Are your personal characteristics of entrepreneurship what’s stopping you from becoming an entrepreneur? These five prolific excuses are the barriers that most would-be entrepreneurs often battle with before taking a leap into a new life changing venture.

They can appear insurmountable but with the right mindset and the right help these hurdles can disappear very rapidly. Carl Jung said ‘You are what you do. Not what you say you will do’. What will you do to become an entrepreneur? Are you making these and similar excuses your hurdle and barrier to success?

• My family is not supportive – it’s not a good time

Strong family support provides a morale boost and is an important asset in getting your venture started. However careful due diligence and planning can mitigate the biggest risks when an individual takes responsibility for their actions then remarkable things will happen.

• I want to be self-employed; I want to be an entrepreneur but I want the security of a paycheck

All entrepreneurial endeavours carry an amount of risk, and the sudden loss of a regular income is a factor that keeps many would-be entrepreneurs from taking that initial step.

Choosing to be self-employed involves an agreement with yourself to replace your regular income with other perhaps less regular means. You need to have the belief in yourself and your venture that can only be tested in the field – take the leap and reap the benefit.

• I don’t have the financial resources to become a true entrepreneur

Most people make this statement based on hunches and presumptions. Such issues only lead to missed opportunities in business and life. Most entrepreneurs in fact have the resources they need they just need to sit down and make the plan and do the calculation. Before you conclude that you don’t have the financial resources necessarily research, research and then research some more.

• I want to be an entrepreneur, but I don’t know which direction to take

If this is your only barrier then you have already overcome the majority of obstacles so why stop now? If you made the decision to become an entrepreneur then you have already made yourself aware of the risk, financial requirements and support and have probably created a plan to deal with all of those challenges.

If it’s just direction that you need then there are more than enough resources available in the business world to help you move forward rapidly with a well researched decision.

• I’m just too busy to move forward

Being busy is your choice. When we truly want to do something, we can make it happen and we can find the time. If this excuse keeps coming up then ask yourself exactly what is it you’re saying ‘no’ to. If you’re unsure what the next step should be make a list of the possibilities write the plan and move forward. As you take one step the next step will become clear and so the plan will evolve. Entrepreneurship will be within your grasp.

Picasso believed ‘action is the foundational key to all success’. Don’t let these five common prolific excuses stop you on your entrepreneurial journey before it even begins make sure that you have the right Characteristics of Entrepreneurship and get started.

Business author Andrew Stain has created an array of business tools to help you over all of these hurdles.