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Many new or soon-to-be graduates are facing a tough job market out of college or are wondering if that elusive dream job really exists. Others are carving their own path and calling their own career shots.

 

If the idea of starting your own business sounds appealing, you aren’t alone. Monster.com reports that 50 to 70 percent of students had started a business in school or hoped to start one in the future. For some, this entails operating a multimillion-dollar company. For others, the driving factor for entrepreneurship is making their communities a better place.

 

Regardless of the reason, are you one of those people with drive, passion and entrepreneurial spirit? If so, there’s probably nothing stopping you from starting your own business upon graduation. It’s time to seize the day while you are young.

 

Becoming your own boss presents challenges at any age, but here are three reasons you should enter the business world as an entrepreneur straight out of college:

 

You Don’t Have as Many Obligations

 

Young professionals usually aren’t carrying a huge load of financial or family responsibilities, which makes it easier to pursue goals.

 

“Free of these obligations, we can be more flexible, free and focused,” writes Entrepreneur contributor Andrew Medal. “This lack of responsibility can be the difference between an entrepreneur willing to take the risk, and one that is not. It can be the sole reason that a business is born, or the sole reason why a dream is bottled up and put on the shelf.”

 

There’s plenty of time to start a family, buy a house, a new car, and pay off students loans. These responsibilities usually come in due time if that’s your choice. Delaying your dream of starting a business may prevent you from pursuing it at all.

 

You Don’t Have as Much to Lose

 

Starting a business is risky, of course. However, conventional wisdom says younger people have a higher risk tolerance because if things don’t work out, there’s still time to earn more money in the decades to come. You just don’t want to overextend yourself by taking out a loan you can’t pay back or shirk the responsibility of buying business insurance to protect your small business from damages and claims.

 

If you don’t know what it’s like to have a bunch of money to begin with, going without a paycheck for a while until your business starts turning a profit isn’t perceived as much of a loss. Business models that don’t require a lot of capital tend to be more appealing to the younger crowd, too.

Many young entrepreneurs also have second and third jobs on the side to protect themselves from financial struggle.

 

Ask yourself: What is the worst thing that could happen by starting your own business? The one thing that often prevents us from chasing our dreams is a fear of failure. And if that’s the worst thing, that’s your ego talking. If you have the moxie to follow your dream, you’re ahead of many of your peers.

 

If you don’t have as much to lose as your older counterparts, your ability to rebound from pitfalls makes you able to get back up and try again. By building resilience, you’re mentally preparing for the road ahead.

 

You Have Good Energy

 

It only makes sense that someone in their 20s typically has more energy than someone much older, which certainly comes in handy during 16-hour work days. It’s hard to run a successful business if you’re worn out and tired all the time.

 

What a younger person may lack in experience can be made up for in enthusiasm and motivation. But let’s not discount the young at heart who feel the same level of passion, bring to the table more experience, and can do the same job expending less energy because they know what it takes to get the job done.

 

Primetime for successful entrepreneurship is actually in the mid 40s. “Our team analyzed the age of all business founders in the U.S. in recent years,” according to a Marketwatch article. “We found that the average age of the most successful entrepreneurs is 45 — and that founders in their 20s are the least likely to build a top firm.”

 

Steve Jobs was 52 years old when the iPhone came out. However, he worked his way up as a young founder to get to the pinnacle of his career. Everyone starts somewhere.

 

Hope, energy, and passion know no age limit, if you think about it. We all want to live with a sense of purpose. As a young entrepreneur, be prepared to work harder to prove yourself. The advantages of youth will serve you well.