Vast majority of Australians rely on their instincts for business success, new GoDaddy research finds
Australian entrepreneurs credit their instincts as a driving force behind their decision to start their business, according to research released today by GoDaddy, the company that empowers everyday entrepreneurs. The research sought to understand the role instincts play in launching and running a business, and found that the majority of respondents rely on their instincts daily and that they’ve had an overwhelmingly positive impact on their business success.
According to GoDaddy’s ‘Go For It’ research, 85% of surveyed Aussie entrepreneurs and business owners said that their instincts were either ‘important or very important’ in their decision to start their business. Three quarters (78%) believe that trusting their instincts has positively impacted their business, while only one per cent (1%) of respondents believe it has had a negative impact.
More than two-thirds (68%) trust their instincts to make business decisions ‘most days’, while 84% do so at least once a week. One third (31%) said they made an instinct-based decision every single day. Around half (53%) feel they’ve relied on their instincts more since the global pandemic started. Just three per cent (3%) reported that they’d used their instincts less during the pandemic - evidence to the extent to which entrepreneurs rely on instinct in testing times.
Instinct is prominent not just when tackling challenges, but pursuing growth. According to the research some of the most common decisions business owners make based on instinct are: pricing changes (reported by 30%); business strategy (30%); investments (28%); and, hiring (24%). When asked about their hiring and upskilling plans, twice as many respondents (41% vs 20%) prioritise soft skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, which can contribute to instinct, compared to hard skills like a degree or digital skills.
Tamara Oppen, Managing Director at GoDaddy Australia">, commented: “Resilience, adaptability and innovation are just some of the many characteristics associated with Australian small businesses. One of the biggest, but often overlooked traits, is instinct. While there are numerous ingredients that contribute to a successful entrepreneur, from industry skills and business acumen to diligence and planning, turning a dream into reality and a passion into a purpose ultimately requires decisiveness and a leap of faith.
“Many of us have had business ideas, but our moment of inspiration is often curbed by self-doubt. Whether it’s the decision to start a business or to overcome challenging situations, our research shows that instinct and assuredness are crucial for Australia’s entrepreneurs. The last two years have presented some of the toughest challenges entrepreneurs have ever faced, yet data from ASIC (The Australian Securities and Investments Commission) revealed that business registrations were higher than pre-pandemic levels. Empowered by instinct and driven by the pursuit of their dreams, entrepreneurial Aussies are demonstrating the power of possibility when ‘we go for it’.”
Experienced entrepreneurs more instinctive
In 2021, the so-called Yolo Economy - the social phenomena in which Gen Z and Millennials threw caution to the wind and started businesses during the pandemic - gained traction across the globe. However, the research found that not only was instinct important to all demographics, not just those the identify with the Yolo Economy sentiment, it was actually more prevalent in older entrepreneurs.
Three in four (76%) 18-24-year-olds reported starting their business based on instinct, compared with 93% of those aged 65 and over. Furthermore, a little over half (54%) of 18-24-year-olds said they relied on their instincts ‘most days’, compared to 75% of those aged 45-64.
Roxane Coutts and Corrin Elliot, co-owners of Victorian-based Barkery Deluxe Dog Treats are just two of the Australian business owners who started their business based on instinct. With a love of dogs and a desire to have more freedom and better work-life balance around their families, they built a website using GoDaddy Website Builder and haven’t looked back since.
Roxane Coutts, Co-owner of Barkery Deluxe Dog Treats, added: “Starting a business can feel like a daunting move, but it’s been one of the most rewarding and worthwhile decisions we’ve ever made. As a business owner, it’s incredibly important to plan and prepare, but there comes a stage when you just have to back yourself. Trusting our instincts has been fundamental to every major decision we’ve made in connection to our business. Running a business is such an empowering and enjoyable way to earn a living, but it wouldn’t have been possible if we hadn’t trusted our instincts in the first place.”
The research coincides with the launch of GoDaddy’s ‘Go For It’ campaign, which seeks to inspire prospective and current entrepreneurs by showing the incredible things that can be achieved if Aussies feel more confident to trust their instincts and back themselves. Featuring multi-award winning Australian stand-up and entrepreneur, Rhys Nicholson, the ‘Go For It’ campaign profiles GoDaddy Website Builder customers Roxane and Corrin, who turned a dream into a thriving business by trusting their instinct, building a website and ‘going for it’.
