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Want to be your own boss?
Starting a business involves planning, making key financial decisions, and completing a series of legal activities.
Check out our online 资源, and/or
make an appointment with our Career Center staff to discuss your options!
小贴士:
- Know yourself, your true motivational level, the amount of money you can risk, and what you're willing to do to be successful.
Sure, we all want to make millions of dollars. But what are you willing
to give up to reach that goal? How many hours a week will you work on
an ongoing basis? How far out of your comfort zone are you willing to
拉伸? How far will your family 拉伸 with you? To be successful,
让你的商业计划与你的个人和家庭目标保持一致
资源.
- Choose the right business for you. The old formula – find a need and fill it – still works. It will always work. The key to success is finding needs that you can fill这将产生足够的收入来建立一个有利可图的业务.
- 确保你想卖的东西确实有市场. 一个
创业公司犯的最大错误之一就是假设很多人会这么做
因为企业主想购买特定的产品或服务
喜欢这个创意或者认识一两个想要这个产品的人
服务. To minimize your risk for loss, never assume there is a
市场.
Research the idea.
与真正的潜在客户(不是家人和朋友)交谈
弄清楚你想卖的东西是否是他们感兴趣的
购买，如果是的话，他们会为产品或服务支付多少钱.
- Research your competitors. No matter what type of business
you are starting or running, you will have competitors. Even if there is
没有其他企业提供完全符合你的销售计划，有非常
可能是你的目标客户正在使用的其他产品或服务
to satisfy their need. To be successful, you need to
research the competition
尽可能多地了解他们卖什么，怎么卖
it. 竞争性研究是你应该计划做的事情
ongoing basis, too. If there really aren't any other competitors, it's
可能你想卖的东西没有市场或者没有真正的需求.
- Plan to succeed. 如果你不是在寻找投资者，也不是在为你的生意投入大笔资金, you may not need an elaborate business plan,
但是你仍然需要一个计划——一个明确你的目标——你的
目的地——然后至少列出一个如何实现的框架路线图
you'll get to where you want to go. The plan will change as you progress
并更多地了解你的客户和竞争对手，但它仍然会
help you stay focused and headed in the right direction. 使用我们的
business planning worksheet to help develop that basic plan.
- Know the Operational Needs. Most people who are thinking
关于创业，关注他们要卖什么，他们要找谁
把它也卖掉. What they often don’t consider is how the business will
actually operate. For instance, if you’re selling items, how will they
被交付? How much customer support will be needed – either to
回答有关产品的问题或回应那些
shipments haven’t arrived? 将 you need to accept credit cards? 将
you invoice 客户? 谁 will follow up to be sure you’re paid? 谁
将建立和维护你的网站和社交媒体的存在? 将
you be able to
use a virtual assistant
for such tasks, or will you have to hire employees? Even if you’re
开始一个小型的个人服务业务，这些是你应该考虑的问题
consider and plan for.
- Don't procrastinate. I've heard some people advise
想要创业的人不要继续他们的事业，直到
他们已经调查了他们要做的生意的每一个细节
开始，并绝对确定这一切都将工作和盈利.
这种方法的问题在于它会导致拖延. No
一个人永远不会把所有的东西都放在合适的位置——即使他们已经开始了
their business. Yes, you need to research the 市场, have a
准备好基本的计划，然后做一些事情，比如获得一个税号
needed, register with local officials, if required, etc. But if you try
在发布之前把一切都做好，你可能永远都不会有机会
to starting your business at all.
- Start on a small scale before going all out. 一些
people believe that entrepreneurs are risk-takers. But for the most
部分原因是，成功的企业家不喜欢蒙着眼睛走路.
Instead, they take controlled risks. They test an idea on a small
规模，然后建立在运作良好的基础上，调整有希望的东西，然后
discard the disasters.
- Don't fixate on mistakes or get demoralized by them. 成功人士与其他人的区别在于 successful people learn from their mistakes and move on.
他们不会沉湎于失败，责怪经济不景气，诅咒自己运气不好，
or blame other people for their fate. If the path to their goal is
受阻时，他们会寻找另一条路，有时会选择一条
different, more attainable goal.
- Learn from others. Find mentors, join groups with
志趣相投的人，尽可能了解你所在行业的一切
从你现在的位置到你想要的位置所需要的一切. 参加
industry conferences. Take training courses when they are available. 买
courses offered by experts. You'll save a tremendous amount of trial
通过向有经验的人学习而犯错误.
- Think of what you do AS a business. Keep track of income and expenses, keep business money separate from personal funds, 找出你的企业需要遵守的法规.
- 了解为自己工作和建立一个持续的企业之间的区别. If
如果你想建立一个企业，你需要开发系统和方法
这样你就可以雇佣其他人来做公司的工作
你计划好了. You limit the potential for growth if you don't bring in
other people to work for you.
- Get to know investors. 如果你正在创办的公司需要投资者来帮助它成长，那就尽你所能 find out what investors are looking for
以及在哪里可以找到可能投资你这种业务的人.
当地的天使和风险投资集团是一个很好的起点
参加他们举行的会议或投资者发言的会议.
有一个
elevator pitch 练习一下，如果有机会，你可以用它来吸引投资者.
- Put yourself out there. Ask for what you want (in a
礼貌的方式.我通过参加网上活动开始了我的网上生意
GE's GEnie online 服务. When I was ready to send them a proposal to
经营一个小生意的领域，我不仅可以谈论我的资历
一般来说，但指出我已经贡献他们的地方
服务. 我成为美国在线的早期内容提供商之一
because I picked up the phone and made a cold call. I wound up with a
在我和一位女士攀谈之后，我找到了一个新的咨询客户
sitting next to me on an airplane. Remember, people like to do business
with people they know. Get the ball rolling, and keep it rolling by
不断地
reaching out and introducing yourself to new people.
- Embrace Digital Marketing. Even if you’re running a
本地业务，你需要一个全面的数字存在. 在一个
至少，你需要一个看起来很专业的网站，一个电子邮件列表
让你定期与客户和潜在客户沟通
在你的客户经常光顾的社交媒体渠道上出现.
虽然你可能会得到很多你的客户通过口口相传，推荐，或
networking, you still need a strong digital presence. 其原因是:
潜在的客户可能会在他们之前在网上查找你
decide whether or not to contact you. Coupons, special offers, and
将实用信息发送到您的电子邮件列表可以鼓励客户
and prospects to buy from you or make repeat purchases.
- Never stop learning and trying new things. 是什么
现在盈利的公司，明年或10年后不一定还能盈利
从现在开始. 所以，不要让自己陷入“这就是我的方式”
always done things" rut. Keep your eyes and ears open for new things.
是否有更新或更好的方式来推销你的产品和服务? 是
客户 asking for something you're not offering? 有没有
different type of customer you should be targeting? Get answers by
阅读有关你所在行业的所有资料，倾听你的意见
客户.