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Starting A Business

Like owning your own home, owning and operating your own business is like having a piece of the great American dream.

There are so many stories and legends in our culture about how companies like Wal Mart got started from a single mom and pop store in a small town in Arkansas and how MicroSoft grew out of a garage to become one of the wealthiest companies in the world.

It has been the entrepreneurial spirit of this country that has kept the flow of money, and goods and services, moving freely and in turn, making this country the business powerhouse it is today.

Thousands of new business filings are made every day and the future looks promising for those who are willing to sacrifice their time, energy, and sleepless nights, into building a business that they can call their own.

As with anything else, starting a business can take on a life of it's own and it can be very rewarding. But like anything else, starting a business can be risky.

Unless you have the "Midas Touch," when starting a business,you have to do some serious planning and you have to be willing to do what it takes to make your business a success.

Question: What is the first step in starting a business?

Answer: You have to understand that the first step in starting a business is you. You are the one who is making the decision to go into business.

If you succeed or fail, you are the one who has to contend with the consequences, good or bad.

Starting your own business is not to be taken lightly by any measure because success boils down to what you are willing to put into the business, both time wise and money wise. That is why you are the first step!

Politicians like to use the phrase, "the buck stops here." When starting a new business, the opposite is true, "The buck starts here."

When I say, "the buck starts here," I mean that it literally starts with you from day one. Even if you are in a position to hire a president or manager, or someone to run the day to day operations, it is still you who have the responsibility of making your business succeed.

So before jumping into the business ownership arena, there are a lot of things you should know and a lot of questions you should ask yourself, and others who might be of some help.

Do the research. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Listen. Read. Take notes. And most of all, keep an open mind.

There are literally hundreds of books, seminars, lectures, self help videos, and tapes, available offering advice on how to start a business from scratch, buy an existing business, a franchise, partnerships and or how to buy a corporation.

But the one thing no book or seminar can answer for you is this: First of all, are you sure this is what you want to do?

If you are sure, then great. Go on and get started. But if there is any hesitation, maybe you should STOP and think this through.

Actually, hesitation may be a good thing. Many people go into business without a vision and without a plan. There are a lot of "what if's" in business and those "what if's" can spell trouble down the road.

Try to anticipate trouble before it gets to you and resolve as many issues, up front, as you can. By stopping and thinking, before you get started, you may save yourself a lot of future headaches when it comes to starting businesses.

Now that you know that YOU are the first step in starting your business venture, there are many other question that need answering before you take the plunge.

This is just the first step in the beginning of a long process that may take you into many years of ownership and relationships in the business world.