I’m a twenty-something freelancer. I’ve founded my own creative communications agency, and I’ve successfully launched this blog—Good is the Enemy of Great. I’m hours away from obtaining my bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations. Writing is my passion; it’s my saving grace, and nothing makes me happier than producing communications solutions for my clients and helping them achieve their goals.

When I decided that I wanted to start my own business, I didn’t realize I’d be met with such resistance from so many people—young and old—and I thought that I was the only one going through the trials of being a young business owner.

My attitude quickly changed. While I was home for the holidays, my Dad handed me the January issue of Black Enterprise magazine and told me to read an article he bookmarked for me. The article was titled “The Next Generation” and it was a feature on people in their early teens and 20s successfully launching businesses and exceeding expectations.

After reading the feature, I realized I wasn’t alone. And there were some statistics that stood out to me:

• Generation Y (born between 1981 and 1995) is three times more likely to have started a business right out of school than their Baby Boomer counterparts, according to a survey from OPEN, a team at American Expresses dedicated to the needs of small business owners. Never in a million years did I anticipate starting my own business. It just kind of… well, happened! And after reading the article in BE, I saw other business owners had similar stories.
• The eagerness of young individuals to venture out on their own is best attributed to the generational gains in areas such as education, technology, and available capital, as well as shifts in attitude—Nearly three-quarters of Generation Y entrepreneurs (72%) say they are likely to take risks compared with just more than half of Baby Boomers (53%). As I said, I will be graduating from college soon, and I consider the Internet and my PDA necessities. I have been blessed with parents who have made financial sacrifices to put me in positions to be successful. So I understand why it’s easier for my generation to take risks because we have more resources at our disposal.
• The younger generation understands that mistakes—such as the dot-com implosion—are a part of growth, so they anticipate stumbles along the way. In addition, these younger individuals are setting their sights on being serial entrepreneurs, owning more than one business. My business isn’t even six months old and I’ve already made some silly mistakes. But I know that comes with the territory. I’m OK with making mistakes, taking risks and learning from them. I’ve always lived life on my own terms and I run my business on my own terms—and I know that I might stumble along the way. But I know that I’ll always get back up and stay at it.
• Two-thirds consider themselves tech savvy compared with less than half of Baby Boomers. Conversely, both groups agree that experience trumps tech savvy in terms of business success, with more than half of those surveyed from Generation Y believing older entrepreneurs have somewhat of an edge based on their years of experience.  There are some freelancers and business owners who have more experience than I’ve had birthdays. And I realize that although they may know the ins-and-outs of the industry, I’m enjoying the ride and the learning experiences that come with them. I’m grateful for the wonderful freelancers who are kind enough to share words of wisdom and help me as I try to find my way in this complex industry. Thank you for sharing your experiences with me!

What do you think?

If you’re a Generation Yer, can you relate to some of the statistics above? If you’re a Baby Boomer, do you think that experience beats the other advantages we youngsters have including being tech savvy, etc.? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

MJ