Have you ever thought about becoming an entrepreneur? Maybe you have, and maybe you also decided not to because the idea was intimidating and offered an unpredictable outcome. Well, there is nothing wrong with that. You have actually reached the first two important stages of entrepreneurship by simply acknowledging your desire to enter this new realm of work and consequently acknowledging your fear. The bad news is, this desire may not go away until you leap out into the unknown. But the good news is that Binger’s “The Stages of Entrepreneurship” can help guide you through this new situation. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the remaining stages, and next time they may not seem so scary.

After the nagging of stage one and the fear of stage two settle, Binger believes you will reach stage three: coming up with excuses not to go for it. Maybe you feel that entrepreneurship is really just a way of escaping inadequacy in your current job, or maybe you feel your idea of business needs to be reshaped. Either way, you are only finding reasons not to do what you know you truly want to. Oftentimes, excuses are a way of covering up the truth. They cannot change the fact that you are restless for just that – change!

Sometimes, the next stage becomes clear because of your own doing, and other times, you have no control over it. In this stage, you will finally realize that you are seeking change. For example, a corporate resignation could leave you with the epiphany that you are not happy with your job. But you do not necessarily need someone else to lead you to this conclusion – being an entrepreneur is about being yourself and being aware of who you want to be and how you want to advance in terms of your career. Are you unhappy with your job? The answer is probably already in your mind as you read this, especially if you have considered branching out!

After saying “No” to your current situation and accepting the fact that you do want to proceed with the journey, you will hit stage five. This is where you put the puzzle pieces together and realize it is indeed okay to take the plunge into the unknown. You can breathe now, because you have just made the decision to say “Yes.” The hard part – the debating and deciding – is over.

The last and final stage, six, is where you will actually put one foot forward and commit to this new realm of entrepreneurship. This is where Binger says you will begin to attract opportunity. Give yourself a pat on the back and get ready to succeed!