How to Start Your Own Small Business

INTRODUCTION

Why Most People Never Start Their Own Business

The American Dream: owning and running your own business.
Why do so many people talk about it, yet so few actually accomplish it? The thought of owning their own business intrigues most people, yet few actually take the steps necessary to make it happen. It’s as if some people think they’re not capable or talented enough. Why, the very term “American Dream” makes it seem as though it’s not possible in real life to own your own business; it’s only possible in your dreams.

So why is it that so many people who’d like to start their own business never do? What keeps these would-be business owners from moving forward and fulfilling their dreams? I feel one of the main reasons is because people are afraid. They’re afraid of the unknown. This fear immobilizes them and prevents them from moving forward with their plans. People let fear stop them from ever really getting serious about starting their on business. They may casually discuss it with friends or relatives, but they never get much further than that. They never get down to setting realistic goals that will move them in the proper direction. They end up dismissing the whole idea as not being feasible when in reality they’re just afraid, and one of the main reasons they’re afraid is due to lack of knowledge. This statement is so important that it’s worth repeating: “One of the main reasons many people never start their own business is because they’re afraid, and the reason they’re afraid is due to lack of knowledge.” The average person doesn’t know how to start his or her own business. They don’t have the confidence to move forward because they simply don’t know what steps they have to take. It seems too daunting or overwhelming for them.

If you were to ask any successful entrepreneur, “Were you afraid or apprehensive about starting your first business?” about ninety-nine percent of them would say yes. We naturally get uneasy about things we’re not sure of. Is this bad? Of course not. If we didn’t proceed with caution in different areas of our life, we’d have all kinds of unexpected problems. The person who rushes into things blindly without analyzing the possible outcome is going to have lots of unpleasant. A reasonable level of fear or apprehension keeps us constantly thinking about what we’re doing and helps us find better ways to get through work and life, but we shouldn’t allow fear to immobilize us. Realize that a certain level of fear is good and learn to control it. Be prudent in your decisions, but not fearful.

I’d like you to think about something for a moment. What if you could somehow look into the future and know, without a doubt, that your business venture was going to be successful? There was absolutely no risk involved whatsoever, and you knew you were going to succeed. Do you think this would motivate you to start your own business? You’d probably sit down right now and start making notes about your future business plans. Well, there’s obviously no way of knowing for sure that your business will be successful, but with the proper research you can make a fairly good assessment of its feasibility. This research isn’t hard to do, and once it’s done, you’ll be armed with the information you need to be confident as you make decisions and move forward. You’ll educate yourself, which in turn will enable you to make better choices about your future.

I like to use the old Nike slogan Just Do It to describe the best way to get started with your own business. You simply have to take the first step and start doing something that will move you in the right direction. You have to get the ball rolling. Once you get started, you’re literally on your way, but you have to take that first step or you’ll be like the other 95 percent of the population that just talks about running their own business but never does. It’s really that simple. Once you take the first
step, everything seems easier.

Your mind will tell you, “Hey, I can do this.”

Your creative juices will start flowing, and you’ll gain momentum as you work on your plan. There’s nothing magical about it. The biggest step is to just get started. Action creates motivation. You’ve already taken some action or you wouldn’t be reading this book. Let’s move on now to chapter one and start covering some of the information needed to help you become more knowledgeable and confi dent about starting your own business.