Small businesses should not be discouraged by potential obstacles. Although there are no age limits to start a business, the ideal age is about 35 years old. Early in the career cycle individuals are generally concerned with getting an education, gaining work experience, and acquiring financial resources. In the later years the concerns are fulfilling family responsibilities, attaining senority in employment, and earning investment in a retirement program. The 30 to 40 age is where the gap appears between the early and late career concerns.
Many people start businesses in order to escape some undesirable situation.
These individuals are known as entrepreneurial refugees, which take on many different forms. The Corporate Refugee - flees the confines of the large corporate bureaucracy by going into business for themselves. The Housewife Refugee - Starts business after the children are grown, or at some other point where she can free herself from household responsibilities. Society Refugee - senses alienation from the prevailing culture and expresses it through such entrepreneurial activity. Educational Refugee - tires of academia and decided to go into business.