’t have a boss. You have the freedom to function in the way that you work best.

16. Your Ideas are Yours. The problem working for someone else is that your ideas turn into their profit. It is a sad truth. Sometimes you will be offered stock or some other benefit (rarely) but when you are the owner, you own all the ideas and profit from them the most.

17. Getting the Respect. It may be vain but we all seek respect from peers. When you own a business, there is a respect that comes along with it. It is embedded into the title. And if you can grow the business, your respect will also grow.

18. All that Schooling. Did you really go through all those years of school to get a salary and no control over your own work life? Come on. Bring your craft to it’s fullest potential and turn it into a venture.

19. Tax Benefits. When you own a business, much more things become tax write offs. Even meals you eat while working are ways to exempt. And businesses have far better tax advantages than individuals.

20. Creating Innovation. Create new things that have never been done before. Through your business, you have the opportunity and funding to create great things.

21. Partnering with People. You have the opportunity as a business to partner with other firms and entrepreneurs to make great things happen.

22. Changing the World. People within an organization can all do their part but to truly make a difference in the world you need to take the risk and create something all it’s own. A business, as an entity is the best way to make a great change in the world.