Planning and Passion – Keys to a Successful Business

In today’s volatile business and economic environment, there are tens of thousands of people who have decided (for a variety of reasons) to leave the corporate world and enter a more entrepreneurial situation.  There is no one sure method of guaranteeing a profitable business, but if you lack the passion and the ability to put together a structured business plan, your odds of creating an enterprise that even has a slight chance of survival is extremely slim.

There are many key forces that can help you design and build a business that is not only profitable but will also offer your specific customer base something it can use or want.  Consider your personal interests before deciding on the eventual product.  For me, it was trading and teaching people the intricacies of trading various financial markets, specifically the Foreign Exchange.  It was something that interested me considerably and it allowed me to develop a business that people from around the world could use to increase their quality of life by becoming successful traders. 

Planning will encompass a lot of things.  Creating a business plan that maps out your company’s structure, financial assets and liabilities, the values and standards that your company will embrace, as well as your vision for the future.  This is by no means a comprehensive list of what to include in a business plan.  Study the methods of putting a successful plan together; perhaps find others who have already done so and personalize their methods by creating an exclusive corporate direction that would work best for you and your company.  Business owners who can plan for short- and long-term events and goals are also more likely to succeed.  Consider how you can make a distinction between your products and services from those being offered by your competitors.  An effective entrepreneur must be proactive, inquisitive, and totally dedicated to the job at hand; traits that will offer a better shot for future success.

Having said that, remember it’s your personal interests and passions that will guide you when deciding what your entrepreneurial venture will look like.  Maybe you’re an expert at bookkeeping or perhaps you love to cook.  As long as you are passionate about your product or service, you will have a much better chance of success than you would if you were lukewarm about your business.  You have probably heard it said that if you enjoy what you do, you will never work another day in your life.  If you enjoy something, you’re more likely to stick to it and put in the hours necessary to make a real attempt to build a new and successful venture.  Make no mistake about it, you will have your problems and you will experience ups and downs along the way but never give up.  There is nothing more rewarding than doing something you enjoy, while helping others through your unique product or service.  

Let me finish as I began – planning and passion are the keys to making sure you get your entrepreneurial efforts off to a positive start.  Without those two traits you may as well not even begin.  So, look deeply into your personal desires, goals, and abilities and start moving forward with your plan.  Small business runs the economic engine of this country; your planning and passion has never been needed more than it is today.  I wish you all the best at your future success.