The Road to Small Business Success is Paved with Persistence

Starting a business requires you to complete a number of steps and make some key decisions. Though part of your overall plan, you?ll need to decide on a business structure, and obtain the necessary licenses and permits. In addition, determining which financing options will meet your short-term needs and long-term goals is crucial.

However, none of these factors make a difference if you don't pursue your objective with PERSISTENCE.

Business ideas may pop into your head from time to time, and if you think you want to give one of these ideas a go, research the may aspects of starting your own business. One of the most important things you can understand is that building your business slowly will help it succeed-many businesses fail because new owners overzealously try to build a large company from the start. In the end, you have a better chance of making more money with your new business if you take things one step at a time.
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Did you know?

In starting a small business you should never think you can do it alone! One of the best ways to insulate yourself against business failure is to find and work with a mentor, someone with business experience who can guide and assist you.

A good resource are the Small Business Development Centers which can link you to organizations to help your small business grow and prosper.
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If you business idea is something that people are eager to jump on board with, be careful that you do not schedule more work for yourself than you can handle. There is a certain element of supply and demand in every business, so be careful to try to balance this aspect of your company. If your community, for example, has no child care program and many working parents, you can consider providing a baby-sitting service. However, although 20 mothers may call you about potential openings, you cannot closely and safely provide care for 20 or more children every day, at least not if you are the sole owner with no employees. Although it is tempting to make as much money as possible, do not compromise on the quality of your service or product-after time, you may be able to charge higher prices or take on a few employees to create a bigger supply for your demand.

Also, remember to think your business through before opening. Do lot of research on your customers and your competition in order to ensure your business will run smoothly. You may feel rushed for time, but by building your ideas slowly and therefore more thoroughly, your business is more likely to succeed. This may seem difficult at first, since you will be spending money without making any, but attention to details in very important to be confident that your business will start on the right foot.

A final thing to consider is the amount of money you are spending at start-up. Do you truly need the best and newest equipment to do your work? Will you honestly have a use for billboard advertising when business cards might work just as well? Start on a small-scale. It is easy to grow but difficult to scale back your business and still make a profit. Overall, this is the main thought when starting a business-begin small and slowly build it up to its full potential over the course of many years. By doing this, you can create a strong foundation for a business that cannot fail.

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About the Author: Michael Saunders has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He edits sites on Starting a Small Business and Articles on Small Business Management.