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Are you too Old to be an Entrepreneur? Think Again. "He is doing amazingly well in his business. I wish I could I also do my own thing, but I'm just too old."

By Sania Gupta

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

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This is nothing new. I hear this too often. Honestly, I hate hearing this because this is far from reality. Even though the relatively young people have all the time in the world to make their business work, there is absolutely no bar on age for those wish to become an entrepreneur. Because it's not about how old you are but how much you believe in your dreams.

Amadeo Giannini (BoA) ,Gordon Bowker (Starbucks)

At the age of 61, Amadeo Giannini had the vision to find Bank of America and Gordon Bowker founded Starbucks at the age of 52.

This makes me wonder if they could do it, why can't you?

The only thing that stops you from starting your dream business and making it big is the way you think and how desperately you want it to happen. If you have the vision to make it happen and are willing to chase your dreams, it will definitely happen.

Ravinder Bhat (TPS)

Ravinder Bhan, Founder TPS Management Consultants, initially started his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 31 but he soon lost the courage to tread on his chosen path. Hence, he went back to the corporate world as a mere professional. Even though he was doing great professionally and there were fancy perks to allure him all the time, he knew his heart lay somewhere else. He was 53 when he decided to listen to the true calling of his heart and jumped on the bandwagon- he started TPS World Learning Mumbai and Dubai. Ravinder could make this happen because he never thought he was too old to start his own business.

Reed Hastings (Netflix)

For those who think, Entrepreneurship is a game only for millennials- it's time to think again. As stated by Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO- He started Netflix DVD rental at the age of 37 and first streaming in his late 40's.

For those who are still not convinced that age is no criteria in becoming an Entrepreneur, there is more to why you must never think that you're too old to be one. The studies suggest that the chances of a business to get successful enhance manifold when the age of a founder is in 40's than 20's. Thus, the average age of successful entrepreneurs is much higher than you may think.

The reasons are obvious. Older the people, more the resources and experience possessed by them. The career spent gaining experience and making contacts in the industry can help them find their niche, draft a perfect business plan and get their idea out there to turn it into a reality.

Sushant Baliwada Patnaik (LLP)

There is an important lesson, however, to be learned from the entrepreneurial journey of Sushant Baliwada Patnaik. He started his company Hiespread Solutions LLP at the age of 41 but the preparations for the journey that lay ahead of him were started much before- when he was only 35. He spent enough time accumulating sufficient funds that he could use for investment as well as personal expenses in the future. Thus, the decision to become an entrepreneur should never be based on a radical choice. Rather, it should be a well-thought and carefully drafted plan executed with a lot of attention and interest.

Sania Gupta

Freelancer

Sania Gupta is also Founder and CEO, Digital Kangaroos, an author, entrepreneur, marketer and blogger. And as a career coach at My Study Destination, she has helped thousands of students realize their dreams.
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