I've been talking to many aspiring entrepreneurs lately. The question of Why usually comes up. Why do you want to become an entrepreneur? Why do you want to give up a steady, full-time job, to enter the uncertain world of business ownership?

From the responses I get, the answers seem to boil down to these three fundamental reasons:

  • To Be Independent

    You want to be your own boss, an employer, not an employee. You don't want to work for The Man anymore. You want the flexibility to do what you want, when to do it, and how to do it.

  • To Be Wealthy

    You want to make a lot of money, to make millions. And you can't do that with your 9-to-5. You're aiming higher than financial security; you want financial comfort or financial wealth.

  • To Be Idealistic

    You want to change the world, to make a positive impact. You want to follow your dreams and do something you're passionate about. You want to truly care about what you're doing.

Each entrepreneur seems to be some combination of the three, in varying degrees.

Me, I'm mostly an idealist. I want to change the world, to fundamentally improve it. Being financially wealthy wouldn't hurt either, especially since money is necessary for the kind of change I'm envisioning. Being my own boss isn't as important, though it's the ultimate test of my decision-making abilities.

How about you? Why do you want to become an entrepreneur?