Where does the belief come from that you need a lot of money to start a business?
The idea that starting a business requires a large capital investment is a persistent myth, especially in traditional economies. While some industries do require significant funding, many successful businesses start lean.
Origins of this myth:
Traditional business models: Historically, starting factories, stores, or production units required substantial infrastructure and investment.
Visible success stories: People often notice businesses after they’ve received major funding, not during their initial bootstrapped phase.
Bank-centric thinking: Older generations associated business with loans, physical assets, and property-based collateral.
Why this myth is no longer accurate:
Digital platforms: Technology has dramatically lowered entry barriers. Online businesses, dropshipping, content creation, and freelancing need minimal investment.
Lean startup model: This methodology promotes testing ideas with minimal viable products (MVPs) and iterating based on feedback before scaling up.
Access to low-cost tools: Marketing, project management, and customer service can now be handled via affordable or free SaaS tools.
The truth:
Many businesses need creativity, not capital, to begin.
Focus should be on market need, customer validation, and sustainable operations—not only investment.
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