There are a number of ways that you can substantially reduce or eliminate a number of the risks of starting a new business. Foremost, the best way to ensure that your new company will be profitable is to develop a highly focused demographic analysis that showcases the need for your products and services within your respective market. If you are thinking of starting a small business then it may be in your best interest to talk to local residents to see whether or not they need the products or services that you intend to sell. Prior to starting any business, you should complete an extensive competitive analysis that will allow you to understand how many other businesses are offering products or services that are identical or substantially similar to what you intend to provide.
One of the best ways to reduce business start up risk is to initially develop a website that showcases the services that you offer. You can then advertise this website by using popular pay per click programs to drive traffic to this website. If you receive a significant amount of inquiries regarding your services then you may be able to effectively start your company as a home based business before you move into a formal location. Many highly successful companies initially started as home based businesses. As such, if you are able to provide your services from your home then you will be in an excellent position to determine whether or not you should continue to grow and expand this business in a formal capacity. However, it should be noted that using this type of technique is only appropriate for new businesses that offer services.
Additionally, you can always hire a market research firm or business development company to complete an economic viability analysis on your behalf. These companies will essentially use a number of methodologies regarding whether or not a business will be viable from the onset of operations. It should be noted that the expense of using these types of services is extremely high. A formal opinion as to the potential profitability of a business can cost upwards of $5,000. However, this cost is small compared to the typical start up costs associated with launching a new business venture. Of course, it is important to note that very few businesses become profitable within the first six months of operation. These companies will provide you with expert advice as to whether or not there is a significant demand for the products and services that you will sell through your company.
If you are primarily engaged in the sale of products then it may be in your best interest to use a popular third party website that will allow you to sell your products without having to go through the expense of launching a traditional retail location. If you intend to sell products online then you can expect a highly competitive market. One of the ways that companies that sell products online have become successful is …
When people talk about starting their own business, the fear of the risk involved is often the key factor holding them back. There is an assumption that launching a business is akin to gambling – one unlucky roll of the dice and everything will come crashing down. They believe that anyone willing to go out on their own must have an incredible tolerance for risk or a substantial lack of fear. In fact, the most successful entrepreneurs are relatively risk-averse. There is a lot at stake when you put everything you have into the next great business idea, and true entrepreneurs work hard to mitigate every potential threat before it becomes an issue.
Four of the most common risk-related concerns are financial, lifestyle, career, and ego. Of course, there is some inherent risk in going out on your own, but there are legitimate ways to manage and mitigate those threats. This article discusses the realities of lifestyle risk and what you can do to manage that risk before you dive in to the world of entrepreneurship.
The perceptions of lifestyle risks tend to be relatively accurate. Most people understand that starting a business requires sacrifice – time, spending habits, heightened stress. During the early stages of any new business, the founder is going to spend every waking moment and a good portion of sleeping time obsessing about all that needs to be done. Your time may be more flexible, but for every one of your kids’ soccer games you attend, those hours of work will likely be made up in the wee morning hours. The responsibility of entrepreneurship can weigh heavily as well, leaving many business owners a walking ball of stress. And, depending on your financial situation, you and your family may be enjoying Ramen noodles for every meal during the earliest stages of your venture.
The trick to handling these lifestyle changes is to acknowledge their reality and consciously manage them as best you can. Keep the lines of communication open with your spouse or partner, family and friends. Become obsessive about managing your time and what needs to be done next and work through your to-do lists as efficiently as possible. Know that you will be working 82 hours a day most days and that you will constantly feel under pressure. Then make a plan to deal with those facts.
Give yourself a break. Do the things that you need to do to take care of your physical and mental health. Block out time to exercise, schedule important family events and treat them like mandatory meetings. Keep a pen and notepad with you to jot down ideas or tasks that are distracting you. If you are feeling particularly stressed, take a step back and do something that relieves stress for you. At the start or end of each day, reset your priorities and make a plan. Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day and focus on completing those tasks. Reward yourself when important milestones …
It takes a lot of courage to quit your job and run up your credit cards just to start a business. Some people would even say it’s downright risky. This is all before you even know if the business will be successful or not.
It’s normal to be risk averse. It usually means venturing out of your comfort zone. Most people like staying their comfort zone. Entrepreneurs can’t stay there. They have to take some risks.
A person’s risk-taking potential is influenced by several factors, including their environment, genetics, and their past experiences. What gives one person a thrill might make another run for cover. Some adrenaline junkies out there are hard-wired to take risks. You see them climbing up the sides of tall buildings or jumping out of airplanes. Most people will take small risks if they know there is going to be a good payoff on their investment at the end.
We all have an enzyme in our brains called monoamine oxidase (MAO). This is what keeps our impulses in check. People who have a shortage of it are more likely to be risk takers.
So, to answer the question about whether entrepreneurs are risk takers… it depends. Are you someone who always chases after the “get rich quick” schemes? Are you the kind of person who takes calculated risks to make your business better? If you don’t take some risks, you’ll never know your true potential. In that sense, all entrepreneurs are risk-takers. It just depends on the degree.
You can’t be stuck in neutral for fear of making the wrong decision. You might miss the best opportunity out there.
Entrepreneurs have to make decisions every day. Make the right decision and you could become very wealthy. Make the wrong one and you could become bankrupt. It’s enough to stress out the calmest of us. It’s always going to have some uncertainty associated with it. If we could predict the future we would all be rich.
A good entrepreneur will learn from the bad decisions and correct them quickly. They will also be less likely to repeat the bad decisions. And they will learn to trust their gut to figure out the right path.
Copyright (c) 2010 Julie Austin…