I am new to this web site - posted a question over the weekend - even replied to myself to make sure it was working (so sad) HA!!!
I have a great idea for a business -- but starting just seems so overwhelming - any suggestions for best VERY first baby step that I can build on from there -- I am determined to make this work !!!
Thanks !

I'm on the same boat as you.
Just curious whats your idea? I thought I'd be nice and reply, I've been trying to get some advice my self.

>I am new to this web site - posted a question over the
>weekend - even replied to myself to make sure it was working
>(so sad) HA!!!
>I have a great idea for a business -- but starting just seems
>so overwhelming - any suggestions for best VERY first baby
>step that I can build on from there -- I am determined to make
>this work !!!
>Thanks !

Honestly, my suggestion for the VERY first thing you do has nothing to do with your business directly. You need to establish your dream goal. Everyone has a different idea of what success means to them and the absolute best thing for you to do is write down (yes WRITE down, not type) exactly what you want three years from now, regardless of how those means are to be achieved.

It sounds a bit silly but if you keep your "dream" up to date and refer to it reguarly whenever you have doubt in your mind, feeling frustrated or wondering "why am I doing this?" ...this will give you the motivation and desire to keep moving forward.

It will get even more exciting as you progress and you start seeing your dream come to fruitation.

If you haven't done this, you're asking for a really hard, long road to being successful. There are of course always exceptions but for most of us folk (myself included), until I knew where I wanted to be I had no desire to overcome what I had to do.

That is an excellent suggestion - and I am going to do that in writing (not typed!!) :-)

First step is research your stuff(Contacts,Resources, Target Market, etc.,) and do business planning before you start on anything..;)

Thanks -- I am working on that now !!

The easiest thing is to start with your local Small Business Development Center. They provide tons of free help and are very instrumental in helping people start their businesses!

Good Luck to you!

As my daughter of the Disney Generation would point out "We're all in this together." (High School Musical). I don't know what your idea is but all the advice I've read so far is about the same I recieved. Check your local business resources for free help. Do your homework look for mentors. Libraries and Chambers of commerece are good networking spots as well. Knowing your ultimate goal is great but you also need to have realistic everyday goals to accomplish as well. Like getting a legal name, setting up a bank account, and writing the business plan. All a little overwhelming I know.A simple start might be to open a savings account similar to a christmas account. Put a regualr amount of money a month towards your business. It may be as little as $10. Just something to keep your goal constantly in front of you.

My business is crocheting baby items. The first thing I did was find out if anybody wanted them by giving a free sample to the doctor that delivered my kids. Within a couple of weeks I not only had interested clients but tons of feedback on all sorts of aspects of how to run a potential business.

Keep us posted on how things are working out for you.
Holly:)

I agree that you have gotten some great advice, and I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the local FREE resources like SBDC and also SCORE. They have helped me with every aspect of starting our business, patent filings, financials, etc. We love our advisors and they are available to us for as long as we need them. You might consider getting on their e-mail list so you can receive notices as they have lots of free classes as well as some at a very low cost.

I can tell you from experience that really doing the research, figuring out your costs, finding out if there truly is a market for your product/service is huge. (SBDC offers a free class that gives you the tools to do a feasibility study) which might be worth it if you haven't already.

When you have a question, don't hesitate to post it on Idea Cafe' - some many experienced and wonderful respond and have proven to be quite helpful for us as we still seek guidance!

So glad you are reaching out - best wishes for your success!

All of the advice I have seen from every one is right on target, the SBA, SCORE, SBDC, are all the best places to start with you biz ideas. You also have to think about seperating your personal credit from your biz and the best place I have found to help you establish your business credit is Business Credit Services. They are on the web and will help you get trade credit, incorporate, and even write a business plan to help you get up to 100,000 dollars in about 12 months or less. Once you have chosen a name you need to decide if you are going to need employees and if so you will need to go to the irs site and apply for and EIN and to your state for a sales tax permit. Check with you city and county and see if there are any permits you need and if it is a food establishment you will have to have health permits through the state health dept.
That's where I am now trying to open a cafe in Tahlequah Oklahoma and even with 30 years experience it is still a daunting task and every day something else I didn't plan on comes up. So Good Luck and most improtantly have fun with it.

1. BUSINESS PLAN-w/out one, you are all over the place with no direction. It removes the "overwhelming" and makes everything managable and breaks things down into parts 'n pieces.

It puts EVERYTHING on paper and makes you map it out in priority order.

To put it in perspective, it's like going on a trip.

You know where you are going (or planning to go), but without the map to get you there, you are all over the place, wasting time driving out of the way and missing turns along the way. A good, detailed business plan is the roadmap to success for your business.

There are multitudes of places to get outlines for free... online, SCORE, etc.

It gives you a place to put all those ideas (good/bad/any and all) onto paper for pondering, prioritizing, deleting, expanding on, etc.

Mine is a never-ending work in progress and any good one should be... you get your basics on paper, but keep tweaking it at every turn along your "trip" so that you find tune your "drive" and arrive at your destination in the most efficient way possible, but while making the stops along the way you need to make!

Best wishes on your journey!

And oh, nos. 2-+ are all BUSINESS PLAN, until that's done... once it is, that will map out your 2+ lists! :D

Try going to your chamber of commerce. They have lots of resources for developing, for example, a business plan, getting advice frome executives that are in the business etc. and it's all free. Best of luck on your new venture!

Good Luck, Del Mar:D

Try going to your chamber of commerce. They have lots of resources for developing, for example, a business plan, getting advice frome executives that are in the business etc. and it's all free. Best of luck on your new venture!

Good Luck, Del Mar:D

Try going to your chamber of commerce. They have lots of resources for developing, for example, a business plan, getting advice frome executives that are in the business etc. and it's all free. Best of luck on your new venture!

Good Luck, Del Mar:D

Try going to your chamber of commerce. They have lots of resources for developing, for example, a business plan, getting advice frome executives that are in the business etc. and it's all free. Best of luck on your new venture!

Good Luck, Del Mar:D

Try going to your chamber of commerce. They have lots of resources for developing, for example, a business plan, getting advice frome executives that are in the business etc. and it's all free. Best of luck on your new venture!

Good Luck, Del Mar:D

Try going to your chamber of commerce. They have lots of resources for developing, for example, a business plan, getting advice frome executives that are in the business etc. and it's all free. Best of luck on your new venture!

Good Luck, Del Mar

A business plan is the essential starting block


Joanna Swank
Marketable Concepts
jswank@marketableconcepts.com
www.marketableconcepts.com

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