| Redundancy, family commitments, independence, these | | | | some room to flourish. |
| are some of the reasons some people choose to | | | | Start off Part-time |
| explore the possibility of starting their own business. | | | | The best way to start off is on a part-time basis. Do |
| Personality Check | | | | not quit your day job to try out a new venture if you |
| Before you decide to start a new venture, analyse | | | | are unsure or want to hold onto some certainty in your |
| your personality and carry out a reality check on | | | | life. Try juggling the two and see if your new venture |
| yourself. If you are an employee, what are your | | | | has the potential to grow. There is a new trend of |
| strengths that are mentioned the most and what | | | | business entrepreneurs called "the 5 to 9ners". These |
| weaknesses are you told to work on? Family and | | | | are individuals who maintain a day job and work on |
| friends can also help identify your strong points. | | | | their own business after work hours. |
| If you are a disciplined person who arrives at work on | | | | This is a great way to start off but you must exercise |
| time, carry out tasks within deadlines, has good | | | | a lot of disciplined to make it work. You should create |
| interpersonal skills, commit to tasks and also has a | | | | a daily routine for yourself to be able to carry out your |
| determination to succeed. You probably have the | | | | normal tasks alongside your new business role. You |
| discipline required to work for yourself and run your | | | | must have a to-do-list that you follow religiously on a |
| own business. | | | | daily basis. This should include your work/life schedule |
| Identify your Passion | | | | and time you dedicate to building and promoting your |
| To determine what kind of business you can do, you | | | | new venture. |
| need to identify your passion - this being what you | | | | Get Help |
| love to do. Do you love cooking or are you passionate | | | | There are various organisations that can help you start |
| about personal finance, fashion or computers? When | | | | off your own business, such as business link networks, |
| thinking of starting a business, it is always best to | | | | high street banks etc. If you have a viable business |
| follow your passion as you tend to put more energy | | | | idea and you are unsure of starting out on your own, |
| into what you love to do. | | | | visit one of these organisations for a sound evaluation |
| A lot of people stay in dead-end jobs for years whilst | | | | of your business concept. |
| they endure the pain of seeing other people succeed | | | | So if you have a business idea that you think can |
| in the things they love to do. Rather than sit on the | | | | provide a solution to a problem or meet a need. |
| fence and watch life pass you by, you might need to | | | | Waste no more time thinking about it, get going and |
| step out of your comfort zone and give your passion | | | | make it work. |