Every business owner has a turning point in their life or career. The point where they are nudged to take the risk of exploring the entrepreneurship world. The point where they are either praised for being successful or they share the lessons from their failure.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect time or age to start an importation business or even a business in general. No matter how long you wait for the perfect time, you may never get it because time, economy, exchange rate, politics, etc are factors that affect the business environment and these factors are ever-changing.

With these being said, it is important to note that business is a risky adventure. You can do everything right and still get surprises. This bold step may make or mar you as a business owner. 

On the flip side, the importation business is like every other business. It comes with its own risk. This is why we advise that every business owner tests their product and market first before diving fully into the importation space. 

Despite the fact that there is no perfect time to start a business, every business owner and importer have the time when they have an unsettled spirit. The time when they are restless and want to jump right in. The time when they are awake in the middle of the night visualizing their business. Today, we want to discuss 5 signs it is time to start your own business.

Of course, these signs are relative to individuals but the ones below are the general signs that most entrepreneurs see. 

1. You have a passionate business idea that you can’t stop thinking about

If you have been occupied with the inner voice, the voice that speaks to your subconscious about a business idea, and somehow, you hear it every day even before you go to sleep. It keeps you awake at night. Perhaps, it is a sign that you need to consider having your own business. But having a “big idea” is not the only ingredient you need to start an importation business. A popular adage says that “Idea is cheap, execution is hard”.

2.  You have a business capital

If you have some money to start the business idea nudging in your mind and you are pretty much excited about the journey ahead, maybe it’s time to give entrepreneurship a try. You can either do this alongside your job or take it on full time as a business. However, the best approach to do this is to make it a side hustle first and see how it turns out rather than quit your job and plunge into it without being sure of what’s ahead. This is the greatest benefit of having an importation business. It doesn’t require you to quit your job before you start. In fact, if you run it well, it can complement your salary and serve as an alternative income, until it grows big enough to need your full attention.

3.  You have a business plan

As we said, it is not enough to have a business idea because anybody can come up with a big idea but the separating factor is that a true entrepreneur must have a plan. It is highly risky to plunge into the entrepreneurship world without having a plan. A business plan would show you the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your business idea. Your business plan will also have your financial plan, business model as well as a marketing strategy. This is very important if you want to go into a profitable importation business as it is easier to go back to the drawing board for the next milestone or if something is wrong. Having a plan comes in handy as an importer.

4.  You are ready to take risks

Running a business is a big risk. There is a 50-50 chance of success. Knowing this separates the real business owners from the ones who just like the idea of being called a business owner. A real business owner is ready to take risks no matter how hard it is and even when they fail, they understand and learn from their failures rather than mop and whine about them. This understanding and ability to take risks comes from a deep level of growth and personal leadership which is essential key elements of successful business owners.

5. You want to stop needing urgent 2K

As previously said, the importation business can either be a side hustle or a full-blown business. Hence, we often advise entrepreneurs to learn from starting small before delving into it full time. If you are at that point where you think you don’t want to worry about where your next meal will come from, then the importation business might be for you. If you don’t want to wait till your salary comes before you sort urgent needs, then you need to consider importation. If you want to earn cool cash while you focus on your day job, then the importation business is for you.

The good news is that you don’t need any special regimen to start an importation business. We have written lots of articles to help you get started easily. You can also get our free resource titled “Expert Importation Guidebook” to show you everything you need to know about the importation business.

If you think you qualify as someone who has these signs and you are ready to get started, we are just a WhatsApp chat away. 

We’d be available to answer your questions and provide you with all the support you need.