The current economic climate is making it more and more difficult for people to find a job. The amount of wealth lost in 2008/2009 is staggering. While our elected officials are stumbling to find a solution, it might be time for you to stop waiting and start working - for yourself.
Instead of getting discouraged, dig deep inside you and find that American Spirit that has prevailed for hundreds of years, propelling us into a country with one of the highest per-person productivity metrics and the highest standard of living. Don’t let fear stop you from going forward, instead, direct that energy into positive actions that might just give you the edge to create your own destiny.
If you have always wanted to start a business, do it intelligently. Our our present technological state, we can set up an office in our home, using temporary office space when needed for meetings or conferences. Voice over IP (VoIP) can aggregate many people located on different continents into a virtual office (hours are, of course, different). Professional letterhead or business cards can be created with a word processor and printed as you need it on a color laser printer. Your start up costs can be very small.
One step that I implore you to take before your business can be profitable, long term, is to create a business plan. You can download many pre-defined plans that fit your business for free. Spend the week that is needed to create a detailed plan, including goals, market penetration, competition, your startup costs, expected revenue, etc. This exercise will pay huge dividends when you are challenged, or, when you are ready to jump to the next step in your business development.
All businesses should be goal driven. These goals can include someting as simple as getting your first client, securing your first support contract, or just getting face time with prospects. They should be detailed enough to enable marketing, sales, and market share forecasts, as well as planning for expansion.