| Ever wished you could find out what makes | | | | business idea that works - it doesn't need to be the |
| successful entrepreneurs successful? The good news | | | | one that will make you a house-hold name; you need |
| is there is no secret sauce. It's a matter of being | | | | to create a cohesive, well-considered SMART |
| proactive, resourceful, prepared and ready to dig-in for | | | | business plan; and you need to find funders. |
| the long haul. | | | | - It is also imperative that you do what you love and |
| Sound doable? It is, but no one said that doable was | | | | that you don't try to go it alone. Ofcourse you want it |
| easy... | | | | to be 'your' business, that's the point, but a support |
| Whether you're just stepping into the small business | | | | system is necessary. There will be days when you |
| world or you've been running your own show for | | | | want to just give it up; Dyson may well have done so |
| some time, you'll not be a stranger to the fact that | | | | without the support of his wife and children. Doing |
| hard work, tenacity and an indefatigable nature are | | | | what you love is as important. You will be spending |
| necessary, but that they are also not enough. So that | | | | alot of time, effort and money on this business, and |
| begs the question, what do you need to succeed? | | | | assuming you expect it to succeed as a long-term |
| In a nutshell, you need to get started right: | | | | venture, you need to enjoy what you do whether it's |
| - Be professional from the outset. If you want to be | | | | managing a day-care, or starting a horse ranch. |
| taken seriously, you need to take your business | | | | - The old adage of 'fail fast' is as true today as when |
| seriously. Consider what you expect in terms of | | | | it was first coined. Find out what doesn't work as fast |
| customer service, sales collateral and response times | | | | as you can, apply those learnings and keep going and |
| and consider what you do and don;t like about | | | | growing. Once you're ready for expansion, |
| businesses you have dealt with in the past. Get a | | | | successfully growing your business won't seem quite |
| dedicated phone line with a business answering | | | | so daunting. Spending on growth, expanding for |
| service if necessary, get a dedicated cell phone and | | | | success and investing in staff are integral to your |
| web site, get professional business cards and other | | | | continued success. |
| stationery. The outlay is worth it's weight in gold as it | | | | - Get tax and accounting right from the beginning. |
| will be part and parcel of your brand image, your | | | | With support, the right tools and resources and of |
| trustworthiness, and will contribute to the perception | | | | course that die-hard entrepreneurial spirit, you might |
| that you are 'here to stay, not to play'. | | | | find yourself paving the way for your own small |
| - When you're starting a business you need to find the | | | | business success story! |