It is no secret that age is not a determinant of a company’s success. However, there are still people who say to themselves that they have reached the age of entrepreneurship, and it ends up being common to hear things like “I’m from another time” or “this is for young people”, especially when we talk about online entrepreneurship.
But the truth and the side that people often don’t look at, is that experience and maturity guarantee too many positive points in the business world. There are even data stating that the best age for a person to undertake may be after 60 years old, when he is already retired and has free time, tranquility and experience to start new projects.
So, if for some reason you are discouraged or are afraid to start a business because you think you are old, you can get it out of your head. When looking at real cases of successful companies we have confirmation that age is no obstacle to anything. Then check out 5 cases of great entrepreneurs who started late and were successful.
- Henri Nestlé – Nestlé
Henri Nestlé invented milk flour at the age of 52. It all started by looking at the problems of child malnutrition faced by some Swiss families. The pharmacist created a powder mixture that complemented the children’s food, giving rise to Nestlé Milk Flour.
- John Pembenton – Coca-Cola
While testing drugs for stomach pains, the 55-year-old pharmacist discovered the world’s best-selling soft drink formula. The trademark and patent were registered in 1886 and the international expansion of the company was made by Asa Griggs Candler, an American businessman who bought the business after Pemberton’s death.
- Harland Sanders – KFC
Colonel Sanders, or Harland David Sanders, was the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants. He signed his first franchise contract in 1952, at the age of 62. His image is still used today in advertising and in the KFC logo.
- Gordon Bowker – Starbucks
At 51, writer Gordon Bowker teamed up with professors Jerry Baldwin and Zev Siegel to open the first Starbucks store in 1971. Initially, the store sold high-quality coffee beans and equipment.
- Ray Kroc – Mc Donald’s
After working as a driver and pianist, the sales representative, Ray Kroc met McDonald’s, which at the time was a small diner. Ray was impressed with the efficiency of the operation and decided to start the fast-food chain, at the age of 52. Under his command, the company took just three years to reach the mark of 100 million hamburgers sold.
One thing that can discourage entrepreneurs today is that we live in an immediate world where everything happens very quickly, and we have the habit of unconsciously thinking that everything has to be fast too, and we forget that things take time , which needs patience and persistence to start giving real results. It is like wanting to plant an orange tree and thinking that in a month it already has to bear fruit, it is not like that, you have to take care of it, water it, fertilize it and wait for it to grow, become stronger and then bear fruit. Everything has its time!
Another important point for you to build and believe in your business is to not compare yourself with others. You can and should be inspired by the successful cases to set up your company, but you should never charge yourself excessively because you have not yet reached your goals, or because it has not worked out for you or that it is small compared to the success of the other. Learn to value your small achievements, don’t give up when something goes wrong, just reformulate and continue and above all respect your growth time.