Starting your own business

This is a comment I recently wrote in the Global Business Women group on Xing, the online business networking forum, replying to a lady who was considering starting her own business.

I was so surprised to receive several private messages saying how helpful that was! Fellow coach Trina Roach even included it into her own blog. So I guess it’s good to share it with you here as well

• Take time to identify your passions as well as what is important to you in your life
• Take time to be clear about what you expect from starting your own business
• Take time to identify your strenghts, your skills, what motivates you
• Take time to identify what you do not like
• Take time to identitfy your weaknesses and the obstacles you tend to set yourself
• Take time to decide who you would like to work with and WHY
• Take time to find out what type of business would really suit you, considering all of the above
• Take time to identify who will support you emotionally, and to be kind to them : )
• Take time to identify what tools you need to learn and master
• Take time to choose who will support you starting & running your business (a lawyer, a coach, etc.)
• Take time to identify your resources
• Take time to define a strategy and set up an action plan
• Take time to write a marketing plan (so many new ideas can unfold!)
• Take time to write a business plan – be very aware of your finances
• Take time to identify the best places for you to network
• Take time to network in any place you love, even if it’s not related with business!
• Take time for the people in your growing network
• Take time to decide what you want to focus on in your daily work
• Take time to delegate those tasks that you don’t like and that drain your energy and time
• Take time to celebrate your successes, and to remember them in those times things do not go as you wish!
• Take time for the things and people you love, including yourself: Work is not everything, and if you feel balanced you will have more energy at work as well.

Did I mention to take time? Even if you have great ideas and you would love to implement them at once, take your time to plan each step carefully.
Starting an own business is a wonderful adventure, with continuous ups & downs and nice & bad surprises as you go. If you get ready properly, you will still experience them, but the journey will be smoother!

Whatever you do, enjoy it!