Enterpreneurship is taking the country by storm and if you’re considering dipping your toe into the waters of being your own boss, here are some of my steps toward growing a small business into a thriving endeavor:
- Know yourself. Why do you want to be in business? Freedom? More money? To give yourself a job? Your inner motivation will drive your determination and ultimately impact your bottom line.
- What are you passionate about? Pursuing your passion as it relates to your business endeavor could help you succeed. Your passion will show through and will engage potential clients.
- What makes you unique? Do you do something that no one else does? What is your differentiator?
- The customer is always right. If you’ve ever worked a retail job you know this is a customer service mantra. When you’re running your own business, you truly need to embrace that ideology.
- Do you have a niche? To grow a thriving business you need to know who your customers are, where to find them, what they’re seeking a solution to, and how you can help them address their pain points. Can you do this?
- Write a business plan and daily goals. Consider your business plan your long term goal, and your daily goals are what you need to accomplish today or this week to achieve those long term goals.
- Get out of your own cocoon. You need to get away from the office and network and make connections. Shake hands. Set coffee dates for follow up. No business can exist in a vacuum.
- Don’t listen to the dream killers. It seems that everyone I speak with has a dream killer in his or her life — that person who says, “you can’t make a living at this,” or “Not many new businesses survive.” You know the type. Separate yourself from them and surround yourself with people who believe in your vision.
- Invest in yourself. Staying healthy and planning for your retirement (yes, it seems odd to play for retirement if you’re just starting out, but there is no time like the present!) Be active. Eat healthy. You are the business you need to take care of yourself.
- Inspire your team. If you don’t have a team, inspire those with whom you network and interact. Inspire and motivate and reward your clients. Word of mouth on your positive attitude will spread like wildfire!
Are you considering going into business? What’s your passion?