Is 2014 the Year for You to Start Your Own Business?
Jan. 5, 2014
More and more people are leaving Corporate America and setting up their own businesses. Some out of sheer necessity, and others in order to gain more control over their own destiny, and to profit more from their own initiative and hard work. It’s a scary thing, but people do it all the time. Is 2014 the year for you? (2013 was the year for me!)
A Simple Plan
You’ve been thinking about it for a while. The time is now to get the ideas out of your head, and onto paper. Don’t try to go it alone – assemble a team of others who have set up businesses, and get their moral support. If you don’t have those people in your circle, ask around, and find some – their experience and advice is essential. Goals, Dates, Actions – using these will help you get off the starting line.
See this excellent article, from Kiplinger, which helps you get a simple plan together: Six Steps to Starting Your Own Business.
Let Your Attorney Help You Start Up Your Business
Talk to your business attorney (not any attorney) about options for your business formation. Attorneys are also small business owners, who, in many cases, started and run their own businesses. They can make sure you haven’t made common mistakes, can help you structure your business to avoid problems, and can help protect it from creditors and lawsuits.
If you do work for hire, and use contracts, an attorney’s involvement is a must. A client says “my attorney makes me money” (in terms of contracts that reduce conflicts and which make project management smoother).