Many individuals have a dream of starting their own business. I wanted to put together a list of tips for those of you who want to pursue this route to success. I am not an expert by any means but I do own my own small business so I have learned a few things along the way that could help guide you.
Set up
To start a business you first need to file the proper paperwork. You will need to register a Business name. In addition, there are various paperwork requirements depending on the legal structure you chose to operate as (i.e. partnership, LLC, corporation, etc.). A tax ID number will need to be obtained as well.
Structure
To be clear on your goals and how your business will operate, it is important to set up and create a business plan and brand. By coming up with this, it is a clear path for which you want your business to take. It is easier to be successful when you have a roadmap for which you are to follow. It helps you make business decisions along the way.
It is also important to come up with processes and procedures on how you want things done. The key to a successful business is organization and efficiency.
Staff
I can not stress enough how important it is to have the proper staff for your business. You can not do this alone. Your business will fail if you do not have the right people. From the start, it is important to look at your business as a whole and realize the parts and responsibilities that you can not handle and need help with. Every person who starts a business is good at one thing but can not be good at everything. A person who is good with computers and wants to start up a computer repair business may not be a good salesperson. A contractor who is good at building may not be a good accountant. There are various parts of a business that need to be covered so it is key to outsource!
Support
It is comforting to know that you are not alone. There are many small businesses out there and a lot of people willing to mentor and help.
There is a lot of help out there, including free resources to help you run your small business. These include Government websites , advice sites such as Startups.co.uk and Entrepreneur.com to name a few; and then there are people such as Trevor McClintock who writes great blog posts that offer people in the workplace environment some guidance. Blogs like this provide you with key advice on such topics as how to manage your employees and how to be an excellent leader.
Hopefully these quick tips encourage you to begin the process of taking the leap to starting your own small business.