Jumpstart Your Business

Here are the nine things you never do when considering going into business for yourself.
1. Never settle on a business opportunity too quickly. There is no penalty box for missing this one.

1. Always check availability by contact the city/county registrar’s office or your State Controller’s Office to make sure that the name is not already registered. Get it registered as soon as you complete this list of to do’s.

2. Check on trademarks with the US Patent and Trademarks Office at http://www.uspto.gov. Consider trademarking your name to prevent someone trying to grab it in the future.

S. Always work on a project that is very clearly defined or specified.

M. Make sure that you understand what you need to achieve so that you can measure your progress.

A. Never work on projects where the outcome cannot be attained or achieved.

R. Is the project realistic. Is it relevant to the overall business? Are the proper resources assigned to this project.

T. Have you set a time limit or schedule for completion of the project.

If you have done all of the above, then you are working SMART.

Starting up a small business is a daunting task. it requires certain personal traits and clearly, not everyone is suited to become a business owner. There are many ways to fail, and here are 10 of the most obvious ones:

1. A business plan is a waste of time. Why plan when things change so quickly. I’ve always flown successfully by the seat of my pants.

Whether you’re a male or female entrepreneur looking for a partner for your startup, here are the 5 top reasons to ignore this potential female partner like the plague:

Many entrepreneurs feel that they can run their business by “flying by the seat of their pants”, so to speak. While that can be done and is exciting, almost 90% of startups never see a second year, and many small businesses tend to run sluggishly all because their owners never invested in a business plan. Well here are 7 good reasons why you should:

1. Help you figure out clearly where your business is headed and what critical steps you need to take.

Every small business, whether established for a while or just starting up, should have a small business network. This should be at a minimum an informal group of friends or acquaintances who are there to provide both moral and subject matter support or the group can be more formal in the shape of an Advisory Board to give you advice and counsel whether for a fee or better yet pro bono.

1. The Business Idea.
Write it down, for only then it becomes real. Be able to
articulate it in less than twenty-five seconds or as long as
a short ride on an elevator. This is called the elevator
speech and makes you think long and hard about what it is you’re trying to do.

We’ve just completed a study of business planning in small businesses and found that both failing and successful businesses had invested in business planning to similar degrees. The difference is that successful businesses measured their progress against what they had planned and took corrective action while failing businesses tended to ignore the plan.

Invite over about ten of your best friends for a wine tasting party at your house early in the evening and make sure you have a designated driver or two. After everyone has had a glass or two, and start to loosen up tell them you are looking for a name for your product or business.