The Idea Phase For Starting a Business?

Many people believe starting a business is a mysterious process. They know they want to start a business, but they don't know the first steps to take. In this chapter, you're going to find out how to get an idea for a business--how you figure out exactly what it is you want to do and then how to take action on it.

But before we get started, let's clear up one point: People always wonder if this is a good time to start their business idea. The fact is, there's really never a bad time to launch a business. It's obvious why it's smart to launch in strong economic times. People have money and are looking for ways to spend it. But launching in tough or uncertain economic times can be just as smart. If you do your homework, presumably there's a need for the business you're starting. Because many people are reluctant to launch in tough times, your new business has a better chance of getting noticed. And, depending on your idea, in a down economy there is often equipment (or even entire businesses!) for sale at bargain prices.

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25 Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs

Regardless of your definition of success, there are, oddly enough, a great number of common characteristics that are shared by successful businesspeople. You can place a check beside each characteristic that you feel that you possess. This way, you can see how you stack up. Even if you don't have all of these characteristics, don't fret. Most can be learned with practice and by developing a winning attitude, especially if you set goals and apply yourself, through strategic planning, to reach those goals in incremental and measurable stages.

The Home Business Musts
Like any activity you pursue, there are certain musts that are required to be successful in a chosen activity. To legally operate a vehicle on public roadways, one must have a driver's license; to excel in sports, one must train and practice; to retire comfortably, one must become an informed investor and actively invest for retirement. If your goal is success in business, then the formula is no different. There are certain musts that have to be fully developed, implemented and managed for your business to succeed. There are many business musts, but this article contains I believe to be some of the more important musts that are required to start, operate and grow a profitable home business.

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History's 10 greatest entrepreneurs

How many entrepreneurs have there been in the history of the world? Millions, certainly, probably even billions. These are the men and women who take capital -- their own or somebody else’s -- and use it to beget more capital. Some fail, some succeed, some excel.

With so many candidates to choose from, any list of the 10 greatest entrepreneurs of all time will necessarily be somewhat arbitrary. It will also be top-heavy with Americans, just as a list of great chefs would be disproportionately French or of great eccentrics dominated by the British.

Business is what America does. If that sounds chauvinistic, get over it.

Here, without further ado but with tongue occasionally in cheek, are history’s 10 greatest entrepreneurs.

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9 Life Lessons for Every Entrepreneur

Gordon Dean was an American lawyer and prosecutor whose distinguished career was fairly typical for Washington types. He went to work for the Justice Department under President Franklin Roosevelt, and taught in the law schools at Duke University and the University of Southern California. He was appointed one of the original commissioners of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1949 by President Harry Truman, eventually becoming its chairman from 1950 to 1953. 

In short, he's hardly the usual suspect to offer entrepreneurs advice in 2012. Stick with me. 

When Dean died in a plane crash in 1958, it’s said that among his personal effects was an envelope with nine life lessons scribbled on the back. These lessons aren’t about the law, or atomic energy, or foreign relations. Rather, they represent wisdom that should be shared and used by people everywhere.

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Read to succeed, write to teach

I recently came up with this quote last quarter while trying to read and study for a midterm in my economics class but never really dove to far into its meaning for me and how I can explain it to others so here is a formal explanation with detailed how-to step by step guides to become a more proficient reader and how to retain the information you are learning.

READ TO SUCCEED

1. By picking up a book or scrolling through the endless pages of news available to us on a daily basis we are not only… expanding our horizons of knowledge but constantly testing our abilities to physically preform the function of reading. It is said that 1/5 people in the world is illiterate or does not know how to read or write even a basic high school level. This being said is a very sad fact, my blog being about entrepreneurialism is a key product of hard work and determination including but not limited to knowing how to read and write. So the main concept I am trying to portray is that you should not undervalue the privileged it is to be able to read. By reading something new daily you can learn new words and broaden your knowledge about the world and whatever business it is you are trying to get into. There are resources available for every profession all it takes is a little bit of elbow grease so to speak. With my window washing business I literally practiced on neighbors windows and watched online videos until I picked up certain strokes that cut my work load nearly in half.

2. When you are reading your brain is in a completely different place. Innovation and creativity are flowing through you more naturally than any other part of your day. When I am reading, I am constantly writing down my new product ideas and thinking of things that need to be improved. It is not about reinventing the wheel but you can make a more proficient wheel that gets you better gas mileage, so to speak.

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