Article Categories
» Arts & Entertainment
» Automotive
» Business
» Careers & Jobs
» Education & Reference
» Finance
» Food & Drink
» Health & Fitness
» Home & Family
» Internet & Online Businesses
» Miscellaneous
» Self Improvement
» Shopping
» Society & News
» Sports & Recreation
» Technology
» Travel & Leisure
» Writing & Speaking

  Listed Article

  Category: Articles » Business » Article
 

The Do's and Don'ts of Starting a Business




By Bill Albright

Starting a business is not complicated if you are aware of what to do, and more importantly, what to avoid. It is my hope that these two lists will work together and serve as a solid guideline when you start your own business, no matter what industry you're in.

Top 10 DO's of Starting a Business

In the planning stages of any new business, optimism usually gives the new business owner plenty of drive, but it can be very easy to become misdirected. This top 10 list was developed for business owners to stay on course and maintain proper direction in the beginning stages. Every business is a little different, however, so you may need to make a slight modification to these Top 10 DO'S of Starting a Business when you apply them to your own business model.

1. Live frugally and begin saving up money to put into your own business.
2. Learn how to start your intended type of business by working for someone else in the same line of business first.
3. Consider the benefits of starting a business on the side of your main-paying job first, such as after hours, so you can still eat and pay rent while learning how to be successful in your business.
4. Consider the advantages of starting a family business. (24/7 help, cheap labor, employee trust, etc...)
5. Objectively measure your skills and training against potential competition before your start your own business.
6. If you're starting a business manufacturing a product, consider subcontracting to low-cost suppliers. (China can make anything for less money than you can.)
7. Test market your product or service before putting any substantial money into the business, even when just expanding.
8. Make your own "pros" and "cons" list, describing all the positive and negative changes to you and to your bottom line, including everything you can think of related to the specific business you are considering starting.
9. Talk to lots of people in your intended industry for advice before starting a business. -Sometimes sub-suppliers to your industry have good advice, too.
10. Make a serious comparative analysis of all opportunities you are considering.

Top 10 DON'Ts of Starting a Business

Like the list above, the following are suggestions to consider when starting any type of business. They are designed to work hand-in-hand with the first list so that you can avoid the most common pitfalls of starting a new business.

1. Don't think about leaving your job until you have started to see some monetary results and fully completed your full start-up plans for the new business.
2. Don't consider starting a business in a field you do not enjoy.
3. Don't risk all of your assets. Limit your liabilities to a predetermined amount when starting a business. It can be a percentage of your worth of a dollar amount, but the point is to pick it from the start and to never cross that line.
4. Don't compete with your employer when you start your own business, especially when moonlighting!
5. Don't be in too much of a hurry to get your business started. When learning how to start most any business, there are no real penalties for missed opportunity.
6. Don't start a business that involves too high a risk, or has to major a hurdle. Take on ten 2-foot hurdles, never one 20-foot hurdle!
7. Never start a business in which you must have the lowest price to succeed, established competition can always under-price once it's in their best interest.
8. Don't be afraid to learn about the negative aspects of your intended business when you are first learning how to start it. You can't start a business with blinders on.
9. Don't let your entrepreneur self-confidence outweigh careful due diligence.
10. Don't let the promise of a conceptual high reward deter reality testing. You can never guess what people will actually pay for anything until they do so.


 
 
About the Author
Bill Albright is a consultant to several fortune 500 businesses in Chicago & Seattle. His personal website offers timely, free advice to businesses that are starting up and can't afford his standard fee. It's kept at: http://www.how-to-start-a-business.info

Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/38567.html
 
If you wish to add the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/38567.html" as shown above and make it hyperlinked.



  
  Recent Articles
Record Management
by Ismael D. Tabije

Treasure Hunts
by John Tarr

What to Look for in Choosing IP Surveillance Software
by amit

Giving Your Business a Vision Others Can Envision
by Yvonne Weld

Productivity and Production Management
by Ismael D. Tabije

FDA Registration of Food Facilities
by Russell K. Statman

Why Businesses Today Fail - Part 1 Customer Service
by Jeffrey Solochek

Utilizing a Virtual Assistant is Just Good Business Sense
by Yvonne Weld

The Quest For An Auto Dealer
by Ashley Daniels

The Importance of Coaching
by Ashley Daniels

Finding The Right Business Investment
by Jason Sands

Commercial Flooring NY gives your office a professional look
by Stephen robins

Commercial Carpet Tiles are preferred by numerous professionals
by Stephen robins

Use Your Web Traffic Statistics
by Ray Herold

The Challenging and Rewarding Career of an Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)
by PrepMasters

Creating a mini Lead Generation System in Less than 24 Hours
by Dan Cavalli

Marketing Your Business Opportunity Online - How Do I Adapt To the Internet?
by Chad William Hershey

Removal Company UK
by jumphigher

Can't connect to database