New enterprise

Well today sees the launch of my enterprise training programme, Accredited in the UK and designed to get new ideas into the market place.

So where do you begin:

1 Know what you can afford - before you start any project that involves time and money or earning potential you must understand just what you are risking. The calculation is a simple process of understanding what you really live on, commitments and the business start up requirements

2 Create a timeframe to launch and work backwards - don't be too eager to get started because often people who just dive in are forever firefighting and having to introduce new systems and support because the obvious assumptions just didn't pan out.

3 Here is a real tip DON'T ASK FRIENDS what they think of your businessideas as often they think they will buy and they are the ones that want a discount because they encouraged you.

4 Prepare for the bad days - look for things you enjoy doing away from work to re-energise your efforts or the temptation is to keep flogging a dead horse, enter a cul-de-sac or just plain get frustrated when a couple of hours distrated thought and pleasure offers an easy solution.

5 Borrow money only when you are confident that you can beat the repayment dates by months - it is little use to you or anyone if you saddle your new enterpirse with debt or staff if you go through the start-up days rushed off your feet and then enter into the lull, agency staff if you need them or friends and family.

6 Learn to negotiate before you start the business if you start out compliant the first few months can be very expensive.

last tip for today

7 Make certain that you enjoy it - a business might be lucrative but if you can't enjoy it then you will eventually struggle to really put the foundation in place.

What makes a good foundation for a new start up business?

More later