1. Make Sure You Really Want to Start a Business.
[..] Your idea has to be that good to counteract the challenges of the market.
2. Pitch Your Idea to Someone Smart.
[..] Even if that individual thinks it's a bad idea, it doesn't mean it is. But, it's helpful to hear how the business comes across to an intelligent confidant—if there are obvious holes, fill those holes with your business strategy.
3. Avoid Outside Funding.
[..] Not a good option unless you plan to make profit quickly, which is difficult.
[..] This means that your fees will mostly consist of equipment, legal/accounting fees (the more you can do yourself the better), and marketing.
[..] Many businesses fail not because they are unsuccessful, but because they can't make enough profit soon enough to pay their employees, building costs, and loans. The less fixed costs you can have (something that you have to pay no matter how many clients come in during a given month, such as building costs and loans), the more likely your business will avoid this situation.
4. Polish Your Training and Resume
[..] your training is ever more important, because you have no one to blame but yourself for not being prepared for every possible situation that might arise.
5. Specialize!
[..] Who do you work best with: enterprises, medium-sized businesses, or startups? What's your expertise: Windows, Linux, or IBM? Do you have more experience with Exchange, SQL Server, Security, or something else?
6. Try to Keep Working While Getting Started.
7. Master Marketing.
No matter what your business is, the difference between success and failure usually comes down to one word: marketing.
- Print some basic business cards
- Build a simple website
- Talk to your local newspapers
- Milk all of your contacts. networking is marketing, and yes, you have to do it.
8. Prepare for the Onslaught of Unsolicited Advice
[..] Even though it can be nauseating, don't let on—always seem grateful for people's words. It just doesn't do any good to be negative. And when you do get some useful advice, listen closely.
9. Remember: Starting a Business is Learning.
More than the money you might make and the freedom you'll gain, the greatest benefit to starting a business is how much knowledge you'll acquire. You'll learn to be your own lawyer, accountant, marketer, business manager, and more… [..]
10. Have Fun with It.
Anyone that gives up a cushy 9-5 job (or even 9-7) for the endless hours associated with starting a business is a little crazy. The only way to stay sane is to have fun with it—do everything you can to succeed, but be prepared for the reality that you might not.
original article: Brian Reinholz in windowsitpro.com
[..] Your idea has to be that good to counteract the challenges of the market.
2. Pitch Your Idea to Someone Smart.
[..] Even if that individual thinks it's a bad idea, it doesn't mean it is. But, it's helpful to hear how the business comes across to an intelligent confidant—if there are obvious holes, fill those holes with your business strategy.
3. Avoid Outside Funding.
[..] Not a good option unless you plan to make profit quickly, which is difficult.
[..] This means that your fees will mostly consist of equipment, legal/accounting fees (the more you can do yourself the better), and marketing.
[..] Many businesses fail not because they are unsuccessful, but because they can't make enough profit soon enough to pay their employees, building costs, and loans. The less fixed costs you can have (something that you have to pay no matter how many clients come in during a given month, such as building costs and loans), the more likely your business will avoid this situation.
4. Polish Your Training and Resume
[..] your training is ever more important, because you have no one to blame but yourself for not being prepared for every possible situation that might arise.
5. Specialize!
[..] Who do you work best with: enterprises, medium-sized businesses, or startups? What's your expertise: Windows, Linux, or IBM? Do you have more experience with Exchange, SQL Server, Security, or something else?
6. Try to Keep Working While Getting Started.
7. Master Marketing.
No matter what your business is, the difference between success and failure usually comes down to one word: marketing.
- Print some basic business cards
- Build a simple website
- Talk to your local newspapers
- Milk all of your contacts. networking is marketing, and yes, you have to do it.
8. Prepare for the Onslaught of Unsolicited Advice
[..] Even though it can be nauseating, don't let on—always seem grateful for people's words. It just doesn't do any good to be negative. And when you do get some useful advice, listen closely.
9. Remember: Starting a Business is Learning.
More than the money you might make and the freedom you'll gain, the greatest benefit to starting a business is how much knowledge you'll acquire. You'll learn to be your own lawyer, accountant, marketer, business manager, and more… [..]
10. Have Fun with It.
Anyone that gives up a cushy 9-5 job (or even 9-7) for the endless hours associated with starting a business is a little crazy. The only way to stay sane is to have fun with it—do everything you can to succeed, but be prepared for the reality that you might not.
original article: Brian Reinholz in windowsitpro.com
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