Our Entrepreneurs special proves why starting a business is always worth the risk

Why would you want to start your own business? Being an entrepreneur has a certain allure; it certainly makes for a better introduction when you meet someone at a party. But the sweat and stress that come with this job title should not be underestimated.

At the start-up stage, there’s money at stake (and often funds contributed by friends and family who wouldn’t mind seeing it come back to them one day). In the up-and-running years, questions about stamina arise: can you really keep working seven days a week? Then, when you hit your stride, there are additional anxieties to contend with. How can you continue growing at pace? Should you bring in investors – or even sell?

But, every year, hundreds of Monocle readers decide that it’s time to say farewell to the corporate life, give up on salary security and do their own thing. Though I imagine that most of them would like to make enough money to lead a comfortable life, for many there are other important factors to consider: a sense of freedom, doing something that they are genuinely passionate about and taking a chance.

And these are the ideas, the draws, that we unpack and investigate over the following pages. This is a magazine for entrepreneurs at every stage of the self-driven adventure. Across its pages, it offers encouragement, advice and some amusing asides.

One idea that becomes apparent is that you don’t have to come up with a crazy new idea to succeed. Often finessing something that already exists is the way to go – so don’t hold back while you search for that elusive gap in the market. In this issue, you will meet the switched-on team that has revitalised an old East German lighting brand and the crafty folks who are continuing centuries-old trades with the support of guilds.

There are also plenty of modern innovators who we would like to introduce you to, from a maker of tiles in Shanghai who uses recycled plates and pottery to the business exploring how co-working and homes for seniors can create a powerful union in Hamburg. There’s much to discover.

Then there’s the question of where you should run your business from, the places that will foster an entrepreneurial flair. We’ll take you on a tour of two Spanish outposts that are attracting design-minded start-ups: Galicia and Valencia. We walk you around a Jakarta market that has become a hothouse for generating new brands in Indonesia and more places besides.

Every entrepreneur needs to start their journey somewhere. Perhaps yours will begin after you finish reading this copy of The Entrepreneurs. Your business won’t be easy but it will be worthwhile. And it will be yours.

For more on starting up and running a company, ensure that you listen to Monocle’s weekly podcast, The Entrepreneurs.