This November marks my two-year anniversary of starting my own human resources consulting business. As I look back on 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, registering 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 at Small Business Administration and SCORE, and read books on marketing. The process was slow because I was learning along way, but I now use both business and marketing plans as daily road maps to guide my actions. One of easier and fun parts of 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.

Business owners should not be running 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 on business rather than in 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 with answers, but with right questions.

Having an extra set of eyes and ears to look at 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, consider following: find, join, and participate in affinity groups.

One of 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." Normally group is a maximum of 10 people. They have opportunity to share knowledge and different perspectives as well as providing accountability and developing their own network. Affinity group coaching is normally less costly option too.