Do you work in a company with all the so-called benefits that entails, and yet you feel unheard, your work is unappreciated and undervalued, perhaps you were overlooked for a promotion for no good reason?
This probably means you are bored out of your mind, longing for a new challenge, perhaps feeling totally trapped and thinking there is MUST more to life than the 9-5 day. Do you regularly wish someone could set you free?
Maybe this sounds like you! If so, you may be suffering from an entrepreneurial streak! Have you often dreamed of being your own boss, but do not know where to start?
If this applies to you - how can you make it happen? It's true that you can create a life with more money, more free time, and more joy by running your own business, but what's next?
What does that mean for you?
So you have decided that you want to run your own business? What does that mean for you? Think about what it means for your lifestyle, how much time you spend and what you want to accomplish, and what exactly you want to do as a business.
Do you know. I hear from many people who have decided to run their own business or work from home, but do not know what field they want to be in! If this applies to you, do not worry - you are not alone.
Until you know what you want, you can not move on to the next step. So if you do not know what you enjoy, what skills you have, and what experience you have to show for it, think about it. What could you do with that? And do not just think about the obvious things - you do not have to just "do a job" and do what you did at your last employer.
Talk to other people about it, they will see different things than you and give you a different perspective on your thinking. If you do not have anything of your own yet, you may want to consider buying a franchise - there are many different types of businesses.
Do your research. Find out about the type of business you want to run, what's happening in the industry, where the demand is, and how you might fit in.
If you know what you want to do, you should do it right the first time. We have all read the statistics about new businesses - about 80% of them do not make it. So how can you give yourself the best chance?
How do you make it happen?
I think there are a number of things you can do to give your business the best start. In a nutshell, it's about planning, passion, people and practical things.
First, passion - will you do something you enjoy? I hope so! If you can not answer yes to this question, why would you want to do it? If you enjoy what you are doing, it will be much easier for you and you will ultimately be more successful than someone who does not.
Second, planning. This comes into play at all stages of starting and running your business and on many levels. First, you need to come up with your goals or vision for your business. Once you have a clear idea of what you want to do, you should think about what you want from your business and what you want to achieve. Everyone has their own goals and objectives, so do not worry about what others think or want. Are you looking for income, name recognition, reputation, or a combination of these and other things?
Think about how long you want to run the business and how you want to leave it when the time comes. Consider whether you want to sell the business, pass it on to your family, or simply close it down.
All of this will affect how you plan and structure your business.
"Start with the end in mind".
Third, people. If you look at any famous entrepreneur and ask yourself how they accomplished what they did, you will find that none of them did it alone. Most will cite a mentor or coach who supported them. It is a good idea to seek out such a person who can help you focus your ideas and keep your plans on track. This could be a business coach, a life coach, a professional advisor, another entrepreneur, or maybe even a friend or family member.
Think about how you can build a support network of people who can help you and with whom you can share ideas. This can be done through face-to-face meetings, by phone or online.
And once your business is up and running, you'll need to think about employees, suppliers and, of course, customers. But that's a topic for later. This is about getting you up and running.
Finally, the practical aspects. How do you get started right? Where do you get all the information about taxes, VAT, hiring employees, computer software, work location, sales, etc.?
Many people start a business without any real idea of what is involved. I do not doubt that you are an expert in your field, or you would not be thinking about starting a business - but have you ever run a business? Do you have an idea of what you need to do for taxes, financial information, and marketing? Often
Comments
Post a Comment