Have you tired of being a cog in a giant machine that grinds away at your very soul? Maybe you are someone who has a bit of ambition and would like to start your own business. Here are a few tips on what you need to start your new career-

  • Decide if this is something you want to undertake to supplement your income or develop it into a full-time career- This will determine how you begin and the methodology with which you conduct your business.
  • What are your talents or skills- Make sure that you have a basic knowledge or skills of the business you wish to build. Don’t just think that you will hire other people to do the work. You might work for a while part or full time for another business that is similar to what you want to establish. Get to know how they do things and what are successful tactics that they use. Be careful to not go after their customers unless the customer makes the first move due to dissatisfaction with their service. This is unethical and can cause making unnecessary enemies in your industry. Even though you should be competitive, you should also be amicable since friendly alliances can allow for potential benefit in the future. It could also create potential law suits.
  • Ensure you have good resources- Money and People are essential elements if you want to turn this into a full time career. Have at least one other person that is reliable, and you can trust who can help you establish your business. They don’t necessarily have to be a partner, but you can hire them as a management assistant or skilled, dependable supervisor. Know that the first two years of your business will most likely be a struggle, so you will need money to help with your own living expenses as well as start up costs.
  • Sales- Sales are a necessary part of your business model. Few businesses can survive without it. If you desire to start your business while still working a full-time job, then you will have to figure out a way to open up your days for sales appointments.
  • Pricing- Don’t sell yourself short. Do not allow customers to take advantage of your newness and small size to negotiate a lesser price. Most of the time these customers will be a nuisance, hurt your ability to hire better workers and distract your staff from the customers who are willing to pay a fair rate. Sometimes it is better to turn down a client than to allow them to whittle away at your business’ sustainability gradually.