Am I mature enough to run my own business?

When we ask the question about maturity, it doesn’t only mean your age. There are a lot of aspects that play a part in maturity such as experience, emotional and social intelligence, sense of responsibility and sense of purpose. There is no doubt that it helps to have some experience in the workplace, and particularly in the sector in which you want to start a business. Surveys reveal that many successful businesses have been started by people in their thirties who have some management experience. The argument here is that it takes time to recognise your destiny and to build your experience and if you are older, you may be in a better position to pay for your business start-up yourself, or at least be in a better position to deal with the debt that will inevitably follow a start-up.

On the other hand, young people have some particular advantages: they have fewer domestic commitments and therefore more likely to take risks, plenty of energy, new ideas and the potential to develop and adapt to the challenges of self-employment. Those who typically succeed are in their mid-twenties with some education and experience behind them, but still at an early stage in their careers.