First Steps to Starting Your Own Businesses
A home computer business idea, a restaurant, a boutique?
Now is the time to dream, to challenge the dream and make it even more compelling. First steps are at the same time simple and immensely powerful. The basis of goal-oriented planning is to create the empowering vision first, as if it was already accomplished. Then, it is simply a matter of “recalling” the steps you took to get there. This phase is about seeing clearly where we wish to be “then”, and where we are “now”. Let's get cracking.
1. Action: Write down your basic business idea in as much detail as you feel you can.
Questions:
How will you start envisioning your business?
What level of detail will get you started enthusiastically?
Background:
It has been proven time and again that those who write down, not just have in mind, but actually write their goals are much more likely to succeed. That makes sense, because the biggest block to creativity is never getting started. Writing something down is the first step to starting your own business. It gives you something very real to aim for.
Your first steps to starting your own business are the best ones. They are coming directly from your heart, from your passion. Now is the time to dream, now is the time to create your business on paper. No need to dig through details, no need to limit your self. Answer these questions, and paint the picture that resonates with your whole being.
2. Action: Plan to understand the basics of running your own business.
Questions:
How will you know the skills you need to run a business?
How will you get an objective evaluation of your preparedness?
How will you use this information?
Background:
Passion is great, and skills are what make the passion work. Creative people, for example, need to understand the skills of business in order to make a living. I know of a musician who spent years recording a superb album, but had no idea how to sell it. The first steps to starting your own business must include knowing how businesses work.
You can't expect to go get a business degree if you want to open up a business in a few weeks or months. What you can do is find out resources for the information you will need. There are business counseling services, there are professionals who can guide you, there are instructional books, there are friends and family with the experience you need, and there are basic business courses available. Find what works for you.
3. Action: Brainstorm for business ideas.
Questions:
What will you do to get other brilliant ideas to choose from?
How will you decide what is the best one?
Background:
Brainstorming is the technique used by the most successful people. The brain is a muscle, and needs to be warmed up and stimulated. By opening the floodgates and letting every idea out without editing or censoring, your creative juices will fuel many brilliant ideas. It's much easier to choose one great idea out of five or six than it is to come up with one on the first go.
In the creative world, it is the rewriting and revising that takes a mediocre creation and makes it into a classic. When you start with a page of dozens of business ideas, you will see how many new possibilities there are.
4. Action: Plan for and get accurate feedback on your plan.
Questions:
How will you find the best mentors and advisers?
How will you get the valuable information you need from them?
Background:
Your friends and relatives love you. That's good, but not always what you need when starting a business. Let's say you have a home computer business idea. Your friends and relatives may not understand how business on the Internet differs from business in a brick and mortar store. Alternatively, your brother's home computer business idea is not a good model for you to open up a fashion store on the corner of Main and Birch.
Secondly, friends and relatives may not want to hurt your feelings. There may be some basic element of your business idea that needs overhaul, but they might not want to tell you. The best people to seek guidance from are those who are sincere, honest, and qualified. And, as always, make sure you carefully think out the questions to ask them. And listen doubly carefully to the questions they ask you. This exchange will push you are business idea to the next level, if not further. Incorporate feedback-gathering into your plan.
5. Action: Plan to prepare yourself.
Questions:
How will you make sure you are prepared for this idea?
How will you ensure that your idea is realistic?
How will you know if it is for you?
Background:
Above we discussed preparing yourself or business in general. Now that you have established and refining your new home base business idea, brick and mortar store planned or service offering, you should prepare yourself for this specific project. Remember the important ingredients: passion, skills and knowledge, openness to empowering questions.
6. Action: Put the icing on your cake and perfect your business vision.
Question:
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How can you make this business idea extraordinary?
Background:
Simply the best question one can ever ask. It's told that Walt Disney used to write every great idea on a blackboard and ask all of his staffers to answer this question. The mark of a wise person is that they not only ask about things they don't know, but they ask even about things they do know. Every single time I ask myself if I can improve something I've already done, I get new ideas. Go for it.
The result of these five planning steps is very exciting.
You have a compelling vision of a business that you are passionate about!
This, alone, puts you way ahead of the game. Many people just start with the business plan. See how wonderful you feel, how confident you are. Whether you are pursuing a home computer business idea, or a restaurant downtown, it has taken on a beautiful shape and form.
Now it's time to move on and create more steps to starting your own business.