Should I Start a Business?

For many of us especially those who aspire to be an entrepreneur having our own business may only ever feel like a pipe dream. However for others' it is a more realistic possibility. There are a number of issues that need to be considered before deciding whether starting a business is the correct decision for you. Below I have highlighted some of the key areas you should explore before starting your own business:

5 Tips So Entrepreneurs Can Manage People Too?

At the initial set-up or launch phase you may not have considered that you will need to manage others. At the early stages as an aspiring entrepreneur the only staff within your business may be yourself. However as your business expands it is likely that at some stage you will be managing others. Whether this is through hiring freelance workers or permanent employees at some stage you are likely to managing others'.

Tips to Help Entrepreneurs Delegate

In a previous 2 part series I discussed some tips to ensure you have effective time management. Within this I briefly discussed the importance of delegation. For the aspiring entrepreneur delegation can be difficult to master. However if you are to be successful being able to delegate is likely to be a skill you will need to be able to utilise. For many entrepreneurs one of the biggest reasons for not delegating may be a lack of trust or faith in the individuals you are delegating to. Perhaps you fear they will "mess it up" or that it would be

9 Tips to Manage Your Time - Part 2

As discussed in part 1 of this two part series effective time management is an important part of being a successful entrepreneur. This is particularly important if you are providing a service for individuals or businesses. You will only continue to get business if you are reliable and complete tasks in the timeframe given. Individuals and businesses have busy lifestyles and schedules and do not like to be inconvenienced. People and businesses will feel inconvenienced if tasks fall behind schedule. They are unlikely to give you repeat business if their first experience with you is

9 Tips to Manage Your Time - Part 1

As an aspiring entrepreneur if you haven't got effective time management skills then this is an area you will need to develop in if you want to improve your chances of being successful. Effective time management skills carry a number of benefits. For example you will utilise your time and resources more efficiently which will ensure you complete all the tasks you need to within the day. Many aspiring entrepreneurs find themselves wanting to become an entrepreneur so they can "be their own boss". Although this can carry a number of

5 Top Tips to Create a Business Plan - Part 1

This is part 1 of a 2 part series which will discuss some top tips for creating a practical business plan:

One of the key aspects which can influence your business idea as an aspiring entrepreneur is the detail provided within your business plan. If you decide you don't want a business plan at all then you are making the task of being a successful entrepreneur a lot more challenging than what it needs to be. I have previously written a post "Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail". It is advisable that you delay the launch of any service or product until you feel you have a comprehensive plan. If you are new to business and have only recently decided to become an entrepreneur you may not fully understand the importance of having such a

Top Business Tips for the Entrepreneur

There is no guarenteed route to success as an entrepreneur although as an aspiring entrepreneur you may spend hours (initially) looking for that guarenteed "proven system". To this I would say stop wasting your time on something you are probably never going to find. You will spend your time much more constructively and effectively if you research hints and tips relating to business startups. The internet offers endless resources for the aspiring entrepreneur. One difficulty can be determing the genuine information from a

What Are The Traits Of An Entrepreneur?

Although there is probably no exact blue print for skills, qualities or traits of a successful entrepreneur. It is likely that a number of them all share some similarities. Below I am going to state what traits I think are important if an aspiring entrepreneur is to become a successful entrepreneur. It is important to clarify that if you are concerned you do not meet these traits this is not a cause for concern. It takes a vast mixture of skills to be a successful entrepreneur. On that note I would argue that many, if not all of the traits I am going

Risk Averse? You Can Still Aspire to be An Entrepreneur!

In a previous post Risking it All in the Name of Business I quoted Lord Gulam Noon who in an interview with the BBC stated that "if you don't take risk, you risk even more" (with the rest of this interview available on the following link "Britain's entrepreneurs 'must have a dream').

Reading this quote really got me thinking. If you are a risk averse person this may make you think that you can not be an entrepreneur. Or it may make you think that if you do decide to become an entrepreneur you

Entrepreneurs - SWOT that plan!

There are many ways in which we can make decisions within business. Some decisions do not require much thought you get a gut instinct and make a decision. However for the aspiring entrepreneur this approach is likely to be daunting. When do you know if your gut instinct is right? Well you probably do not. Even the
most experienced entrepreneur wouldn't know for sure. However the experienced entrepreneur has one big advantage over the aspiring entrepreneur that is 'experience'.

The Health Promoting Entrepreneur

As previously discussed finding inspiration can be difficult especially if you are just starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur. However, it is always reassuring to remember that there are endless ways, places and people were ideas can be gained.

What about network marketing?

As an aspiring entrepreneur I am always looking for opportunities within business. Network marketing was one area when researching potential business opportunities which caught my attention. This was for a number of reasons. For example it would give me an opportunity to do something different and learn new skills. In addition I would pay what appears to be a relatively small fee when compared to franchise

Risking it All in the Name of Business?

What type of an entrepreneur are you? By this I specifically mean are you a risk taker? Take 5 minutes to have a think about this. When was the last time you took a risk? How did you come to your decision - was it spur of the moment, gut instinct, or did you quickly weigh up all the evidence to make a decision?

Curve that enthusiasm!

Enthusiasm, it can be your biggest allie or your arch enemy. It can be one of your best sources of motivation, it can encourage you to learn and try new things. Conversely it can create unrealistic expectations and goals leading to disappointment and ultimate failure.

Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail

Perhaps the title for this blog sounds a bit extreme. However you can be fairly certain that if you do not prepare your entrepreneurial idea from start to finish it might not even get off the ground.

It's an unfortunate but true reality that many businesses that start up don't make it past the first year. At present the aspiring entrepreneur is further hindered by the current economic climate. Ironically, if the current economic situation is to improve more entrepreneurs and small businesses is exactly what is needed.

Finding inspiration.........

Before anyone can start as an entrepreneur they need an idea to put into action. This may appear complicated and sometimes there is a danger of making this process harder than it needs to be. You don't need to develop the next Facebook or iPad to be an entrepreneur. If you can identify problems and solve them, share knowledge, be creative, or deliver a service that is of interest or makes life more convenient for others then you have a starting point which can be built upon.

The Motivated Entrepreneur

What is the key to success for an entrepreneur? Is it there talent, skill, creation, vision, innovation or ability to solve problems? Perhaps it is a combination of all of these attributes. For me (and this is only my opinion) I feel that all of these are important however the glue that binds these together is motivation. You can have all the listed attributes and never succeed if you are not motivated. Some of us may be motivated to succeed while others may be motivated not to fail. Those of us who are motivated to succeed are likely to use all of