Everyone has recognized the benefits of starting a business. The advantage of time flexibility and control over your destiny is a major draw. Creating your own business can take some planning, though.
So you thought that being your boss is easy? You have an excellent idea, put in the capital you can afford, get a few knowledgeable people, then go full speed ahead to the bank? Not quite. Running a business – much more a successful one – takes time and effort, skill and patience. So how do you do it? There are no fail-proof pointers, but there are a few tips you can use.
What do you want to achieve? It would be pointless to start a journey without knowing where you want to go. Same with a business. Do you want to work in your own time? Do you require to make control of your talents? Or do you want to make lots of money? Knowing and defining what you want gives you a sense of purpose – a direction as to how to run your business.
Identify your market and your competition. Sometimes, you plunge head-on into a business without knowing who your competitors are, and what they’re doing to get an edge over your business. Research, then think of a response Better yet, formulate ways of counter-attacking your competitions’ tactics. Also, another good technique is asking your target market about what they want and wish to get from a product or service – instead of you whacking your brains out to think of ways to please your potential clients.
Review and then re-work. A lot of businesses fail because owners don’t take the time to review and see if their businesses are doing well. If it isn’t, then identify the areas where improvement or reworking is necessary – then start acting. Complacency and overconfidence are some of the evils of running a business.
Get help.
Whoever said that one sole person is capable of running a big booming business must be in denial. You cannot expect to cover all the bases if you are the lone employee in your company. You cannot be a jack of all trades – an accountant, bookkeeper, auditor, messenger, publicity person – and be thorough at the same time. Seek for help from the experts. You don’t need to hire the hotshots, but you need people to help you make time to attend actually to run the company.
Learn to distinguish company time from personal time. To be happy at work, your personal life must be happy, too. Attend to the needs of your family. Go out occasionally with friends. Who knows, they may turn out to be your best customers, or they may be able to refer you to their friends, as well. Don’t discount the power of socialization – it will help you to make more sound decisions in your business.
Lastly, believe in yourself. If you have a defeatist attitude, do you think your business will do well? Believe that you can do it… because with a positive attitude, problems and challenges are easier to solve, and success and fulfillment are easier to achieve.
