Monday, May 19, 2008

Starting a Small business

Planning on starting a small business would be more effective if you have gone over several ideas. It will take you some time to go through several small business ideas before finally landing on one. Choosing the right idea will benefit you greatly especially if you don’t have a background in entrepreneurship. A small business does not have to be a full-time job especially at first. Some people start a small business out of a hobby and when it grows, that’s when they quit their day job and go full blast.
As previously mentioned, not quitting your day job is in fact a great thing for you as you start your small business. As the name implies, a small business won’t let you earn enough money to cover your bills immediately. It takes time. So having a job to keep the money coming in, is a great help. You should not expect to make a profit as soon as you start. You have to keep in mind that starting and gaining traction will be slow at first. You will need to buy your resources or materials, probably rent a place, advertise and market your products or services. Then after a while, when you are able to cover your expenses, that’s the time you can think about leaving your paid employment.
You should try to think of several small business ideas that can fit your personality and lifestyle. It should be something that’s attainable and something that you are passionate about. Most small businesses grow from hobbies of the owners. If you opt for something that you really love doing or something that interests you the most, that’s when you come up with the best results and useful products or services. That’s when people start noticing you and that’s when you start building a name. Thus, a good idea of starting up a small business is to go for an industry or field that you love the most.
On the other hand, if you think you are not the creative type of person who can create something for a small business, a better idea would be to buy a franchise. If you can’t build or manufacture something unique, then selling another manufacturer’s products or services might be better for you. The franchisor will guide you when you are setting up your franchise business. If you think that starting up a small business involves an original idea, or a new product, then franchising has just proven you wrong. In fact, another business that does not have to be completely new is the food business. What is more established than selling food, yet people are entering the business daily and making their fortune from it.
Another great small business idea is perhaps opening a small coffee shop or pastry shop. All you need to do is to consider how your customers will accept your product and your service. What are they looking for? Is it a cheap price? Is it the tasty pretzels or donuts that you are offering? Is it the promo you have every early morning? All you need to do is to find the right niche for your small business and find what out what people want that can’t get now, and you have found your business.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice article. I'll have to keep this one in mind, because I plan on buying a business soon. I want to buy one instead of starting one from scratch, because I think it'll be easier for me. I've been looking one to buy, but I haven't had much luck. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Brendan -- Check out BizTrader.com. It's an online global marketplace where you can invest in, buy, and sell a small business. There are also other services on it, should you need to find a broker or find a lender. Check it out and good luck!