As an upcoming professional almost entering into the workforce, I am becoming more aware of consumer needs. Therefore, I am seeing a lot of business opportunities for entrepreneurs. In fact, I may want to start my own business in the near future, but how? Creating a new business takes a lot of initiative, time, effort, and patience.
Yet, I stumbled upon some advice in my International Business book that is valuable:
- Don’t rush familiarity: when addressing people in the business world, always be formal (unless you know them on a personal basis). Your first impression will often stick with you and your business.
- Build relationships: what matters most isn’t money, buting building personal relationships and being refered by someone who you’ve done business with. Build a strong network that lasts.
- Expect limited resources: use the internet to facilitate communication with businesses. You cannot expect people to contact you, contact them on your own.
- Establish who is in charge: establish who is in charge of all aspects of the business. When contacting other business professionals it is important that the person in charge communicates with them instead of a company rep
As I think more about becoming a future entrepreneur these tips are very important. Yet, succeeding does depend a lot on personal will power and perseverence. Although the tips above may vary by person, thinking about what makes an entrepreneur successful and developing a plan is probably a good first step.