Livin' The Dream

Independent Startup

If you’ve got an idea for a small business, but this is the first time you’re serious about acting on that idea, turn to the experts: talk to Leo first to understand what a start-up really entails. They can provide you with a check list of things you need to do before you even open your door. And they can guide through the process to ensure you cover all your bases and don’t miss a critical step.

When starting a business, a great idea isn’t good enough. Small business start-ups need a lot more. Here are just a few of the things you need to think about:

• You must have a product or service that will be marketable, and in a significant way. How will you differentiate yourself from the competition?

• You will need to know how to run a business, and that includes marketing and sales, finance and accounting, operations, and management. Have you got that expertise? If you don’t, do you know how to get it?

• You need to always be thinking about the future of the business. This includes monitoring trends impacting your business, looking for the best suppliers, identifying innovative products and services that will give you an edge, not just today, but in the future.

• You will need capital – for start-up activities and for expenses that won’t be covered until you manage to break even. Do you know your options for funding?

• In the early stages of a small business, you must pay strong attention to marketing activities, an area that is much overlooked and usually under-estimated. You have to create your image, your brand. And you need to tell the public that you exist. Posting an OPEN FOR BUSINESS sign just isn’t enough. You need to allocate money for marketing, and if you don’t have the expertise, you need to get the help of someone you trust, to show you your options.

And all start-up businesses need a sound business plan. Get the help you need. Because there are various facets to a business, you should seek advice from experts relevant to each facet. If this is your first time out as an entrepreneur, don’t hesitant to use an attorney, an accountant, a professional business planner, a business coach, or a marketing specialist.

There are great resources out there to provide guidance and to help you think of all the details that are essential for launching your business and guiding it from a start-up to a successful mature business. Do yourself a favor. Contact Leo Wisniewski and get his initial counsel. Learn the steps you need to take to make your business work. Find out if you have the right stuff to undertake a start-up, because it will be a rocky road. But the results can be very rewarding. Just make sure you have your seatbelt on and an accurate roadmap!