OT/Business Start-up 101 - A Little Motivation

I have been told on BL that some folks have limited internet access...so I am posting some info...just because I know that everyone can't surf to find resources


Top 10 Reasons to Start a Business in a Recession
More publicity. Less competition. Talent waiting to be scooped up. Here's why starting in a recessed economy may give your business a better shot. Do you have one good reason to start your business right now? How about 10? Regardless of what people around you (including the media) may say, right now is the best time to get into business. Just go back and look at the economic slowdowns throughout history. Most recessions in the post-World War II era last an average of 10 months, followed by growth cycles that last an average of 50 months. What this means for the startup is there's no better time than right now to get going and start pursuing your business dreams--in anticipation of the next period of growth. So with a nod to David Letterman, here are my top 10 reasons you should start your business now--despite the current downturn:

1.       Everything is cheaper.
Let's face it: There is great value right now in this and in world markets. This is the right time for fantastic deals in virtually every category, from land and equipment to commercial office space, personnel and labor. As asset prices have been knocked down, there is no better time to get into the real estate or financial markets, or even heavy equipment and construction. Some people have waited years to find value in these markets--and now that time has come.

 2.       You can hire more and better-qualified people.
In an era when even Microsoft is laying off, you can find great resources at affordable rates. Thinking about getting your high-tech startup off the ground? There are plenty of engineers waiting to be hired. Thinking about forming a professional services firm? There are many accountants and attorneys looking for their next opportunity.

 3.       People are looking to change suppliers.
From a cost perspective, everything is on the table for most companies. Even if your prices are higher, if you can come in with greater value, you have a good chance at winning new business. You also have the advantage of being the new kid on the block when it comes to pitching your products and services. Many companies are desperate to find new partnerships with new companies that have a different, better or more innovative way of delivering those products and services.

4.       Ownership equals tax incentives.
Business ownership offers a variety of tax benefits that aren't available to employees. While taxes should never be the sole reason to go into business for yourself, it should be one reason to add to you "benefits of business ownership" list.

5.       Family and friends don't want to (or can't) invest more money into the stock or real estate markets.
That means they may be willing to finance a portion of your new venture, or the expansion of an enterprise that has proven itself over time. The main benefit is that they know you and have a relationship with you--and if you have a solid business plan that delivers real numbers, your chances of raising the capital you need increase exponentially.

6.       Suppliers are giving better credit.
Because the credit markets have virtually shut down, the B2B credit flows are keeping money circulating out of sheer necessity. That means a bullish outlook for companies looking for good terms on stock and/or inventories. The main advantage is that all parties have more incentive than ever for finding true win-win situations that allow for cash and stock flow. When everyone is looking to survive, great deals can be had.

7.       You can get good PR by showing you are going against the trend.
The media loves aberrations, and if you are optimistic by expanding or getting into business now, you would be in that category. That means you can generate some great PR by demonstrating your "alternative" view of the market.

8.       You can buy everything you need at auction.
In addition to everything being less expensive, you can find great deals at auctions, especially in terms of any large equipment and office furnishings. Auctions are also a great place to find hardly used or "gently" used restaurant and bar supplies at great prices. These days, you may even be able to get deals on fleets of vehicles and trucks for a delivery service or hauling or construction company.

9.       You can find great "low money" or "no money" down deals.
This is simply being aware of good opportunities others have buggered up, and finding deals where you could get an entire business simply by taking over a lease (along with all the equipment). Many business owners want out at any cost, meaning you can negotiate great win-win deals that allow the current owners an escape while giving you an opportunity to turn around what could be, if run right, a very viable business.

And finally . . .

10.   You've lost your job, and you have to do something.
Sometimes, the best business decision is the one you are forced into, and the incentive (as well as need) for income is often enough to push those previously "on the fence" to strike out on their own. There's nothing wrong with being in this position; it simply means there is greater urgency to do something that will start to generate income as quickly as possible. There you have it: my top 10 reasons to start your business in a recession. After all, the odds are on your side that the expansion will be many times more robust than the present slowdown. There's no better time to start than the present, especially if people around you are more comfortable with their own list of reasons why they shouldn't start pursuing their own business dreams right now. It only means you'll be facing a lot less competition. Brad Sugars is Entrepreneur.com's Startup Basics columnist and the writer of 14 business books including The Business Coach, Instant Cashflow, Successful Franchising and Billionaire in Training. He is the founder of ActionCOACH, a business coaching franchise.

10 reasons to start a business With the right planning, effort and a little bit of luck, 2009 could be a great year to start up a business. But why would you want to go it alone in the first place? Here, Startups.co.uk gives you 10 great reasons why you should start up over the coming year. You are your own boss – Sick of your manager giving you a hard time in a job you loath? If you start up your own business, the only person you have to answer to is yourself. Being your own boss gives you the freedom to do things your way and implement your own plans. Of course, you live or die by your decisions, but that’s what’s good about it isn’t it?

You get to do what you’re interested in – If you are stuck behind a desk selling insurance over the phone to uninterested pensioners, the chances are that you would rather be doing something else. The good thing about being an entrepreneur is that you choose what kind of firm you start up, and where. So, providing that you’ve done your research properly and there is a gap in the market, you can turn a hobby or interest into a profitable enterprise.
 
Your firm = your deadlines – Clocking on and off in a drab job that generates profits for your cigar-chomping boss can become slightly soul-destroying after a while. Start your own firm and you get to set and meet your own deadlines. Of course, you won’t be able to just lie in bed until 2pm thinking that you might do a few hours of work after Kilroy has finished - you will need self-discipline. But meeting your own targets can be a huge motivation to work hard and drive the business forward.
 
Get creative – If you have considered going it alone, you will have thought out how you would do things your way. Being an entrepreneur gives you the freedom to express yourself and develop your concept in any way you choose. Of course, there are always financial constraints, but the ability to be as creative as you like is far more appealing than a one-dimensional job that a monkey could do one-handed.

It’s not that hard to do – The news is full of stories about the amount of red tape and taxes that small firms have to face on a daily basis. However, over the past few years, several measures have been introduced that should make it easier to go it alone. From the Small Firms Loan Guarantee to various inner-city projects, the government certainly can’t be accused of doing absolutely nothing for budding entrepreneurs. With the Prince’s Trust, Shell LiveWIRE and other support organisations also up and running, you should be able to secure the help and funding needed to get you started.

 It can be very profitable – If you think that it’s just large corporations that make big profits, you would be wrong. There are countless stories of entrepreneur****ting on a great idea, exploiting it well and being well on their way to their first million by the end of the year. Although the startup process can be tough, with long hours and little money not uncommon, if you run your business well, the rewards can be huge. And, from a purely selfish point of view, you will get most of the profits yourself.

 It’s varied – Dealing with spreadsheets one minute, suppliers the next and then having a look around your new office – an entrepreneur’s work is not just busy, it is also extremely varied. If you are uninspired by your monotonous job, starting your own firm will keep you on your toes and stretch your abilities to the maximum. If you want a career where every day is different, going it alone could be for you.

You can have a second career – Of course, if you don’t fancy giving up a regular income, you can always get the best of both worlds and stay as an employee while running your own firm. Although juggling the two can be tricky, having a successful sideline should be very profitable option. Do something that you are interested in and go for it.

 Cut the commute – Although most small firms operate from offices, many entrepreneurs find that operating from home reduces costs dramatically in the early stages. As well as providing familiar, comfortable surroundings to work in, if you are based at home you do not have to endure the daily tangle with public transport or clogged up roads.

The big dream really can become reality – You may feel that starting up a small firm won’t lead to anything more than having your own desk and taking on a few extra staff so you can open that branch in Bracknell that you always planned. However, it is possible to make it really big – just look at the late Anita Roddick, who became a Dame thanks to her entrepreneurial achievements. She started a small shop in Brighton on a shoestring in the 1970s. Before long, she had a chain of Body Shop stores across the UK and was launching her concept in the USA. So, if you dream of being the next Richard Branson, don’t dismiss it at a mere fantasy – it really could happen. What are you waiting for? 

 Source: http://www.startups.co.uk/6678842911032886699/10-reasons-to-start-a-business.html


Starting a business: What it takes

 There are no definitive answers, but the entrepreneurs, private investors and academics USA TODAY's Jim Hopkins talked with suggested these experiences, traits and skills.

Childhood experience
 
You didn't rely on allowances and other handouts from your parents for spending money when you were young. You set up a weekend lawn-mowing business — and hired friends to work for you. Or you franchised your lawn-mowing service idea to other kids in the neighborhood. "It's very common for adult entrepreneurs to be those who started lemonade stands or went house-to-house trying to make money when they were children," says Leann Mischel, a management professor and entrepreneur at Susquehanna University's Sigmund Weis School of Business.

Entrepreneurial genes 

In the nurture vs. nature debate, there's new research showing that the drive to start companies may be genetic. Researchers compared self-employment among 609 pairs of identical twins and 657 pairs of fraternal twins in the United Kingdom. They found that nearly half — 48% — of an individual's tendency to be self-employed is genetic. For example, genes leading someone to be extroverted are key to salesmanship — a vital trait among entrepreneurs, says Scott Shane, an entrepreneurship professor at Case Western Reserve University and one of the study's authors. There's also evidence people with dyslexia are more likely to become entrepreneurs. London's Cass Business School says entrepreneurs in a study of 215 managers were five times as likely as corporate managers to have dyslexia. Why? Dyslexia forces people to hunt for creative ways to steer through life. Famous entrepreneurs with dyslexia include discount stockbroker Charles Schwab and Virgin's Richard Branson.

Family support
 
Prepare for crazy-long hours, including weekends, during a company's start-up phase — a work load that's also taxing for an entrepreneur's family. And vacations? What are those? About two-thirds of small-business owners said they planned to take a vacation of a week or more this summer, but more than half planned to check in with their companies at least once daily, American Express found in a survey. "Starting a business can require 80-to-100-hour weeks," Mark Ciavarella, an assistant management professor at Bucknell University, said in an e-mail. "Many spouses/partners don't understand this and won't tolerate it." As start-up adviser Ralph Sherman of Createabank near Detroit said, you know you're an entrepreneur when "your family has been looking for your picture on a milk carton."

 Money doesn't motivate

Two of the USA's most famous entrepreneurs — Bill Gates at Microsoft and Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway — are also the two richest Americans. But they were driven to create great companies, not just huge fortunes. Indeed, Gates and Buffett are combining their riches to create a $60 billion philanthropic powerhouse in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "Entrepreneurs are much more interested in 'wealth' rather than 'riches,' " says Scott Laughlin, director of the University of Maryland's tech entrepreneurship program. Riches are piles of money, he says; wealth is broader, encompassing less-tangible rewards such as respect and independence. So, would-be entrepreneurs need to examine how they expect to be rewarded. "If the compensation is just cash," Laughlin says, "then the practice of entrepreneurship will not be very rewarding."

 Passion
 
You don't just think you've built a better mousetrap — you feel it in your gut, and know the world will be much better if only you can get your idea to market. "When something is important to you, then you know it with your heart as well as your brain," says Bob Barbato, a management and entrepreneurship professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. "You infect others with your passion, and they believe in you." The flip side of passion is impatience with other people's ideas, says Amy Millman, president of Springboard Enterprises, which helps start-ups led by women find investors. The would-be entrepreneur's attitude, Millman says: "I know what I want to do, and I know how to do it." Conventional wisdom 20 years ago said a black woman from rural Mississippi would have a tough time launching a career as a TV host on even the lowest-rated show. But one such woman went to launch her own company, Harpo Productions. And now, Oprah Winfrey is one of TV's biggest stars, ruling over an estimated $1.4 billion fortune.

Pragmatism

As passionate as entrepreneurs must be to drive start-ups forward, they also know when to cut losses. "Know when to give up on an idea," says Lou Marino, an associate professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. "Not every idea an entrepreneur has is going to be a home run." Giving up doesn't necessarily mean the business idea was bad. Instead, it might be the right idea at the wrong time — as was the case with thousands of dot-coms launched in the late 1990s before household high-speed Internet access became widespread, making viable all the offerings those dot-coms hoped to sell.

 Risk-taking

You know start-up success isn't guaranteed. Still, you don't flinch at the thought of betting your severance pay or retirement savings on self-employment. Would-be entrepreneurs are calculated risk-takers — like world-class mountaineers, says Vineet Buch, a principal at venture-capital firm BlueRun Ventures in Silicon Valley's Menlo Park. "They hammer in protection on the way to the top, but don't let the thought of falling slow their steps as the slope gets steeper and narrower," he says. "True entrepreneurs strive to control risk while still thriving on it." Martha Stewart risked leaving the safety net of publishing giant Time in 1996 to launch her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. She successfully took that company public, becoming one of the world's most famous entrepreneurs.
 
Strong ethics
 
Start-ups depend heavily on good first impressions when entrepreneurs hire employees, court investors and line up customers. In a hyper-competitive economy, any whiff of dishonesty can deep-six a new enterprise. Penn State University's Anthony Warren, who advises venture capitalists, says honesty and trustworthiness are high on the list of attributes he looks for when he considers recommending a venture to potential investors. "Who wants to be in business with someone you cannot fully trust, especially in the start-up phase where the stress levels are high?" says Warren, director of the school's Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, famously created a "don't be evil" mantra when they took their online search giant public.
 
Tech ease

Feeling comfortable with technology is crucial, because computers, software and other gadgets are key to launching a business in the fastest-growing economy, the service sector. Start-up costs there have plummeted as prices fell for powerful computers and software. Those lower prices came as the Internet let entrepreneurs tap global markets for engineering, accounting and other services. Setting up a small office with a laptop, fax machine, cellphone and other gizmos costs as little as $5,000. Add a professional-looking website for $500 or so, and you can compete with bigger, more established companies. But you can't take advantage of those lower costs if you aren't comfortable using popular word-processing, database, spreadsheet and presentation programs.

Tenacity
 
Sometimes the best business ideas fail to take hold — not because there isn't demand, but because the start-up was undercapitalized, or the entrepreneur lacked management know-how or simply gave up too soon. "If you really believe in it, you keep fighting for it," says Earl "Butch" Graves, president and CEO of Black Enterprise, the magazine founded by his father, Earl Sr. One-third of new small employers fail within two years; and 56% are toast after four years, says the Small Business Administration. About 672,000 small employers launched last year — but 545,000 others closed, the SBA says. A nobody entrepreneur who started a variety store in Arkansas in 1945 eventually lost the business when his landlord wouldn't renew his lease. But he didn't give up. "I've never been one to dwell on reverses," Sam Walton recalled in his autobiography, "and I didn't do so then." The company he fought to start, Wal-Mart, is now the USA's biggest private employer, with more than 1.3 million workers

Such good info and motivation!!!  Thank you!!!  More millionaires are made during hard economic times than any other.  The time is NOW!