– As published in the Wall Street Journal  
                                                                       by United Technologies Corp, 1981 

At some level, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’re all afraid to fail. Failure can be stressful, painful, embarrassing. But if there’s one common theme I hear from those at the top, it’s how success could have never been achieved without failures along the way.

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”    
                                                                    – Henry Ford 

Jim Treliving, Chairman and owner of Boston Pizza International Inc.

So if you’re toying with starting a business, don’t look at the current economic downturn as a deterrent or excuse or reason to be afraid of failure. Instead, think of it as a golden opportunity. Because that’s what today’s successful entrepreneurs did when everyone told them how crazy their idea was, when naysayers told them “now is not the time.”

“I left a great job and pension with the RCMP to run a pizza restaurant. There are just times when entrepreneurs have to roll the dice to be successful.” 
                                                                    – Jim Treliving, Chairman, Boston Pizza  

And if you think you need more than just a pep talk, here are some real-world reasons why getting started is a great idea right now:

1.    Reduced costs. The recession has kept pricing down on practically everything – from land and equipment to loans and office space and labour. Some of the best deals are out there right now.
2.    Cooperative wheeling and dealing. The near-death of many businesses has created an incentive to play fair with partners and suppliers. Now’s the time to hatch some great deals.
3.    Takeovers. Why start from scratch if someone’s done a lot of the heavy lifting for you? Some business owners want out any cost, so think of acquiring an entire business – along with property, leases, equipment and personnel – and run it more successfully in the growth period ahead.

“The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.”                                         – Peter Drucker 

What startup stories inspire you?