1. Can You Start A Business Alone?The first reaction from many
people might be to say that you can, especially onthe Internet or
if you just sold some excess garden produce - simple one-manbands.
Certainly, the bigger the company, the more obvious it becomes that
helpis required.The first port of call, if the budding entrepreneur
cannot do it alone, is afeasibility study. A feasibility study is
necessary to determine whether thebusiness idea has a chance of
succeeding. It will also help you find a locationfor your business
premises, although this last step is irrelevant for theInternet
obviously.The feasibility study can then be used to draw up a
five-year business plan,which can be used to try to convince the
banks or other backers to lend you, ormatch, your start-up
capital.Then you may need an interior designer and a shop-fitter to
prepare yourpremises or a web site designer and programmer to make
your web site lookprofessional and run properly.Later, you will
need inventory for which you will have to find suitable,reliable
suppliers. Lastly, you may need staff or other forms of temporary
helplike an accountant, a solicitor or / and Internet support for
yourself and / oryour customers.If you can do all of these jobs
yourself, then all well and good, but mostpeople will not be able
to. Those the most likely to fail will skip the stagesthey cannot
manage alone to save money.So, can you start a business alone? The
answer has to be that there are not manybusinesses that can be
started alone. Lets look at some examples:A newspaperman selling
the Echo from a box in the high street, has to choose anewspaper
that people want to read; he has to choose a reliable supplier
thatwill accept his unsold returns and he will have to find the
best place to stand- his pitch. He will also need a street-vendors
license and a book-keeper.The allotment-holder who sells excess
produce will also have to find agreengrocer or florist who will
accept his or her produce, whenever it isavailable and at a fair
price. Tax should also be calculated and a return filed.Hopeful
teenagers trying to augment their pocket money on the computer in
thebox room need a reliable computer and a reliable connection to
the Internet.They have to find affiliate programmes that pay well
without ridiculous minimumpayout levels like $50-$100.In short, the
vast majority of businesses require support, advice and
assistanceat sometime or other. And lets not forget customers -
every business needs themtoo.There are two periods when support,
help and advice are most crucial: at start-up and when doom
threatens.In the book, "Behind The Smile", Leks mother, the titular
head of the familyfarm, after the sudden demise of her husband, is
faced with massive debts from abank loan that she did not know
existed.She did not seek advice and nor was she offered any. In her
panic to save thefarm, she allowed Lek to work in a bar 500 km
away, which led to her driftinginto the tourist sex industry.But
could the situation have been handled any better if professional
advice hadbeen sought? And would it have prevented Lek having to
move away? How many lives
2. could have been changed for the better?Behind The Smile :
ISBN:978-1-475-21688-2 : Published by CreateSpace 19-4-2012 :
Paperback and eBook.
