| Even if you're not a born entrepreneur, at some point | | | | demand for your product or service. |
| in your life you've probably toyed with the idea of | | | | 2. Create a business plan. A business plan is both your |
| starting your own business. Perhaps you've even | | | | vision for your business and your roadmap to achieve |
| opted out of your mainstream career to strike out on | | | | your goals. It must include defining your product or |
| your own. If you have, you're among the legions of | | | | service, identifying your competitors and differentiating |
| men and women who have made the choice to start | | | | yourself from them, and pinpointing funding and financial |
| their own businesses. | | | | opportunities. |
| Unfortunately, many dreams of self-employment turn | | | | 3. Lay the groundwork. Businesses aren't built in a day, |
| into nightmares, primarily because many of those who | | | | and you have to go through the mundane tasks of |
| start businesses don't know how to critically assess | | | | setting up bank accounts, securing business licenses, |
| business opportunities, how to create a business plan, | | | | and jumping through the necessary regulatory hoops. |
| how to read a financial report, or how to design and | | | | 4. Create a marketing plan. Whether or not your |
| implement a marketing plan. Truly, the difference | | | | business includes e-commerce, you can be sure that |
| between those who succeed and those who fail most | | | | the Internet will play a major role in marketing your |
| often boils down to whether or not the person has | | | | new business. But there are many other ways of |
| acquired the knowledge necessary to launch and | | | | garnering low cost or free advertising and marketing, |
| operate a business. | | | | and you need to make it your business to learn about |
| What most aspiring entrepreneurs don't realize is that | | | | them. You must also identify your target market and |
| the skill set necessary to start a business isn't out of | | | | come up with a strategy to bring your product or |
| reach. It's simply a matter of finding the right tools and | | | | service to that market. |
| using them to your best advantage. These tools can | | | | 5. Pay attention to the details. Many businesses fail |
| be found in books, through online college courses, | | | | because of a lack of attention to details - whether that |
| through training, or through the mentorship of a | | | | means sloppy accounting practices, poor inventory |
| successful businessperson. | | | | control, or missing the deadline for a funding source. |
| In a nutshell, these are the steps you need to take in | | | | Launching a business is a balancing act, and you and |
| order to change your career and change your life | | | | your team must walk the high wire with aplomb. |
| through starting your own business: | | | | 6. Acknowledge and dismiss fear. Fear is what often |
| 1. Identify and build on your strengths. If you are a | | | | holds us back from achieving our dreams. There's no |
| creative person who thrives on the unexpected, | | | | doubt that leaving your career to start your own |
| starting a bookkeeping business that requires endless | | | | business is a downright frightening proposition. But with |
| hours of number crunching is a recipe for disaster. You | | | | the right tools, you can acknowledge your fears for |
| need to assess your talents and interests, and then | | | | what they are, and then boldly move forward on your |
| discover how you can use them to create a niche and | | | | new career path of self-employment. |