Exposing The Myth of The Young Entrepreneur – 45 Is The Average Age of a Startup Founder That Is Successful

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A myriad of people who have entrepreneurship skills launch their companies at a very young age. Entrepreneurship is a new trend these days and almost everyone runs his/her own business. Take for example the co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg who launched his company in his twenties and which is now one of the most successful companies in the world and has made him a billionaire. 

There are umpteen examples like these where successful entrepreneurs have started their careers in their twenties.  This has led to a belief that if an entrepreneur does not start his or her company at a very young age then he/she might not be successful. However, this fact is far away from the actual reality. People have a tendency to form opinions on the basis of a few examples and they think that success follows a particular trend. In this case, young age is that trend. Well, the irony over here is that forty- five is the average age of entrepreneurs whose businesses are successful. This basically happens because at this age a person is mature enough to make decisions for himself without relying on external resources and therefore the chances of getting cheated are less. There is a lot of impetuousness at a young age and people tend to take decisions more emotionally than rationally. Therefore, we see that most young entrepreneurs suffer from hefty losses at a young age. Below is the list of successful entrepreneurs whose age is 45 years or more.

(1) LEO GOODWIN CO-FOUNDER OF GEICO: Leo Goodwin is the co-founder of GEICO which stands for Government Employees Insurance Company. It is basically a car insurance brand with popular advertising figures. While this man was working as an accountant in San Antonio he suddenly realized that insurance required an overhaul. He founded the company at the age of 50. The reason why he formed the company was that the companies were not dealing with the customers directly and the money went to the broker due to this. His company now has around 27k people and 14 million policyholders. He proved to the world that it is not age that matters when it comes to success and that anyone can be an entrepreneur irrespective of his/her age and therefore there is no need to give up.

(2) HARLAND DAVID SANDERS, KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN: This person did not start his business inspired by someone else’s idea. He started his business out of an aptitude for cooking. While working at a company in Corbin he became very popular for his amazing culinary skills by which he made an amazing chicken recipe. At the age of 62, he franchised his company. The name which he kept for his company was ‘Kentucky Fried Chicken’. Today KFC has above 18,800 outlets in about 118 countries.

(3) WALLY BLUME, DENALI FLAVOURS: This man started his own ice cream company in his mid-50s called Denali Flavors and invented the most renowned flavors called the Moose Tracks Flavors. Today his company generates about 80 million dollars a year. His company now has around 40 different flavors. His determination and talent made him successful even at an age when people think that they cannot work properly without the assistance of others.

(4) CAROL GARDNER, ZELDA WISDOM: This woman started her company at the age of 52 when life was playing havoc with her. She was divorced, broke, and depressed at this stage however her business was a turning point in her life. She started her greeting card company and named it after her dog called Zelda. In 2010 her company was valued at around 50 million dollars.

To sum up, my points, let me just say working that it is not a cakewalk to run a business. Every day brings with it a plethora of challenges to overcome. You see your business falling down every day and you need to calm yourself and give yourself the much-needed optimism.  I know from experience because I work as an online marketing consultant which is a competitive industry. Only then you can transfer your positivity to your team who can then work efficiently. Therefore, it is often the older and wiser people who are successful as entrepreneurs as they are better at navigating the road as compared to the young people who are still learning things. So, do not dishearten by your age as success comes to anyone who is ready for it. All it takes is a unique plan, a proper strategy, and an efficient team who can work for you.

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About the Author

Entrepreneur Lorenzo Gutierrez works in the digital media and content industry. He works on strategy all the way to content creation with brands that are looking to increase their online presence. Connect with Lorenzo on his social media accounts Twitter and Facebook.