Have you ever wondered about or are in the process of starting your own business? Well, I wanted to share with you some common mistakes to avoid when starting your own business. Im a mother of two beautiful children (Ishmael (4) and Sarah (2) and the proud wife of Eric Blakely. The best thing you can do for you and your business is to learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.
#1. Dont do it alone. What I mean by that is that for the first couple of months of getting your business started, you might try to do everything yourself. You may already love working on the computer and trying new programs, but even a computer geek needs some help along the way. Become a person of strong might and ask others for help and when money allows you to, purchase services from other experts to get the job done quickly. This will free up some time for you to do what you do best; continue working on establishing your business.
#2. Write your business plan before starting your business. I made the mistake of trying to get all of my products seen by others before even having a clear plan as to how I was going to market them. You need your blue print etched and stone to help you have a sense of directions. As the old saying goes; you dont know where youre going if you dont map out your directions. Thats a true statement within itself. Even if you dont know exactly how to write a business plan, start by brain storming and writing down your ideas and things you would like to accomplish within your business. Once you do that, get a mentor or someone in that field of expertise to help you create a great business plan. One place to start is your local Score Organization. Score is nationwide. Just go to the web site and type in your location and you can choose from mentors in your area. Once you have your business plan, you can pretty much see a blue print and have some sense of direction instead of just working.
#3. Do not tell others your plan. When you are getting ready to step out on faith and follow your dreams, not everyone is going to be in agreement with you. I had to learn this the HARD way. I would talk about my plans of how I was going to start my own business and be my own boss to just about everyone who would listen. I was so thrilled and just over joyed that I had finally found my niche, my passion, my dream, and purpose. I took my desire to make people smile, making gift baskets and turned it into to a business. It wasnt until later, that I added diaper cakes to put a spin on my business. I had people to tell me that it was not going to make it and that people wouldnt buy diaper cakes, and gift baskets because thats not a real job. You must let all that negative talk go in one ear and out the other. When other people say you cant, let that be your motivation to prove them wrong. So, the next time you have a great ideal or want to start something new, keep it between you and God and maybe one or two people within your close circle. Everyone will not believe in your dreams, but as long as you believe in them and in God, then he will definitely bring it to pass.
#4. Dont Give up! I can not stress this enough! Anytime you want something great or starting something great, there will be some obstacles that you must go through. This is where you have to rely on your faith in God and surround yourself with positive people. Your inner circle of friends and family will be there to uplift you when youre feeling down. Keep your eye on the prize and block out everything else thats hindering you from being successful. This may mean sometimes, you have to let go of some people in your life. This could be family members, friends, or co-workers. What ever you have to do to keep your mind healthy so you can function right, by all means, do that. I hope this will inspire you or even help you to give your business another chance.
