4 Things You Must Do If You Want To Start Your Business In 10 Days or Less

If you lost your job tomorrow, what four steps would you take take to start your own business in the next 10 days? You will find four critical steps you can take to get your own business started quickly if you are so inclined, or if you find yourself holding a box full of your personal belongings while getting escorted out the door. Stay focused even when circumstances are outside your control. Smile and take another step forward walkng
a straight line to your next destination.

1. Do Your Homework

In a recent survey, business owners said that customers are the most important issue they face. Clearly, if I face a problem such as needing to attract more customers in my niche, I need to discover new techniques and strategies to hit my target. To learn new techniques and strategies for attracting new customers (or for new ways to cook chicken for that matter), I need to find out what recipes are available. My dinner guests will be disappointed if I keep serving the same dish based on the same recipe. This is where doing my homework comes into play. The internet is a perfect vehicle for conducting research for free. There are many free tools available on the internet for business related research, allowing me to drill down deeply in my niche. Ican use various marketing tools to see what people are searching for. I can download free reports on topics ranging from HTML to copywriting. I can subscribe to email newsletters written for specific niche audiences within my category. Plugging into these kinds of free resources provides me with valuable insights which I can add to my plan and apply to my business. And most importantly, I will be discovering what is important to my customers and prospects while coming up with new ideas for fulfilling them. And I do not need to spend any money. I just do my homework. Do your homework.

2. Pick 3 Experts

While doing my homework is a critical and valuable activity, it is important for me to evaluate several of today's experts and then choose a few of them to follow. I want to avoid common mistakes, so I emulate those who have already gone down the same path. It is important because there are simply too many experts for me to pay attention to in a meaningful and valuable way. My time, energy and money are finite. I do not have an unlimited supply. If I set a goal of finding three top rated experts to recognize and follow, my research will proceed more quickly instead of researching purely for the sake of research and bouncing back and forth between so-called gurus. Once I find the experts who meet my citeria, I take the next step of weaving his or her expertise into my thinking and business building activities. By selecting three instead of trying to follow dozens at the same time, I save time reading the right newsletters, save money investing in the right tools, get more personal service, and reduce internet security risks. Pick three of your favorite experts. Check it off your list. Subscribe to their free newsletters. Consider utilizing their products and services. Incorporate what you value and discard the remainder. And then take another step towards completing your next thing to do. Reminder: Keep moving towards your goal.

3. Set Up Shop

Either you are setting up shop or you already have a shop. If you are setting up shop, you need to pay extra careful attention to your pocketbook and cash flow. You need to invest your hard earned money wisely. You need to put your money to work for you, so you can hit your targets, utilizing your time, energy and money wisely. You must find a service provider who will provide you a full set of integrated tools including web hosting, marketing automation, software, and personal service at a monthly rate which fits into your monthly cash flow. You deserve value for your money. Settle for nothing less. The same holds
true if you're alaready up and running, isn't that so?

Brainstorming Practice: How can a commercial landlord offer extra value to prospective tenants?

If you have already set up shop, consider an annual or semiannual review of your process, vendors and providers. You may also want to consider evaluating alternative processes, vendors and providers regularly so you stay aware of new developments affecting your business and customers. Through the combination of regularly reviewing your current processes, product vendors, and service providers while regularly staying aware of alternatives, you will be poised and prepared to upgrade your business infrasctructure should the need or desire arise for you.

Brainstorming Practice: What are 5 things outside your control which may affect your business negatively or positively? What can you do to make money from them?

4. Attract & Keep Customers

Customers are the lifeblood of a successful business. It is imperative you master the art and science of attracting customers and keeping them coming back. Customer acquisition is one of the biggest investments you can make. Why make one sale and then fail to follow up with your customer and fulfill other related needs, resulting in missed sales and profits? If your customer purchases your products and services, you should foster their satisfaction and enthusiasm by anticipating their future needs and offering to fulfiull them when they need them fulfilled.

Brainstorming Practice: What are three things I can do this week to deliver more value to my customers, partners, teachers, employees, employers, friends, or neighbors? Pick a group and let loose.

If I bought a record player from you in 1982, how much sense did it make for you to stay in touch with me, providing tips on maintenance and care, updates on new product concepts, special values on replacement parts, offers on speakers, ampliphiers, and more? Business has come along way since 1982 both in terms of how people enjoy music and how business owners and marketing professionals attract customers and follow up with them. Now not only do I have an iPod at my disposal instead of a turntable, but I have state-of-the-art internet based tools available for publicizing my business, products and services to niche audiences around the world. I also have internet based tools at my disposal for following up with and filling customer needs in personalized and automated ways. You can do it too. The world is truly your oyster. Go for it!

Starting a business can be a snap if you spend your time, energy and money wisely. Remember to do your homework by conducting research on your niche, but don't get paralyzed with analysis. And remember to pick three experts you respect and trust to follow as your models. If they can do it, so can you! Don't forget to set up your shop with essentials for attracting more customers and keeping customers with automated marketing tools while paying attention to your cash flow. Finally, keep it simple. Find a need or desire and satisfy them. Use state-of-the-art web hosting, web design, business automation, ebook creators, and marketing tools to attract and retain your customers while
anticipating what they will need next and then make it incredibly attractive and easy for them to satisfy their own needs by placing orders with you. You win. Your customer wins.

Garth Bradley, B.A.
Garth studied Philosophy at the University of California, Irvine. He studied the japanese martial art of Aikido for many years. He's a member of American Mensa. He has won many awards for sales success at a publicly traded billion dollar company. He was recognized as Rookie of the Year in 1997. He was also recognized as Account Manager of the Year for Highest Revenue Over Target in 2001. Most recently, he managed a $26 million dollar line of business. He lives near San Francisco with his wife and son. He recently started his own internet based business. We highly recommend it.

Copyright 2005 Garth Bradley. Please feel free to pass this
article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or
newsletter. It's a shareware article.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Garth Bradley 1350 Hayes Street, Suite C4 Benicia, CA 94510 www.garthbradley.com