How to Develop Your own Business

By: Joseph Juste

So you just graduated college and it’s time to start your career. But, there’s just one problem: you don’t want to work for someone else. It’s not that you don’t want to work at all, but you feel like you could be happier and do a better job than anybody out there who would dare call themselves your “boss.” And it’s not just recent college graduates who could feel this way; maybe you’ve been working at a dead-end job for years and decided that it’s time to follow your dreams. In that case, it sounds like you may want to start your own business. 

Owning your own business not only makes you the boss of yourself, but it also gives you the opportunity to do what you want. This article will not only help you develop your business, but also maintain it and assist with any problems along the way.

Come up with an Idea

This first step seems pretty self-explanatory, but in order to start a business you must have an idea. Try to think of something that you love or something that you’re passionate about. That way, when you start trying to build your business up, it feels like less of a hassle and more like you’re making your dream into a reality.

 Look for People to Help You

Starting a business by yourself can be exhausting. You don’t want to be stuck with handling paperwork and finding a place to begin your business all alone, so find someone that you know can help you. Ideally, you’d want to work with someone that shares your views and will be just as passionate about your business as you are. According to sbecouncil.org, 89% of U.S. firms in 2016 had 20 or fewer employees, so don’t get too worried if you cannot find that many people to work with.   

Find a Good Location for your Business

Location, location, location. A good location can do wonders for your business. You can have the best products on the market, but without an optimum location to sell them at, it won’t mean anything. A place that not only has a decent amount of foot traffic, but also fits your target demographic would be perfect. However, finding such a place won’t be easy, so stay vigilant and persistent.

Begin Work

You’re finally ready to start up your business! But it won’t be so easy that you can just open the doors and have boatloads of customers roll in. You, as the manager/owner, have a few tasks that are specific to your position that are key to running a smooth business. According to Zack DelFavero, manager at Manny’s Art Supplies, “The owner takes care of some of the product ordering and all the accounting aspects of the business.” But, it’s not like you’ll be working alone, right? Remember, you’ll (hopefully) have employees, and DelFavero outlined what their roles should be; “The employees work on inventories of the entire store, making up most of the orders, cleaning, organizing and rearranging the store and…work at the cash register.”

Maintenance is Key

Something that might be even more important than getting the doors open is keeping your store maintained. And “maintained” doesn’t only mean the physical appearance and cleanliness of your store, but it could also mean what people think of your store, which is something Amy Cohen from Groovy Blueberry Clothing Company emphasizes. Cohen believes that reputation is important and that the “golden rule” of treating others as you would like to be treated is key; this includes neighbors, customers and employees.  

Extra Tips

Now that you have opened your business, found employees and started work, the only thing left to do is run it. But if you feel like you need a few extra tips, both DelFavero and Cohen had some words of wisdom to offer. DelFavero says, “You have to be able to change over time to suit the needs of the current people who are supporting your business and know when it’s time to make changes.” Cohen states that you should, “work for others first, do not settle for sh***y merchandise or employees, take your time, save money and lastly, if you have a bad feeling, then listen to it!” Good luck and remember to have fun while you’re out there being your own boss!

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Joseph Juste

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