Gobala Krishnan
What does it take to start your own business? To many, the thought of starting your own business may be too daunting that you give up before you even start. Let”s analyze what a typical start-up needs:
Start-up Capital
There is no secret that money talks the loudest of all. As a future entrepreneur, you may well know the fact that capital is perhaps the most essential part of setting up a business, both online and offline. Lack of start-up capital not only puts your business at a disadvantage, it also makes cash flow a serious issue. Over time, it also makes it difficult for you to expand your business.
The good side is that start-up capital in the form of small business loans are readily available at most commercial banks around your country. As long as you have a good credit rating, getting small loans should not be much of a problem. One important thing to remember here is to never borrow more than what you need to get started.
You loan amount need only cover for the basic necessities of business. Start your business small and control your finances daily, monitoring everything you spend on and trying to cut costs where ever possible. When your business cash flow starts working in your favor, you are ready to safely take out another business loan for expansion of business activities.
Business Experience
Most people are afraid to start their own business, simply because they have “no experience”. Therefore, they never get started at all, and never end up gaining that experience in the first place.
Most people are afraid to enter into a business venture because they fear failure due to lack of experience. It”s a Chicken-and-Egg story, or a Catch 22, or whatever else you can call it.
A Solid Business Plan
Any business is more likely to succeed if they have a definite plan of action to follow. Unfortunately, in reality most small business and home based businesses have no idea on developing a business plan that drives them to success. That is the reason why 70% of businesses fail within the first year. A solid plan needs to state exactly WHEN and HOW you will make money.
Before you get into business, make sure your business plan is laid out right to the very minor details. You need to know:
– Your target market
– The average cost of one product
– Your profit margin on each product
– Your expected break-even point
– Cash flow projections
To develop a business plan, you can get very valuable resources from:
http://www.bplans.com
http://www.home-business-association.com/rd/bplans/.
A Mentor System
A mentor is someone who you admire, someone in your line of work or business that is already having the success you dream of, and can teach you exactly how to achieve the same success yourself when you start your own home business. In reality however, most people could care less about your business or you. We are all selfish by nature, and who would want to impart seasoned business skills to a competitor, who will be a threat to their business. This mentor will help you in a win-win way that is mutually beneficial. Almost all business books will tell you that in order to be really successful, you MUST associate with those you are already having success, and duplicate their actions.
Starting from Scratch Vs Ready Made Business Opportunities
All these factors need to be considered when starting your own business. The absence of any one aspect can mean trouble, either when starting up, or later on as your business develops.
Considering these factors, it is no surprise that many are turning towards business opportunities and systems such as network marketing. In these systems, all the above factors are taken care of, and you can start your own business without any worries.
These systems are especially attractive if you are broke and have no business experience. You are in fact buying a proven system, which with your effort, can be turned into a thriving business.
Here”s to your success. Cheers.
