Ohio attorney, Charter School Board Member, consultant, political analyst, and writer Scott Pullins provides services to small businesses, individuals, financial entities, and political organizations. Contact Scott today for more info! 740.392.350
Thinking of launching your own business but feeling stuck because you feel safer where you are at present? Here are some helpful tips from attorney and consultant Scott Pullins on how not to fret so much about leaping into entrepreneurship and making it look easy.
Make sure you have a financial cushion to back you up
A lack of finances is often the single, most important factor that can prevent most people from achieving their entrepreneurial dreams; hence, as The Christian Science Monitor notes, why it's vital to have a financial cushion to back you up or to at least buy you some time until you have your mind set on your dream business idea. And you have a basic plan on how to achieve this.
Have a clear motivation as to why entrepreneurship is your goal now
Not everyone is cut out for the demands and challenges of entrepreneurship. For one, you have to be extremely resilient, not to mention resourceful, in making your business dreams a reality. So if you are even just a bit unsure that this is your career path, then it may be best to consult with a mentor or life coach to establish whether this is the right fit for you. Moreover, they can provide you with helpful tips as you start out so that you can avoid the common pitfalls that many new entrepreneurs experience due to a lack of experience.
Think about what you're good at and establish if there is a market for it
It's all very well to be interested and devoted to something you're passionate about. But if there is no real demand for your offering, your ideas and all your efforts will just be a waste of time. Therefore, do the necessary research and find out if there is a legitimate interest in your business idea by first asking friends, family, and acquaintances for their opinions. Of course, this is just a basic starting point as QuestionPro explains thorough market research often entails identifying your buyer persona, engaging with your target market through surveys and polls on social media, analyzing your findings, and finally basing your decisions on concrete results.
Start your business small
Another way to test whether your business idea is feasible or not before you go all in is to first test it on a smaller scale. In other words, it's about figuring out how to do a test run of your business idea before you even think about scaling up your business. Here, you could use beta testers or a test audience to try out your service or product first to get more accurate feedback.
Patience is key
Most successful businesses didn't succeed overnight. They probably required hard work, dedication, patience, and a great deal of trial and error to discover what works and what doesn't. Therefore, don't let impatience trick you into feeling that you need to accomplish everything in one go. Instead, practice patience. This should give you the willpower to stay committed to your dream even when things aren't going your way
Use technology to make your life easier
Technology is there to make life easier, which is why you should be using it to make life easier in your entrepreneurship journey, too. For example, suppose you want to create a well-designed logo to compliment your branding and marketing efforts. A logo design maker is great to use if you want to do it yourself, as you can make use of the templates available online to put on your social media feeds or website to generate more interest in your business. All you need to do is tweak your stylized icon with the colors and fonts you desire.
Deciding on a business structure
Deciding on a business structure will be one of your primary decisions, as the wrong structure could impact the taxes you pay and the security of your personal assets. Many businesses choose the LLC route due to its many benefits, including limited liability, more tax advantages, better flexibility, etc. A formation service can assist you with learning all there is to know about how to start an LLC in Ohio, and the best part about it is that it can all be done online. Just speak to a registered agent to help you get started. But do be aware that if you are registering your business in a new state that different filing regulations may apply, which your agent can inform you of and help you manage the process if need be.
Indeed, taking the leap into entrepreneurship might sound risky at first. But it's a risk many a successful entrepreneur would take over and over again because of the potentially massive rewards associated with going it alone.
Image via Pexels
Make sure you have a financial cushion to back you up
A lack of finances is often the single, most important factor that can prevent most people from achieving their entrepreneurial dreams; hence, as The Christian Science Monitor notes, why it's vital to have a financial cushion to back you up or to at least buy you some time until you have your mind set on your dream business idea. And you have a basic plan on how to achieve this.
Have a clear motivation as to why entrepreneurship is your goal now
Not everyone is cut out for the demands and challenges of entrepreneurship. For one, you have to be extremely resilient, not to mention resourceful, in making your business dreams a reality. So if you are even just a bit unsure that this is your career path, then it may be best to consult with a mentor or life coach to establish whether this is the right fit for you. Moreover, they can provide you with helpful tips as you start out so that you can avoid the common pitfalls that many new entrepreneurs experience due to a lack of experience.
Think about what you're good at and establish if there is a market for it
It's all very well to be interested and devoted to something you're passionate about. But if there is no real demand for your offering, your ideas and all your efforts will just be a waste of time. Therefore, do the necessary research and find out if there is a legitimate interest in your business idea by first asking friends, family, and acquaintances for their opinions. Of course, this is just a basic starting point as QuestionPro explains thorough market research often entails identifying your buyer persona, engaging with your target market through surveys and polls on social media, analyzing your findings, and finally basing your decisions on concrete results.
Start your business small
Another way to test whether your business idea is feasible or not before you go all in is to first test it on a smaller scale. In other words, it's about figuring out how to do a test run of your business idea before you even think about scaling up your business. Here, you could use beta testers or a test audience to try out your service or product first to get more accurate feedback.
Patience is key
Most successful businesses didn't succeed overnight. They probably required hard work, dedication, patience, and a great deal of trial and error to discover what works and what doesn't. Therefore, don't let impatience trick you into feeling that you need to accomplish everything in one go. Instead, practice patience. This should give you the willpower to stay committed to your dream even when things aren't going your way
Use technology to make your life easier
Technology is there to make life easier, which is why you should be using it to make life easier in your entrepreneurship journey, too. For example, suppose you want to create a well-designed logo to compliment your branding and marketing efforts. A logo design maker is great to use if you want to do it yourself, as you can make use of the templates available online to put on your social media feeds or website to generate more interest in your business. All you need to do is tweak your stylized icon with the colors and fonts you desire.
Deciding on a business structure
Deciding on a business structure will be one of your primary decisions, as the wrong structure could impact the taxes you pay and the security of your personal assets. Many businesses choose the LLC route due to its many benefits, including limited liability, more tax advantages, better flexibility, etc. A formation service can assist you with learning all there is to know about how to start an LLC in Ohio, and the best part about it is that it can all be done online. Just speak to a registered agent to help you get started. But do be aware that if you are registering your business in a new state that different filing regulations may apply, which your agent can inform you of and help you manage the process if need be.
Indeed, taking the leap into entrepreneurship might sound risky at first. But it's a risk many a successful entrepreneur would take over and over again because of the potentially massive rewards associated with going it alone.
Image via Pexels