Tips For Launching Your Own Business

Written by Judith Lindenberger


Tips For Launching Your Own Business By Judith Lindenberger

This November marks my two-year anniversary of starting my own human resources consulting business. As I look back onrepparttar years, I am amazed at what I accomplished and learned. If you are thinking about starting a business, read on!

I always dreamed about having my own business, talked to friends about it, and imagined how it might be. But it was only after two people in my life gave me a push, that I started doing instead of dreaming. First, my former boss said to me, when we were both thinking about moving on, "I never looked for a job, I always went out and created my own." Given her advice, I hired a business coach to help me map out my next career steps. My coach saw my entrepreneurial spirit and encouraged me to start a business. So I moved from dreaming to doing.

The first few months of my business I spent setting up a legal structure, registeringrepparttar 104957 business name, implementing an easy accounting system, setting up a business checking account, establishing a line of credit and obtaining business insurance. Each item was time consuming but not difficult. The more difficult work was writing my business plan and marketing plan. I talked to professional colleagues and volunteers atrepparttar 104958 Small Business Administration and SCORE, and read books on marketing. The process was slow because I was learning alongrepparttar 104959 way, but I now use both business and marketing plans as daily road maps to guide my actions. One ofrepparttar 104960 easier and fun parts ofrepparttar 104961 first few months – for me, was working with a designer to create a logo, business cards, stationery, brochure and Web site.

I also started networking - an activity that never ceases. There are many organizations to join. The trick is figuring out which ones to choose. I finally decided on being involved with a half a dozen organizations, which can either bring me business or help me learn more about building my business or both.

One ofrepparttar 104962 activities I worked on for months was my "elevator pitch," which is answeringrepparttar 104963 question, "What do you do?" sorepparttar 104964 listener understands and is interested. Now when people ask, I say, "I have a human resources consulting firm. We help organizations choose and grow talented people. And we help individuals choose and grow great careers."

Team Effort Pays Off for Entrepreneurs

Written by Mike Menaker


Team Effort Pays Off for Entrepreneurs By Mike Menaker

Business owners should not be runningrepparttar day-to-day activities within their companies. In order to bring small and medium size companies to newer and stronger levels, systems should be running companies. Owners must be in a position to step back and focus on working onrepparttar 104956 business rather than inrepparttar 104957 business. The results can be powerful.

Through mentoring and advice, coaches help business owners succeed more and work less. Coaches serve a variety of businesses and professionals from florists and printers to chiropractors and manufacturing companies. Most entrepreneurs have few resources and few places to turn to get advice on sales, marketing and team building. That’s where coaches step in, not withrepparttar 104958 answers, but withrepparttar 104959 right questions.

Having an extra set of eyes and ears to look atrepparttar 104960 performance and goals of your business makes a world of difference. Working with a coach means you don’t have to go it alone. It also holds entrepreneurs accountable to someone outside of their business.

In addition, a new and less expensive coaching trend for entrepreneurs is belonging to an affinity group. Affinity groups can help business owners accelerate their company’s growth. The next time you are lying awake in bed at 2 a.m. wondering how to deal with your entrepreneurial crisis du jour, considerrepparttar 104961 following: find, join, and participate in affinity groups.

One ofrepparttar 104962 most powerful steps an entrepreneur can take at any stage in his or her development is to find a group of peers. Creating an enterprise can be a lonely task. If an entrepreneur is alone in creating a business (and having a partner or partners doesn't mean you're not alone), opportunities for learning and teaching are lost. With an affinity group, you can accelerate your growth and eventually give back your wisdom and experience to those coming after you.

Who Are They and What Do They Do

Affinity groups are gatherings of peers attracted to each other by a common set of experiences and capabilities, or "affinities." Normallyrepparttar 104963 group is a maximum of 10 people. They haverepparttar 104964 opportunity to share knowledge and different perspectives as well as providing accountability and developing their own network. Affinity group coaching is normallyrepparttar 104965 less costly option too.

Affinity group coaching helps business owners to:

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