Practically everybody o so. In fact, some experts say 80 percent of new budreams about starting a successful company at least once, but far fewer people dsinesses fail within the first 18 months. Succeeding is partly luck and partly having a great product, but it’s also all about understanding the little things.
1. You Need to Obey the Law
When you have a great business idea, it’s tempting to start selling products or services right away. Unfortunately, that could get you into trouble. In some cities, even a child’s lemonade stand requires a business permit. Research your local, state, and federal laws first to ensure you have all the proper licenses and permits. This will keep you from needing to shut down the business or pay hefty fines in the future.
2. You Need to Keep Things Simple
Once the ideas start flowing, it can be hard to get them to stop. For many, the result is a product that is too complicated and confuses the potential customer base. Start out small. Test a base product on a small market to see how receptive people are to it. If it is successful, you can work on larger markets and new services or designs. This is also beneficial because you’ll lose less money if your product doesn’t do as well as you hoped it would.
3. You Need to Invest a Lot of Time
Ask people why they want to go into business for themselves and many will respond that they want a less hectic work schedule. Ask people who are already in business for themselves how their work schedule is, and most will say it’s more hectic now. Don’t expect to get off easy when it comes to how much time you put in at the “office.” Especially in the beginning, expect to spend long hours creating business plans, designing products and services, advertising, and more. This is especially true if you don’t have a business partner or don’t want to hire employees right away.
4. You Need to Ask for Help
One of the most overlooked tips for starting a business is to ask for help, and not just financially. Seek out people who created successful companies and those who had businesses fail to find out what they feel went right (or wrong). Consider a business partner to help you with daily operations. Network with people who can help you become the success you want to be.
When it comes down to it, there is no magic formula. Nothing guarantees your company will be a success. This means the final tip is to keep trying. Realistically, you’ll need to tweak your company’s business plan a few times. You may even need to start over from the ground up. Just remember that nobody is a failure unless they simply stop trying.
