This post is part of a series called “Starting a Small Business,” where we look at the steps to start a business and make it big.
The goal of many people around the world is to own a small business. Just like many of you, I dream of being my own boss. I wish I could set my own hours. I would love to work independently and make a living on my own.
While we may have the dream, few of us have a formal business education or know enough about entrepreneurship to dive in and move through the process of starting a business.
Fortunately for all of you, I know quite a bit about starting and operating a small business. I grew up around a family owned video store operated by my parents in Aurora, Colorado. On several occasions, I was in charge of operations. I even came in to run the store when I was ten years old as our computer system failed on a busy day while my parents were on a cruise in Alaska. In the days before cell phones, they were not reachable. I just did what I had to do. I have also managed a small retail operation for the Boy Scouts.
I have started a few different business ventures in my life. Those include a bracelet selling operation and a rap group, in addition to a few web projects, all of which have at least broken even. During college I spent nine months as an intern with a financial consulting company in Boulder, Colorado. I was generally focused on small business growth projects.
If my hands on experience has not convinced you that I can talk about small business, I have spent six years in the classroom learning about business. I have an undergraduate finance degree and an MBA in finance. I have taken multiple business law classes, finance classes, and marketing classes that have focused on small businesses.
Over the next couple of weeks, we are going to cover a range of topics designed to bring your small business to life. We are going to look at finding an idea, building a business plan, testing and market research, opening your doors (or office or website), increasing revenues and cutting costs, finding investors for quick growth, and making a big exit.
Of course, this model will not be an exact fit for every type of business, however, it will give you a good idea of how to move forward and start making money on your own. Whether you are looking to work from home, open a multi-employee service business, or start a multi-national corporation, this series will take you through the most important steps of building a sustainable company.
I encourage any entrepreneurs to get involved in this series as well. Make sure to subscribe to updates by e-mail or RSS so you don’t miss anything. Also check in regularly and make sure you have not missed any good comments. Each business experience is unique, and I aim to arm you with the best information to reach your definition of success. So sit back, relax, grab a notebook, and prepare to start your own business.
Please read all of the posts in the series:
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