sful business, what skills you have learned or developed, what technical skills you have, what you like to do with your time, what others say you are good at and what interests you have that are marketable. Then look at what activities need to be performed in order for the business to be successful. What do you need to do yourself and what can you train others to do?

Next, ask yourself to identify what niche your business will fill. Write down why your idea is practical, what your competition is, what your business advantage is and what you can deliver that is a better value. Really go inward to find you true unique value, and don’t settle until you figure it out. Anything that you have enough passion about to decide to

Starting a business can be your path to wealth, freedom and fulfillment, but let me warn you, it is not often an easy journey. Doing it right takes desire, talent and motivation. This is not something you should jump into without some serious forethought. There are certain things that you can do at the beginning stage that will substantially increase your likelihood of success. We recommend you spend some time doing research and planning. It is much advised that you do this while you still have a regular source of income.

To increase your chance for success, take the time up front to explore and evaluate your business and personal goals. Then use this information to build a comprehensive and well thought out business plan that, like any roadmap, will help you reach these goals.

The process of creating a business plan will help you think through some important issues that you may not have considered yet. Unfortunately, for many entrepreneurs, the idea of sitting down and writing out a plan sounds like as much fun as a day long dentist appointment. Entrepreneurs by nature tend to be big picture thinkers, have grandiose plans that they tend to keep all in their heads. Planning is not really our thing. We are idea people; we are the visionaries who gravitate to the challenge of the venture, and the idea of changing the establishment and making our mark. We are looking for fun and adventure, and planning doesn’t sound like either of those to us. While planning might not be the most glamorous of activities, your plan will become a valuable tool as you set out to build your company.

Your plan doesn’t have to be 25 pages long, and it doesn’t have to be pretty, but it does need to be workable and take the strategic vision, down to the tactical activities. It should also provide milestones to gauge your success. If this is your roadmap, you need to be able to check things off as you accomplish. Lastly, it must have a measurement or benchmark component to it, some way to say, ‘Yes we are doing good and meeting our objectives,’ or ‘No this is not working.’ Staying open to market feedback is essential at the infancy and toddler stages of a business venture. When you see something that is not working, try something else. Don’t try to overcomplicate things. Keep it simple. Do more of what works and stop doing what doesn’t.

Before starting out, list your reasons for wanting to start a business. Some common reasons for starting a business are: wanting to be your own boss, wanting to attain financial independence, wanting more creative freedom and wanting to be able to fully exploit your talents and skills.

Once you have identified your true motives, then you need to determine what business is “right for you.” You may already know what you want to do, but you’ll still need to flesh out the way you will run your business day-to-day. Decide how much time you have to run a successful business, what skills you have learned or developed, what technical skills you have, what you like to do with your time, what others say you are good at and what interests you have that are marketable. Then look at what activities need to be performed in order for the business to be successful. What do you need to do yourself and what can you train others to do?

Next, ask yourself to identify what niche your business will fill. Write down why your idea is practical, what your competition is, what your business advantage is and what you can deliver that is a better value. Really go inward to find you true unique value, and don’t settle until you figure it out. Anything that you have enough passion about to decide to

an that, like any roadmap, will help you reach these goals.

The process of creating a business plan will help you think through some important issues that you may not have considered yet. Unfortunately, for many entrepreneurs, the idea of sitting down and writing out a plan sounds like as much fun as a day long dentist appointment. Entrepreneurs by nature tend to be big picture thinkers, have grandiose plans that they tend to keep all in their heads. Planning is not really our thing. We are idea people; we are the visionaries who gravitate to the challenge of the venture, and the idea of changing the establishment and making our mark. We are looking for fun and adventure, and planning doesn’t sound like either of those to us. While planning might not be the most glamorous of activities, your plan will become a valuable tool as you set out to build your company.

Your plan doesn’t have to be 25 pages long, and it doesn’t have to be pretty, but it does need to be workable and take the strategic vision, down to the tactical activities. It should also provide milestones to gauge your success. If this is your roadmap, you need to be able to check things off as you accomplish. Lastly, it must have a measurement or benchmark component to it, some way to say, ‘Yes we are doing good and meeting our objectives,’ or ‘No this is not working.’ Staying open to market feedback is essential at the infancy and toddler stages of a business venture. When you see something that is not working, try something else. Don’t try to overcomplicate things. Keep it simple. Do more of what works and stop doing what doesn’t.

Before starting out, list your reasons for wanting to start a business. Some common reasons for starting a business are: wanting to be your own boss, wanting to attain financial independence, wanting more creative freedom and wanting to be able to fully exploit your talents and skills.

Once you have identified your true motives, then you need to determine what business is “right for you.” You may already know what you want to do, but you’ll still need to flesh out the way you will run your business day-to-day. Decide how much time you have to run a successful business, what skills you have learned or developed, what technical skills you have, what you like to do with your time, what others say you are good at and what interests you have that are marketable. Then look at what activities need to be performed in order for the business to be successful. What do you need to do yourself and what can you train others to do?

Next, ask yourself to identify what niche your business will fill. Write down why your idea is practical, what your competition is, what your business advantage is and what you can deliver that is a better value. Really go inward to find you true unique value, and don’t settle until you figure it out. Anything that you have enough passion about to decide to

o us. While planning might not be the most glamorous of activities, your plan will become a valuable tool as you set out to build your company.

Your plan doesn’t have to be 25 pages long, and it doesn’t have to be pretty, but it does need to be workable and take the strategic vision, down to the tactical activities. It should also provide milestones to gauge your success. If this is your roadmap, you need to be able to check things off as you accomplish. Lastly, it must have a measurement or benchmark component to it, some way to say, ‘Yes we are doing good and meeting our objectives,’ or ‘No this is not working.’ Staying open to market feedback is essential at the infancy and toddler stages of a business venture. When you see something that is not working, try something else. Don’t try to overcomplicate things. Keep it simple. Do more of what works and stop doing what doesn’t.

Before starting out, list your reasons for wanting to start a business. Some common reasons for starting a business are: wanting to be your own boss, wanting to attain financial independence, wanting more creative freedom and wanting to be able to fully exploit your talents and skills.

Once you have identified your true motives, then you need to determine what business is “right for you.” You may already know what you want to do, but you’ll still need to flesh out the way you will run your business day-to-day. Decide how much time you have to run a successful business, what skills you have learned or developed, what technical skills you have, what you like to do with your time, what others say you are good at and what interests you have that are marketable. Then look at what activities need to be performed in order for the business to be successful. What do you need to do yourself and what can you train others to do?

Next, ask yourself to identify what niche your business will fill. Write down why your idea is practical, what your competition is, what your business advantage is and what you can deliver that is a better value. Really go inward to find you true unique value, and don’t settle until you figure it out. Anything that you have enough passion about to decide to

you see something that is not working, try something else. Don’t try to overcomplicate things. Keep it simple. Do more of what works and stop doing what doesn’t.

Before starting out, list your reasons for wanting to start a business. Some common reasons for starting a business are: wanting to be your own boss, wanting to attain financial independence, wanting more creative freedom and wanting to be able to fully exploit your talents and skills.

Once you have identified your true motives, then you need to determine what business is “right for you.” You may already know what you want to do, but you’ll still need to flesh out the way you will run your business day-to-day. Decide how much time you have to run a successful business, what skills you have learned or developed, what technical skills you have, what you like to do with your time, what others say you are good at and what interests you have that are marketable. Then look at what activities need to be performed in order for the business to be successful. What do you need to do yourself and what can you train others to do?

Next, ask yourself to identify what niche your business will fill. Write down why your idea is practical, what your competition is, what your business advantage is and what you can deliver that is a better value. Really go inward to find you true unique value, and don’t settle until you figure it out. Anything that you have enough passion about to decide to

sful business, what skills you have learned or developed, what technical skills you have, what you like to do with your time, what others say you are good at and what interests you have that are marketable. Then look at what activities need to be performed in order for the business to be successful. What do you need to do yourself and what can you train others to do?

Next, ask yourself to identify what niche your business will fill. Write down why your idea is practical, what your competition is, what your business advantage is and what you can deliver that is a better value. Really go inward to find you true unique value, and don’t settle until you figure it out. Anything that you have enough passion about to decide to start a business, must have at the root of it, some innate talent of yourself of someone or something else within the organization. Don’t go out there and be like everyone else, be yourself and shine your unique light of a company for your target market to benefit.

To keep you on track, the final step before developing an action plan outline is making sure you are strong enough to execute the plan. To do this, you should write out the following: what business you are interested in starting. What value you will sell? Who will you sell the value to? Where will your business be located? What skills and experience do you bring to the table? What is your legal structure? What is your business name? What supplies and/or equipment you will need? What insurance will be needed? What financing will be needed? What are your resources and how you will compensate yourself?

The answers to all of these questions will develop a focused, well researched business plan that should serve as a blueprint for your fledgling business. The financial section of your plan should detail how the business will be operated, managed and capitalized.

Do as much preparation as you can before you take the big leap into the great unknown. There will be so many unknowns during that first year or two, you will be doing yourself a real favor if you can give yourself some solid preparation time and some well thought out answers to these questions. For more information about how you can start your business, visit www.flourishingbusiness.com.