The article "First Steps to Starting Your Own Small Business" is about entrepreneurialism, it has been released by Marjorie Geiser.
You’ve been dreaming about what it would be like to start your own small business. It has been on your mind sicne you were in school, and there are times, especially on Monday mornings, that you daydream about it. But, you’re not really sure what it wolud look like.
You don’t have the first clue how to get started, and of course, you’re afraid that you would put your heart and soul into it, only to fail and look like a fool. You barely even talk about it out loud, because you don’t want family and friends to laugh at you.But, anything is possible! The only limitations we have are the ones we put on ourselves! With planning and learning the steps, and diong your homework, if this is something you really want to do, you can do it, AND succeed greatly at it, too!I’m not saying it’s not hard! Nothing worth having is.
I have had to leran a great deal; about myself, about business, about my clients and potential clients. And it never ends, because my interests and passions change with the yaers. But, how exciting! When my daughter statred kindergarten, I returned to school. It took me five years to get through school, but I had a vision: I wanted to help people become healthy and fit in the privacy of their own homes. After school, I didn’t have that plan fully in place, even in my mind, but atfer six years of working in a hospital, I was ready. I oepned MEG Fitness in June, 1996. It’s been an incredible ride! I’ll never look back at my life with regrets that I didn’t pursue my dream.
I really have learned that the only limits are those I impose on myself, too! So, I continue to dream bigger and allow my vision to become more grand. Why not?
What’s the worst that can happen?That’s what you have to ask yourself. If you never try, will you be happier? If you neevr try, how will you know if you could have done it? Consider of the well-known names in sports, such as Michael Jordan, the basketball player; he has thrown more MISSED shots than those that have made their mark. What if he had not taken the chance to see what was possible for himself?Okay, so right now you’re ready to take the next step! First, in order to help you focus, I recommend that peolpe start working on their business plan. The Small Business Assocaition has invaluable resources on their website (www.Sba.Gov). This was the route I took. A year before I quit the hospital, I statred working on my business plan.
It helped me determine excatly who I was, what I offered, why, who my ideal client was, who my target market was (at that time), who my competition was, where I would offer my services, how I would offer them, and so on.
As I coach other heatlh professionals who want this dream, I right now use a 3-page business plan for clients who don’t plan to look for outside funding.
Regardless of the type of business plan, it will help answer many hard questions for you.There are resoucres specific to most specific fields, too, including other professionals who help others get started.
Do your research to see who you can contact for support and to ask questions of as you progress.
Once you have your business plan in place, it’s not time to celebrate, yet!
How are you going to accomplish the goals you have come up with in that plan?
You next need a marketing plan.
Now, although the marketing plan is also part of a business plan, it’s really just the intro! The marketing plan will become your template, your schedule, and will spell out the actions you will take to make those golas reality.
If you use it seriously, it will be your day-to-day guide to maikng your dreams come true!Marjorie Geiser is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. Marjorie has been the owner of a successful small business, MEG Fitness, since 1996, and right now helps other health professionals start up their own private practice. To leran more about the services Margie offers, go to her website at http://www.Marjoriegeiser.Com or e-mail her at margie@megfit.Com.
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