Inspiration for the Downtimes (Infographic)Consider these words of encouragement on the often bumpy road of entrepreneurship.

ByCatherine Clifford•Jan 25, 2013

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If you are thinking aboutstarting your own business, you will have to be persistent in the face of challenges and failures.

Check out this infographic (below) from the startup organizationFunders and Founderswith recommendations on how to never give up on becoming a successful entrepreneur. For example, if it takes three months to field test an idea, then a 30-year-old who lives into old age has more than 200 opportunities to try out a concept for a company, Funders and Founders points out. Also, keep your expectations realistic. Even the legendary Michael Jordan missed over 300 crucial shots. Most of the time, success does not happen overnight or on the first try.

Source: Funders and Founders

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

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