A Simple Plan for Starting a Business

A Simple Plan for Starting a Business n(by Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor) nn----------------------------------------nnStarting a business, whether it is a 'small business' where you work out of an office or a 'home based business' you run out of a corner of your bedroom, you can drastically change your life through a very simple plan.nnStarting a business is not something you jump into. When you are working a simple plan, starting a business is something you GROW into.nnHow do you make a simple plan for growth when starting a business?nn1. Groundwork of your simple plan is crucial when starting a business.nnFind someone that was successful in starting a business in your industry, watch them, interview them, find out everything you can about what they did when they were starting a business. Then, write a simple plan outlining what they do all day.nnIn order to have what they have, you must do what they do, so find out what percentage of their day is spent, for instance, on the telephone making calls, receiving calls and the type of calls.nn2. Divide your time.nnThe next step in your simple plan as you are starting a business is to divide your time like your mentor. Use the same percentage of the total hours, as you will not work the same hours they do.nnThe 'secret to success' is not in the hours, it is how you spend them! By following the simple plan outlined here, you make the most of your hours, and get the most out of everything as you are starting a business with a simple plan of success.nn3. Set your Goals.nnA vital piece of success when starting a business is that you have a goal in mind and work your simple plan to get there.nnWithout a destination (a specific income amount, a personal item like a car or boat, or simply an amount set aside in savings), how will you know you arrived?nn4. Track your progress.nnDivide your goal into days, weeks, months and/or years to quickly know what is required to reach your destination.nnCheck your progress often. You will know quickly if you are sticking to your original goal or if you are ahead or behind schedule.nnJust like a road trip, as you are starting a business, you will likely come across some detours, that's OK. On vacation, just as in starting a business, if you find a road blocked or a path impassible, you simply find another way.nnAnd, just as on vacation, include in your simple plan a few hours here/there for such 'emergencies'. If you find you have no emergencies, simply choose something else that will get you closer to your destination, or just relax and enjoy where you are.nn5. Work ON your business, not only IN your business.nnIn starting a business, you must set aside part of your time to plan, set goals, promote and advertise your business, not simply work along in your business, doing the things you do.nnWhen starting a business, a simple form of advertising is a website. The more people that see what you have to offer, the quicker your business will grow.nnYou could go door-to-door, telling everyone about your website (not a simple plan!), or maximize your time by posting articles online where many people see them.nnThis is overlooked by many as they are starting a business, and one of the reasons they fail...nnAs your business grows, you will do less advertising and begin to work your simple plan toward the 'IN your business' phase.nn6. Give excellent Customer Service.nnUpset customers kill more business than you can imagine. Find a way to work with them, or simply give them their money back. Losing customers is something you cannot afford when you are just starting a business!nnSo many people simply do not make the time to provide quality service to their customers. Do not let that happen to you!nnWith a little planning and goal setting, follow through each week and simply repeating the process, you can change your business from flat to cash in a short amount of time.nnWhen starting a business, if you follow the simple plan we have outlined here, you are already a success!