Saturday, February 2, 2008

So You Want To Start Your Own Business?

So you want to start a business? You want to be the big boss, the big kahuna, king of the kingdom (eh hem, or Queen). Whether it be product oriented or service oriented, the process of getting started is all pretty much the same.

Research Your Little Heart Out!

I can’t tell you how important this is. It doesn’t matter how much you know about your product or service, (and for this post we will assume it’s a product) there will always be something you don’t know. There are things you don’t even know you don’t know.

Even if you know your product forwards and backwards, chances are you don’t know everything there is to know about taking it to market. You might not know very much about your competition and trust me, this is one of the most important things to keep on top of. You could probably learn a thing or two or three about starting a website, a blog or selling wholesale. The internet has so much on all these topics and from so many different sources; you are bound to find the answers to your questions and information you didn’t even know you needed to know.

Researching all of these things can be time consuming and over whelming at times. There’s so much to learn. Now, don’t get so over whelmed by the research that it paralyzes and stalls you. Once you have the basics down and feel comfortable hanging the "Open" sign out, much of the research can be done simultaneously. It’s a never ending process. There will always be something new you need to learn. Technology alone can keep the research "to-do" list jam packed.

The internet has also been my portal to many on-line support groups. It has been the matchmaker to many a friendships. It has also been my window to the outside world. Working alone, from home, can be…..well, lonely!

My Two Best Study Buddies

I have two favorite, can’t live without, research buddies. I just gave you a clue to my first study buddy. The Internet! What an endless source of information. Always up to date and just a click away. This is where I research pricing, trends and competition. But be warned, this can be such a time sucker! Oh how you can get lost in the links. You have to stay on task and learn to bookmark interesting things you come across that aren’t relevant to your current quest. I have lost days to browsing websites only to find that most of what I have read, although business related, was not on topic. My desktop is packed full of organized folders, full of links for future reading.

My second, can’t live without buddy, is Amazon.com. I’m a former Barnes and Noble junkie and I have probably spent thousands of dollars on books. I even considered getting a part time job once, since I spent so much time in that cozy little store. That is until I discovered Amazon.com. I love this site. Well, the book portion, I haven’t ventured beyond the books yet.

I love how they make it so easy to search for a book. I love how when you find one, they give you a peek inside the pages, the table of contents and even excerpts from a chapter. They tell you what the book is about, just like reading the inside cover. AND they give you actual customer reviews. But my favorite part is the suggested list of books you get that are similar and that other customers purchased along with that book. Many times I end up buying a book that I had no intention of purchasing otherwise.

Oh YA! Did I mention that they also sell used copies, for a fraction of the cost? I can spend as much for 3 books as I would one full priced item at Barnes and Noble. I never pay full price for a book anymore, unless it’s a new release. In fact, tonight, I bought 3 practically brand new books for under $30, shipping included. I have also never received one book that was in less than perfect shape. I have never been disappointed with a purchase. I’m a fan for life!

Soooo…..What Books are on My Library Card?

Here’s a list of books (in no particular order) that has helped me in one way or another since I first began researching my business. Don’t be fooled by the titles. No matter what product you are taking to market, most of the information you will find in these books is adaptable to just about anything. As you can probably guess, I’m addicted to researching and learning more about how to run my business. I often times have had two or three of these on my nightstand at one time. Hint…..if you follow the links, they will lead you copies from my BFF Amazon.com. Be sure to click the “Used & New” link for great deals. Enjoy the reading!!

Guirilla Marketing Series
Crafting For Dollars
The Business of Bliss
How to Turn Your Passion into Profits

Dream Big
How to Run Your Business Like a Girl
Girls Guide to Building a Million Dollar Business
The E-Myth Revisited
E-Myth Contractors

Survival is Not Enough
The Dip

Clueless
The Complete Idiots Guide to Starting Your Own Online Business
Blogging for Dummies
Ladies who Launch
Eat Cake
(fiction – but a very inspirational read)

I just bought these tonight and can’t wait to find them in my mailbox!!

No B.S. Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs
No B.S Time Management for Entrepreneurs

Power and Soul

2 comments:

Amber @ RuffleButts said...

Wow, this is a ton of great info, and so very valuable to someone thinking about making the jump!

I just wanted to stop by and thank you for the kind and encouraging words over at the RuffleBlog. I sincerely appreciate your support!

Have a great week!

Amber

London E said...

Thanks Amber! I just realized that I managed to squeeze in the word "know" seven times in the first two paragraphs. So sad! I may have to edit that a bit. thanks for reading!