As you think about your business there will be various needs that come to mind from office space and equipment to accounting, banking, and phone services, to production (if you are providing a product), shipping, advertising, marketing and more.  We’ll get into these areas in greater specifics in later posts but for now the very first thing I insist upon is to resist going out and renting office space, buying all types of equipment and entering into long-term agreements on services of various types.  Keeping it simple means thinking through how you can use what you already own and have to support your business.  Do not, and I repeat, do not buy or rent until you have waited at least a day or more after your first impulse to do so.  This will allow you the time to think about how you can use what you already have in new or existing ways to support your business.

Use part of your home for your office.  Use your existing computer and create a user and files under your business name.  If you have a land line phone then add a second number with a distinctive ring and make sure that your children and other family members know to quiet down when they hear that “other ring”.  Definitely get a filing cabinet (bigger than what you think you need because more than likely you’ll need the extra space at some point).  As for accounting software and financial management good record keeping is essential and the simplest way is to get a electronic banking softwere (eg. Quicken) and start to use this for your home and business banking.  I find that the essential part of doing your taxes is to have the right records.  If you use banking software you will accuretly and consistenly record money coming in and money going out.  The end of year financial bankingreports will enable you to do your own taxes.  I also recommend one of the tax prep programs to do your year-end taxes.

As for production you can, depending upon local ordinances and codes, use a section of your home (basement, spare room, etc.) or net work to find just enough space to make your product.  As far as shipping I strongly suggest the US Postal Service (Priority Mail with Shipment Confirmation) , or a UPS Store / Fed-Ex Kinkos.  Folks at all of these facilities are experts and can help you with getting your products shipped effectively and appropriately.  Just keep in mind that you may find yourself using one service for routine orders and another for 2 day service and even another for overnight or next day.

Advertising is something I am sure you immediately want to do and getting the word out about your business is an important and needed part of any successful business.  Again think this thru and first determine who your buyers will be or are and only then go to those media that you are confidant can effectively reach your buyers with your message at a cost that is within your budget.  Stay tuned for more on this later.  I will recommend however a book that I am reading for a second time by David Meerman Scott entitled “The New Rules of Marketing & PR”.  It is a concise and insightful sharing of new ways to use new media to get to your customers more effectively.  More on this later.

By always employing a KISS strategy into your business dealings you’ll have better processes, fewer worries and without a doubt a better bottom line.  If you do just some of the elements I have listed above you ‘ll have avoided unnecessary and needed recurring expenses and saved an abundance of dollars to use when you really need them.

I have been thinking about fear which faces us throughout our lives at one time or another and in business fear can cripple progress toward your goal if left unchecked or if you do not deal with it.  But like most bullys fear will not stand up to a direct confrontation and that is what you must do to deal with this unworthy “pest”.  Here are a few of the tools that I have in my toolbox to manage fear:

- First acknowledge that you have fears about starting and running a business and once you have openly shared this its time to get down to business.

- Visualize the worst that could happen.  Ask yourself this question.  Close your eyes and visualize your worst case scenario, see it in your mind and most importantly share it with a trusted friend.  Sharing is important because without doubt some of us have wilder imaginations and reality may not be able to mimic our worst case scenarios.  A good friend can be the sounding board you need.  In most cases you find that you can deal with the worst case scenario and even minimize the probability of occurence with straightforward management techniques.  If the worst case scenario is real and the chances high then I suggest you pause (not cancel) your plans and do the work required to absolutely maximize your chances of success. 

- Prepare for success.  On our EngravedToLast.com site we have a pre-engraved bat for sale that states simply – “Success is Preparation Meeting Opportunity”.  This is a very popular engraved bat I believe because many people realize the importance of preparation both to help ensure success but also as a way to deal with fear.  If you plan ahead, utilize your time, effort and money appropriately and prepare for contingencies you will enhance your probability of success several times over.  I am also an Eagle Scout and believe in the scout motto “Be Prepared”. 

- Do the research. Typically fear centers around things we cannot see, or are uncertain about.  The best way to get a handle on the future is to look at the present and make educated assumptions about the future.  This means looking at the issues and opportunities, the product and service that you have and doing the work of reaching out to potential customers to gauge their needs and reaction to your offering.  Once you open up this dialog I promise you’ll have greater certainty about the future of your business.

Fear is a bully that will stay with you until you stand and face this coward by acknowledging its presence, getting team / friends support, addressing the issues and uncertainty that feed fear and by getting prepared to achieve the success that awaits you.  Will’s dad was a wise man – watch the movie “Iron Will” and I believe you’ll be inspired.

In the late 90′s I took the Highlands Program which is a career planning - ability testing program (which I highly recommend to all who are seeking to find what are they really good at and which careers might be most satisfying and  rewarding).  It showed that I had ”High Idea Productivity”, which I kind of already knew.  The ideas for business I have had over the years after pharmacy school (when I coud think about things other than course work) amazed even me.  But I seldom was in the habit of writing my ideas down and when I did I really didn’t believe I could do it.  However when I took stock of the accomplishments I had throughout high school (3rd in my class, wrestler, Boys State, and in college (3rd in my class, Rho Chi Honor) I realized I had just as much talent, skills and ability as anyone else.  It was when I realized that I had to believe in myself that others started to as well.

My point is believe in yourself and your ability – if you doubt your ability just think about your accomlishmsnts…we all have them and once you believe that you can do something you can do it and you will do it if you really set your mind to it.  Use affirmations for yourself, ask others to be your coach, do what you need to do to put positive energy into your idea(s) and yourself and you’re ready to move ahead.    Now is the time to get organized for the adventure ahead.

But stop right there, right now!  Great idea but wrong verbiage.  Change that sentence from “someone should…” to “I should…”.  When you have an idea the first thing you must do is write it down.  I find that great ideas come at the oddest times, in the shower, driving along, sitting in a class, mowing the lawn for eaxample.  When you have an idea write it down because if you don’t, chances are you will forget the idea , the clarity of thought and specifics around it and you will move on until another idea pops into your head days, weeks, months or years later.  

You have taken an important first step by capturing the seed of entrepreneurship, writing down your idea(s).  Congratulations! What we do next is just as important.

We would also love to hear from you, our many customers, friends and readers.  For our friends who have purchased engraved bat(s) from us we often wonder about the story behind the purchase and believe that many would love to hear the inspiration behing the engravings.  Specifically we are looking for the story/events behind your gift bat(s) purchase.  What was the occasion?  How did the recipient react?  How did you feel when you gave that special gift that you created with the help of your friends at www.EngravedToLast.com?  Simply go to “Behind the Engraving…” section of this blog and share your story.

We also welcome any and all comments from our readers.  Your feedback, opinions, experience and perceptions are most important.  Thank you ahead of  time for your contributions. 

On behalf of all of your friends at EngravedTolast – Thank You!