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Small Business Owners Aim at Freedom and Flexibility, Focus Four Survey Says

SB Informer
Tuesday, July 18, 2006; 02:45 AM

A recent survey done for nationally known business coaching firm, Focus Four, show that small business owners overwhelmingly start their businesses so they will have freedom and flexibility.

Owners wanted to start their own business in order to have freedom and flexibility (47.2 percent), while non-owners say it would be to pursue their passion (45.2 percent). The single biggest hurdle to starting a business was adequate start-up capital, according to non-owners (38.7 percent), while owners said the primary hurdle was actually making sales (27.8 percent).

“It’s interesting to me that the people who actually start a business want more control over their lives, so they can have freedom and flexibility. But what do they give up as soon as they start a business? You guessed it: control, freedom and flexibility,” says Brent Dees, Focus Four business coach.

Nearly 90 percent of business owners agreed that providing good customer service was one of the top three factors for business success. Non-owners agreed it was one of the top factors but by a smaller margin (61.3 percent). Marketing and exploiting opportunities were the other top two factors among both groups.

Additionally, this survey found that business owners are much more likely to be over 35, married, have an advanced college degree and have children than the non-owners. Also, a higher percentage of owners – 42.1 percent – are female, while 30.3 percent of the non-owners are female.

Focus Four (www.focusfour.com) is a three-year executive coaching system based upon the methods of Andrew Carnegie that helped make him, and the people around him, millionaires. The approach was developed by Richard “Dick” Zalack to help successful business owners and entrepreneurs develop a strategic plan for life that enables them to achieve a higher level of balance, focus and goal accomplishment.