-- endangered species: the young entrepreneur...

[ron l edmiston]

--- "persons under the age of 30 who own private businesses has reached a 24-year-low..," according to data from the wsj..
3.6% today compared to 10.6% in 1989 & 6.1% in 2010..

on my way in from saturday morning ride, stopped at local star-bucks for usual 3 shot nf dry cap..
the above jumped out at me as i read, relative to American as well as global business in the future..

what about the Handcrafted Bicycle Builder??
becoming a hobby or second profession..
the lack of/or need of apprenticeship.., trench time..
will the HBB, as we know them today, be able to survive/wade it-wait it out/ in today's market/client demand & price point relative to perceived value..?
where does it go from here & what is the future?

like to here from those "smoked' out.." will help me with my learning curve relative to where you started your race and how you podium-ed..

ronnie with a respectful smile

[nash]

From the perspective of a person just past the age of 30... biggest obstacles... student loans taking away cash for supplies, tools, formal schooling, etc. also demands constant full time work which takes away free time for development, apprenticeship, etc.

Risk aversion is pretty high for those living with narrow margins and dire consequences for failure. Owning a small business... what it takes to start, the failure rate, and the demands of life (cost of living/debt). Working for someone else will actually give me a living wage.

Just my 2 cents.

[vertical_doug]

Endangered Species: Young U.S. Entrepreneurs - WSJ

Might as well post a link to the article

[joosttx]

Yep. God Bless University bureaucrat salaries and student loans. It's hard to take a chance when you owe a lender 100k at 22. Glad this issue is getting some exposure.

[nahtnoj]

I read the comments. As the kids say, so much face palm.

I'm not under 30, but close. And I own a substantial stake in a small business.

The things these stupid old men are ranting about - immigration, Obama, regulations - please. My biggest fear is the power of the status quo that they represent.

[mg2ride]

--- stopped at local star-bucks for usual 3 shot nf dry cap..

And yet we wonder why small buisnesses are fewer and further between

[ron l edmiston]

And yet we wonder why small buisnesses are fewer and further between

----------------------------------------

-- have you been to winter haven??
have you, or can you find me a small business serving espresso in winter haven that is anything other than rat-piss?
(atmho)

& show me a business that pays dental, medical and education expenses for part time employees..

by the way, the computer i am writing this on was built up by a local small shop, tammy's too..

ronnie with a respectful smile for your reply

[doomridesout]

So who wants to capitalize my ambiguous, social media enabled, not sure what I sell business? You have 2.5 years until I leave this demographic...

If no one pipes up I think I'll just spiral into the enormous toilet for the young, intelligent, and aimless that is law school...

Oof, that self-deprecation hurt a bit.

[ron l edmiston]

hey.., you can always pull-off a h schultz & purchase a "1 shop small business" coffee house, like seattle washington and create a "star-bucks law school coffee house.." -- keep'n bright-eyed & tail-bushed for those long study nights..

ronnie with a smile wait'n 2.5 years for ya

[chasea]

Good friend of mine bit the bullet and opened his business at 26. They've been going for a few years and doing well.

Too bad it's a bike shop. He must love living on the poverty line.

[Philster]

All the things that have been mentioned are tough on young folks, but you have to put the numbers in perspective. In recent years (2010 to 2014) the portion of 20-somethings owning businesses HAS FALLEN BY ALMOST HALF. Well, actually, it used to be 6 in 100 and now is 3+ in 100. 25 years ago it was 10+ in 100. Fact is, we don't know what caused this. Did they start these businesses or get a piece from their parents those many years ago?

Sometimes having nothing to lose helps, but, generally, you are either an entrepreneur or you are not. If you are waiting for the stars to align (no student debt, whatever) you are not.

[ron l edmiston]

--- so much has changed from decades back, but i still believe in my heart, those that put in the trench hours, fail to succeed from the first, are willing spend/live on meager earnings prior to taking on mega responsibilities & pay attention to the star alignment ---- can and will be successful, first within the inner self & then to the rest of their ----

being raised on the farm, ronnie lacked the courage/desire to succeed in that life style.. i picked the "guaranteed security from the womb-to-the-tomb.." corporate monopoly board.. so many times i had to return to start, but i made it to the bank..
i will always admire and hold the highest respect/regard for those one individual businesses/persons that "enter as an apprentice & become a/the master of the craft.."

ronnie with a smile and a belief that a nice guy can & does come in first..

[nash]

All the things that have been mentioned are tough on young folks, but you have to put the numbers in perspective. In recent years (2010 to 2014) the portion of 20-somethings owning businesses HAS FALLEN BY ALMOST HALF. Well, actually, it used to be 6 in 100 and now is 3+ in 100. 25 years ago it was 10+ in 100. Fact is, we don't know what caused this. Did they start these businesses or get a piece from their parents those many years ago?

Sometimes having nothing to lose helps, but, generally, you are either an entrepreneur or you are not. If you are waiting for the stars to align (no student debt, whatever) you are not.

Does this mean there are simply fewer entrepreneurs now than before? Just fewer born?

[ron l edmiston]

Does this mean there are simply fewer entrepreneurs now than before? Just fewer born?

--------------------------------------------

per the WSJ article, the human aging process & with fewer having the ability or willing to take the risk or spend the trench time required..

ronnie

[quickag]

I can't do it because there is no safety net. If I felt like I could jump right back into a job if my business/startup failed, I would be happy to do it. Hell, I'm afraid to move to another job on the off chance something goes wrong. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.

[abbeyQ]

From the perspective of a person just past the age of 30... biggest obstacles... student loans taking away cash for supplies, tools, formal schooling, etc. also demands constant full time work which takes away free time for development, apprenticeship, etc.

Risk aversion is pretty high for those living with narrow margins and dire consequences for failure. Owning a small business... what it takes to start, the failure rate, and the demands of life (cost of living/debt). Working for someone else will actually give me a living wage.

Just my 2 cents.

Well if you know you want to be a frame builder, why would you go to college anyway?

I went into business before 30, more because I had no other options than I really wanted to. I could have left it at the drop of the hat, until a friend pushed me into the tool making business. 3 years in and I finally understand what 'terps' get all fired up about.

I can't do it because there is no safety net. If I felt like I could jump right back into a job if my business/startup failed, I would be happy to do it. Hell, I'm afraid to move to another job on the off chance something goes wrong. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.

Can't never manages to do anything. Failure happens, people recover, find new jobs and start new lives.

[joosttx]

Funny I am of the generation of Texans who saw in their teenage years their Fathers get their asses handed to them during the S&L crisis. As a result I think, I am the only one except one other, who have a corporate job. The rest of my high school friends are entrepreneurs. I always reckon we all saw our fathers destroyed by the corporate machine as we were becoming men therefore chose never to be a part of that.

[vertical_doug]

I will guess there is decline in entrepreneurs in all ages. It may be a societal shift as the U.S. mirrors Europe with more regulations and more established businesses are rent-seeking. Some of it may also be just a decline in Construction jobs too. . .

[nash]

Well if you know you want to be a frame builder, why would you go to college anyway?

I went into business before 30, more because I had no other options than I really wanted to. I could have left it at the drop of the hat, until a friend pushed me into the tool making business. 3 years in and I finally understand what 'terps' get all fired up about.



Can't never manages to do anything. Failure happens, people recover, find new jobs and start new lives.

Well... that is a complicated question. Lots of 18 yr old kids don't know what they want to do and are pushed into going to college nowadays. And then once its over, well... thats when the fun begins.

How many of the framebuilders here knew they wanted to be framebuilders before college age? I know many many people my age who went to college and don't use their degrees. It was 'the thing to do.' And we all have debt. So it's tricky. Hopefully folks will start to think more about debt and college and careers when they send their littles off.

Plus, you know, 18 yr olds are generally pretty clueless and make a lot of mistakes.

[mg2ride]

And yet we wonder why small buisnesses are fewer and further between

----------------------------------------

-- have you been to winter haven??
have you, or can you find me a small business serving espresso in winter haven that is anything other than rat-piss?
(atmho)

& show me a business that pays dental, medical and education expenses for part time employees..

by the way, the computer i am writing this on was built up by a local small shop, tammy's too..

ronnie with a respectful smile for your reply

My reply was not meant as a dig at you. Hell, I went to Star Bucks today too. It's great.

It's just the reality that is the free market. Small buisnesses struggle against the Star Bucks and Walmarts. Even the service industry is being taken over by the Home Depots and Price clubs.

The world is changing and in America it's mostly for the good.