"START UP SUCCESS "
The difference between a startup and a hugely successful business is often a few years (or more!), tons of hard work, a pinch of luck, vision, and timing. The vast majority of successful businesses, corporations and entities were at one time a startup. That's right--the Starbucks and Walmarts of the world were once mom and pop joints struggling to get by. If you're an entrepreneur or startup yourself, you probably already know that over 90 percent of all new businesses fail. The odds are stacked against you, and it's one tough lesson after another to be learned.
- Have a Plan & Work That Plan...............
The first step toward starting a business is to have a plan in place. Most successful businesses take the time to make sure they have a blueprint to success, a plan. When you have a blueprint and a direction to go, you will be so much more successful. There are many free resources across the Internet that can aid you in structuring and thinking through the writing of your business plan. Once you get the plan in place, follow it!
- Don’t Try To Do It All Yourself....................
A wise business owner knows that they can’t do it alone. Even if you have a small budget to begin with, you can enlist the help of a virtual assistant or possibly volunteers or mentors. Get more on board who have experience that can help you in your business.
- Know Your Audience (and why they would be interested in your products or services)............
Who are you trying to reach? Who needs your product or information? Take the time to do market research and list out who you are selling to and where you can find them - both online and offline. This will help you both when creating the product/service and in your marketing efforts. Also, make sure you keep in touch with your audience and find out how they feel. You can easily create surveys and find out valuable information about what they really think.
- Get Busy..........
Don’t wait until you “have it all together” to take that first step - it will never happen. If you have a great idea and have done enough planning to know where you’re headed, go for it. Be prepared to learn some lessons. Be prepared to make changes along the way. But, if you never take the first step you’ll never know the joy of the journey.
LETS NOW SEE FEW EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENUERS
"CEO Steve Ells of Chipotle"
"I had a very strong vision for the way Chipotle was going to look and taste," recalls Ells when talking about the history of what's now one of the most well-known "fast food eateries" (sans drive through window). An art history major who went to culinary school after college because of his passion for cooking, he was inspired by the economic model of Chipotle while eating at a small neighborhood taqueria. He used what he learned at culinary school and while working at a restaurant to "really elevate fast food."
The lesson from Ells? Follow your cravings (sometimes literally!), learn first-hand from various viewpoints of your industry, and find a unique way to do something better.
CEO Richard Branson of Virgin
Branson's all about passion projects and has been since he founded Virgin at just 20 years old. "When I started Virgin from a basement in West London, there was no great plan or strategy. I didn't set out to build a business empire. For me, building a business is all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something that's going to make a real difference to other people's lives," he tells Business Insider.
Of course, you can't find success on passion alone. However, if you're a huge book lover with a degree in English but have zero experience in search engine optimization (but you hear it's a cash cow!), you likely won't have success in SEO. You have zero passion, zero experience, and a whole lot of competition.
CEO Steve Jobs of Apple.
Who would have thought Jobs had such a soft side? He attributes love to being a major driving force with hiring decisions. "When I hire somebody really senior, competence is the ante. They have to be really smart. But the real issue for me is, are they going to fall in love with Apple? Because, if they fall in love with Apple; everything else will take care of itself. They'll want to do what's best for Apple, not what's best for them, what's best for Steve or anybody else."
I WISH ALL THE VERY BEST FOR ALL THE ENTREPRENEURS VISITING MY PAGE....