Start: How to Get Your Business Underway - Brossura

Duncan, Kevin

Brossura

ISBN 10: 1841127949 ISBN 13: 9781841127941

Casa editrice: Capstone Ltd, 2008

Riassunto

Start is a one-stop guide to getting your business of the ground. Written by someone who has actually been there and done it, it gets straight to the heart of launching your business, with no-nonsense ideas to help you start out with confidence and a clear direction. Pick up some essential tips like:<br /> * Start with the idea. What is it and how will it realise your ambitions?What is the long-term plan? If you don't know where you are going then you won't get there.<br /> * Simplicity is the key. Don't overcomplicate things so that the idea is pecked to death by ducks. If you can write it on a postcard and explain it to your mum, then you can get started.<br /> * Make clear plans. Draw up One-page business and personal plans to work out what you want in the simplest and clearest possible way.<br /> * Decide what you want. Flush out whether you are building to sell, or just want the business to fund your lifestyle, then take the leap of faith and get it underway. Work hard, but don't confuse being busy with being effective.<br /> * Learn from experience. Realise when you are gaining speed but losing altitude, and have the courage to change things when they aren't working well.<br /> <br /> All vital stuff, packaged and presented in a way that will help you put it into practice right away. So what are you waiting for? It's time to Start.

Su questo libro

Informazioni sull?autore

<b>Kevin Duncan</b> is a business adviser, marketing expert and author. He was educated at Oxford and has worked in communications for 25 years, advising companies such as British Airways, Carlsberg-Tetley, Diageo, Heineken, Lloyds TSB, Marks & Spencer, Norwich Union, Reuters, Scottish Courage, Sony, and Virgin. <p>He has hands-on knowledge of how to run most types of business, and has worked with over 200 clients in almost every category (except Tobacco, which he won't work on). He has deployed 600m of funds on more than 200 brands, overseen over 1,000 projects, and won 35 awards for creativity and effectiveness.</p> <p>Kevin is the author of Running Your Own Business and Growing Your Business and teaches at Canterbury University. For the last eight years he has been an independent troubleshooter, working on his own as Expert Advice, advising companies how to run their businesses.</p>

Dalla quarta di copertina

It doesn't t matter what&#160; you start with - an idea to fill a gap in the market, boredom with your current job, or a desire to be your own boss. What matter sis that you stop dreaming and start doing.

You don't need to be a master mathematician to work out whether your business idea has a decent chance of working out or not. Nor do you have to research and validate every minute detail of your business models before you can launch it successfully. We have all met people who dream of starting their business 'one day' but who never quite get round to it.

With plenty of practical advice and user-friendly tips, Start will help you ask yourself the questions that need asking before you get going.

No more excuses. this could be the start of something great.

Estratto. © Ristampato con autorizzazione. Tutti i diritti riservati.

Start

How to get your business underwayBy Kevin Duncan

John Wiley & Sons

Copyright © 2008 Kevin Duncan
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-8411-2794-1

Chapter One

Starting from Scratch

This chapter covers many of the reasons for starting a business. Ignore everyone else, what do you want to do? What are you really passionate about in life? Going to work could be like going to play if you choose the right line of work. Questions you have to address include: what exactly is the idea, what will your business be, why do your customers need you, and will your idea make money? A poor plan, even if brilliantly executed, is still a poor plan. Are you in the mood for change?

Ignore everyone else, what do you want to do?

Starting from scratch is a scary thing. Here I sit in front of an empty desk with a book to write. It's the second of January and you have no business, no customers, and no tangible manifestation of your brilliant idea. Don't panic. A lot of us have been there. You are not alone. Put the kettle on - we've got some serious thinking to do.

Frankly, when it comes to the matter of starting your own business, for once we are not remotely interested in anyone else's opinion. Ignore everyone else. What do you want to do? Don't rush the answer. If you do, you may well end up doing something that is less than satisfying. No, go for the thing that you really fancy. Don't worry at this stage about how you are going to do it. Just focus on the main point, and keep looking at it until you are satisfied that it is right for you.

This book is all about you and your aspirations, and to help navigate you through how to realize them, I have asked lots of other people what they went through and why they bothered. The full survey is in Appendix II, so you can go into more detail if a particular story fascinates you, but I have drawn out the main themes as we go along so we can learn from others and confirm that everyone goes through what you will.

Reasons for starting a business

So let's begin by looking at why people bother to go to all the trouble of starting their own business in the first place. In the survey I asked five questions. The first was What made you start your business? Over sixty people answered, so we have quite a decent spread of opinion to work with. The range of reasons for starting a business is fascinating:

I hated my boss.

Couldn't stand the politics.

Frustration with current job.

Got fired or made redundant.

Convinced there must be a better way.

Wanted to be my own boss/have more control.

The chance to use my brain for my own benefit.

Run my life as I want.

Life changes everything.

Wanted to take a risk.

Always wanted to.

Wanted the challenge.

Wanted to create my own dream job.

Spotted an opportunity.

Had a safety net.

Wanted to make a lot of money.

A combination of fear and ambition.

I should stress that this is not a quantitative survey, so there is no particular order or bias to the answers. Let's work through them to see what we can learn, and so that you can work out what your own reasons are.

I hated my boss

Shocking, but true. Many people cite as their main reason for setting up a business the fact that they couldn't stand their boss. Some bosses are undoubtedly incompetent, but the comment mainly seems to refer to their unacceptable behaviour-boorish approaches, bullying, sexism, arrogance, a despotic, dominating style - you name it. No matter what corporations do to prevent this appalling activity, some bad apples always seem to slip through the net. No one should have to put up with this sort of behaviour, and many don't. How about you? To see how this sort of approach from inappropriate bosses can spur someone on to start their business, take at look at the story of Julian Saunders:

"What motivated me to start my own business was a desire for freedom from corporate life, prompted by the truly loathsome experience of working under my previous boss. It confirmed what I already knew in my heart of hearts. I could not put up with all the nonsense of big ad agencies any more. I had grown out of it."

Julian's full story is in Appendix II. Recognize any symptoms from your current job?

Couldn't stand the politics

This is not the same as hating your boss or being subjected to unreasonable working practices. Political companies foster an atmosphere in which people do not say what they mean. Or they don't mean what they say. Either way, if you value your honesty and integrity (see Chapter 5), then you won't be able to tolerate this type of environment for very long. In my experience, there are two main things that happen when an individual can't stand a political environment.

1. You don't say what you mean and end up hating yourself.

2. You say what you mean and eventually get fired.

If it's the first, then you may be in the right frame of mind to set up your own business. If it's the second, then read on, we've all been there.

Frustration with current job

You might not hate your boss and you might not work in a particularly political company, but you might still find large chunks of it deeply frustrating. The question is: to what extent? Mild, occasional frustrations may be natural and tolerable. Deep-seated and near-permanent frustration may mean it is time to move on. Millions have, and just think how much happier you could be.

Got fired or made redundant

I was made redundant three times in the 1990s. I was variously described as "surplus to requirements", "culturally incompatible" and "a mistake". It's charming, isn't it? And here I am offering my advice to the world! If my former employers were right, you had better stop reading now. Seriously though, there is no stigma any more to being chucked out by companies. It is even possible that the people who got rid of you may well since have suffered the same indignity themselves. So don't beat yourself up. If you want confirmation that millions have been in the same boat, read some of the experiences in Appendix II. Then take a deep breath and set about designing a much more rewarding life for yourself.

I am, or I became, unemployable

How brilliant is this? Many of our respondents have reached the conclusion that they simply aren't employable any more. Musicians and artists in particular will argue that they could never, ever "work for the man". Tim Ellis, a musician, writer and producer, says simply:

"I'm unemployable."

These types of people never even try normal employment. They just know that they would tell their boss where to stick it by lunchtime on the first day. I have massive admiration for this approach. These people really know what they stand for, and that is one of the most important parts of satisfaction in life and one's overall self-esteem.

Others, like me, seem to turn feral over the years, like cats that wander around our industrial parks and wasteland. Don't worry if this sounds like you. It's quite normal. As Paul Simons says:

"I believe that anyone who has created their own business successfully becomes unemployable."

As the years roll by, and as you experience the working practices of more and more companies, you will find yourself increasingly shaking your head and muttering to yourself: "This is nuts." If so, it may be time to make your move.

Convinced there must be a better way

If you think that the way your company is doing things is daft, then it's usually a short step to knowing what a better way is. Many who set up on their own are absolutely convinced that there is one. They know that the old way doesn't make sense and they can't stand it any longer. A bit of thought, a more flexible attitude, and the right approach from the start are all it needs to get underway. Is this you?

Wanted to be my own boss or have more control

Boss haters are often spurred to crave their own autonomy, but at a much milder level, a simple yearning for a higher degree of control is sometimes enough to push people over the edge. A lot of what people get asked to do in companies is hard for the individual to justify. For an extreme view of this phenomenon, read Hello Laziness by Corinne Maier (there is a summary in Appendix I). She goes so far as to assert that salaried work is the new slavery, and that the ideology of most businesses is no better than communism. A bit over the top perhaps, but the idea of being your own boss can be very appealing, especially if your current job involves doing all sorts of things for which there appears to be no decent reason.

The chance to use my brain for my own benefit

There is a close link between being the master of your own destiny and using your skills or brainpower for your own benefit. How frustrating it must be for intelligent people to find that their brains are not properly utilized. Or that their ideas and efforts are not harnessed by their employer in a fruitful way. It can be massively frustrating, and that is why so many people set up their own business.

Run my life as I want

Control, using your brain properly, running your life as you want. It all starts to come together as one thing. Those who hanker after these things have had enough of routine. The daily commute. The rigid working hours that bear no relation to the ebb and flow of the tasks that need doing. They all start to seem irrelevant. Flexible working has certainly helped a little. Some can do a proportion of their work from home. But still the corporate treadmill and millstone is there. Simple things such as the school run or waiting in for the gas man pale into insignificance when you run your own business. You can organize it all as you want it, and, to be honest, what grown-up, sentient being wouldn't want to do that?

Life changes everything

Moments in life can also be the trigger that fires the self-employed gun. Many women specify pregnancy as a fundamental reason why they stopped working for corporations. They simply use it as a neat way to bookend their conventional career and move onto something more fulfilling and flexible. Sometimes that means providing a mini version of what they originally did for the company. Other times, it's a complete relaunch in a totally new field. Lots of parents also set up their own businesses because they want to see their children grow up. The majority of these used to be women, but now many men do it too.

Wanted to take a risk

Look at the testimony from Andy Tilley:

"Reaching forty, being totally frustrated by the way my employer treated our discipline, ignored counsel and refused to change the structure of the business to adapt to the new landscape. At the same time hearing a story from a close friend who had attended Harvard. During a series of interviews with 75 men over 75, almost 80% said they wished they had taken more risks ... Had to do it particularly as a number of my clients suggested it and said they would support it."

So 80% of men over 75 years old said they wished they had taken more risks. It was their biggest regret. Andy didn't want to be lying in a hospital bed as an old man wondering "What if?" So he got off his backside and got down to designing his version of what a business should be.

Always wanted to

For some, the desire to run their own thing often comes as a sort of epiphany, or as a result of the types of frustrations we have been looking at. But there are others who have always wanted to. Many are the sons and daughters of self-employed parents. Look at the cases of John Hartley and David Turner:

"In the end it's not a choice. It's a compulsion. I'm the only child of two self-employed parents so I grew up with it round the dinner table. I just didn't value corporate jobs. 'Real' work meant being self-employed, not being a salary man. That was the apprenticeship - learning a trade."

"My Dad had done it and preached its benefits. Also, I always liked making my own decisions."

They have seen at first hand how it works, and when they experience the madness of company life, the contrast is all the more stark. As Tom Helliwell says:

"I wanted to run my own business from the age of 15. I have some narcissistic traits which means I often believe I know more than my boss, and often my boss sees me as a threat, so I always used to get fired."

Wanted the challenge

Some crave the challenge of running their own business from a young age. They always wanted to. But others find it creeping up on them. It can strike at any time. Some become bored doing the same old thing, with the same old (lack of) results. They need a new challenge. Others trawl around scores of jobs and just can't find any stimulation, and that's one thing you are never short of when you run your own business.

Wanted to create my own dream job

Dreaming is another regular feature of setting up on your own. If you can design the job yourself, then why not make it your dream job? Sure, there will be some grim stuff to do, but if it's all for a cause that you invented or believe in, then somehow it all seems so much more worthwhile. The simple act of licking a stamp and putting it on an envelope can take on a whole new meaning when it contains one of your own invoices.

Spotted an opportunity

There are some who simply say that they saw an opportunity and went for it. In this respect, it doesn't really matter what their circumstances were before they made the leap. They may have been running another business, or they may have been working for someone else. The point is, they had an idea, and then had the courage of their convictions to get on and do it. This will be a recurring theme in the book, but if you want to think more about that now, then go straight to Chapter 4.

Had a safety net

A few people are honest enough to admit that they had the benefit of a safety net when they set up their business. This certainly helps to reduce stress levels, although in some cases there are those who think it also makes people too comfortable and reduces their drive. The nature of the safety net varies hugely. Sometimes it is a significant redundancy payment. Perhaps a continuing contract of some kind with your former employer as a consultant. Others have husbands, wives or partners who earn and are prepared to support the household until the new business is fully underway. It's a magnanimous gesture and it happens frequently. And finally there are those incredibly lucky people who have independent means, or, put another way, are loaded and so can have a dabble. If you are one of these people, then I don't think this book is for you - you have to really need your business to work to be interested in the day-to-day minutiae that preoccupy the average sole trader.

Wanted to make a lot of money

Funnily enough, this is one of the least common reasons cited for starting a business. A few do, but far more say that you shouldn't do it for the money, but to enable yourself to do something you love. The money comes later. A fine balance, some would argue. For an exploration of the philosophy behind this, have a look at Chapter 10 and see what you believe.

A combination of fear and ambition

Some people are candid enough to cite fear or ambition as their reason for starting their business. Have a look at what Paul Simons says:

"In truth, a combination of fear and ambition. The fear was becoming a highly paid 40 something with my life held in someone else's hands, on a whim. Very scary. On the ambition front, I believed there was a better way!"

The fear seems to creep in as people get older - they don't want to spend their entire life in the thrall of someone else, and they don't want to end their days thinking "If only ... Ambition takes all sorts of forms. Even those who have been the chief executive of a huge corporation can have the ambition to do their own thing.

What are you really passionate about in life?

Much of it boils down to what you feel passionate about. If you are very lucky, you may be able to turn a passion or hobby into an income-generating business. If this is a true passion like music or sport, then the fit can be utterly brilliant. But more likely it will be some sort of subsidiary talent that you used to pursue in your youth or that you currently squeeze into what little spare time you have. What side interest do you have that could form the basis of your own business?

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Startby Kevin Duncan Copyright © 2008 by Kevin Duncan. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Dettagli dell?edizione

• Editore: Capstone Ltd
• Data di pubblicazione: 2008
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 1841127949
• ISBN 13: 9781841127941
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 270
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile