Owning your own business is driven by freedom and entrepreneurship. Maybe you're thinking about starting your own business to make more money, to have more time at home, or to develop a unique company or product idea. Whatever your business and personal goals, the right small business can achieve individual independence and pride in your work.
A small business is defined as an independent business with less than 500 employees. Almost half of small businesses are also home-based. More than three-quarters of small businesses will use some form of financing, either personal savings, loans, grants, and credit cards.
If you have the independent drive but you're not sure what type of small business you want to create, a low cost franchise might work for your needs. Usually costing around $50,000 to purchase, there are many popular low cost franchises such as real estate companies, tax services, cleaning services, and weight loss counseling.
Already have your dream business idea? The next step toward success is your business plan. Anywhere from one to 100 pages, it outlines the principles behind your operations. Basically, your plan will answer the question ?What is your business, where do you want it to go, and how are you going to get it there?? This document is especially important for seeking funding for your new small business. It is the who, what, when, where, and why foundation to build your business dream.
Do your homework. Research your market, or paying customers. How are you going to reach them? Get to know the people who will be buying your products or services. Also locate local and state resources for small business owners. Find out the laws and regulations in your area. Don't be afraid to invest in a consultant or business books and software to help you plan. Ask local small businesses, like the local deli or pest control company, about their plan. Your bank can also provide information on starting and funding your new small business proposal.
The United States Small Business Administration (SBA, www.sba.gov) local offices and comprehensive Web site provides an abundance of free information and resources, training, and special programs. The SBA's mission is to ?maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by aiding, counseling, assisting and protecting the interests of small businesses and by helping families and businesses recover from national disasters.? The SBA promotes small business ownership, and rightly so, since small businesses employ 99.7% of the U.S. workforce.
Another powerful resource, Entrepreneur Media, produces Entrepreneur Magazine and www.entrepreneur.com. From start to finish, Entrepreneur helps even the most inexperienced workers achieve significant gains as savvy small business owners. Not only do they explain small business basics, they work with every aspect of enterprising including success stories, motivation, and personal life skills.
There are dozens of printed resources, magazines, Web sites, and institutions to help you realize your small business vision. You don't need prior executive experience or millions of dollars to pioneer a successful new company. Take advantage of government funding and training, learn from other successful small businesses, and surround yourself with reading materials and tools. With the right plan and plenty of motivation, your small business victory will pay off in more than just money.
Copyright (c) 2006
Surfing for Business Opportunities
Most work at home business owners start by surfing the net, looking for business opportunities. They usually become victim of a few scams, or a program that will not work for them, before finding a networking group.
For example, many new work at home business owners are quickly attracted by the affiliate programs on the web. They expect to build a passive stream of income. While the possibility is there, the probability of a new small business owner making a substantial amount of money is very low.
Content Management Systems do well in the affiliate field. They have thousands of pages, with hundreds of thousands of hits. Their sole purpose is to attract people who are looking for the products they promote.
Most new business owners fall into two or three scams before they find a network where the webmaster has worked to bring together resources and tools to help their members succeed. Once a small business owner finds a good network and resource website, they have a place that will help them succeed.
Save Money
Small business owners who belong to a networking group will save money in the long-term. They avoid wasting money on programs that do not work ? like Pay Per Click, and focus on programs that do work, like niche marketing.
Each new member benefits from the collective intelligence of the group, and by the intelligence of the web site owner. We mentioned above that affiliate marketing does not work, but a web site that is designed to help business owners succeed can only succeed if the information and products are good.
Trust
This can reassure new business owners. Any website that has built up a vast list of inbound links, is willing to give away free information, and prepares a plan for success, can be trusted based on the time needed to build up a vast resource, and the cost of building a complete ?small business start-up? kit.
This cannot be started over night, it takes time. Most ?get rich quick? schemes are here one day, and gone within three or four months. They never have time to build up a list of inbound links. Other websites do not link to them. In the end, the only websites that succeed are the ones who benefit small business owners and have them link to the site, refer other potential business owners, write reviews, and come back to buy more of the proven products.
Learning
The small business world is constantly evolving. The Internet world evolves faster than the brick and mortar world. What works today, may not work tomorrow.
It can take new business owners months to learn the current trends and find ways to increase their profits. However, belonging to a small business organization will save them time by brining all the learning resources needed into one place.
A network can also save time by weeding out the weak performing products and techniques, warning against the scams, and explaining how to use the new resources properly.
Page Rank & Promotion
The internet works on page rank. The higher the Google Page Rank, the higher the web site will rank in Google searches. A small business owner that networks with other similar businesses can exchange links. Each member in the network is in business, so when they link, they are joining business-to-business websites. A few dozen B2B web links will increase page rank higher than a thousand Business-to-communities, or business-to-online store, or Business-to-private website links.
So, next time you think that those web sites with all the products are just ?out for your money? and have very little to offer ? think again. They can save time, money, and help you find places and methods to promote your business, reducing the time between start up and wealth building.
Both Jessica Deets & Mark Walters are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jessica Deets has sinced written about articles on various topics from Interest, Acid Reflux and Heart Conditions. Jessica Deets researches the internet and writes information to help people. You can find out more news and information about going into business for yourself at