Steve Jobs

[shibli]

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

Steve Jobs

[shibli]

কাজকে ভালোবাসতে পারলে সফলতা আসবেই: ইশরাত জাহান
Posted: Prothom Alo | 26-Oct-2011

ইশরাত জাহান
ভাইস প্রেসিডেন্ট অ্যান্ড সিনিয়র রিলেশনশিপ ম্যানেজার
করপোরেট ব্যাংকিং ডিভিশন, হংকং অ্যান্ড সাংহাই ব্যাংকিং করপোরেশন (এইচএসবিসি) লিমিটেড, বাংলাদেশ

আমার কর্মজীবনের শুরুটা হয়েছিল শিক্ষকতা দিয়ে। তবে শখের বশে সেটি করলেও পরবর্তী সময়ে হাইডেলবার্গ সিমেন্টে যোগদান করি। হাইডেলবার্গ থেকে চলে আসি এইচএসবিসিতে। প্রায় নয় বছর ধরে এই প্রতিষ্ঠানে কাজ করে যাচ্ছি। এখানে শুরুতে অফিসার হিসেবে যোগদান করি। নিজের যোগ্যতা আর দক্ষতার প্রমাণ দিয়ে আজকের অবস্থানে এসেছি। কাজ শুরু করার এক বছরের মধ্যে পদোন্নতি হয়েছে। আমার কাজ দিয়ে অফিসকে সন্তুষ্ট করতে চেষ্টা করেছি। হয়তো কখনো কখনো পদোন্নতি হতে দেরি হয়েছে। কিন্তু পরে কাজ দিয়েই আমি সেটা অর্জন করেছি। অফিস আমার কাজের মূল্যায়ন করেছে।এভাবেই এগিয়ে গেছি। কাজকে ভালোবাসতে পারলে আসলে সফলতা আসবেই। আমার ক্ষেত্রেও তাই হয়েছে। সময় ব্যবস্থাপনা ও কাজের ক্ষেত্রে স্বচ্ছতা আমাকে আজকের অবস্থানে এনেছে। বর্তমানে আমি একজন ভাইস প্রেসিডেন্ট অ্যান্ড সিনিয়র রিলেশনশিপ ম্যানেজার। আজকের কাজ কখনোই কালকের জন্য ফেলে রাখিনি। মাঝে মাঝে অফিস শুরুর আগে চলে আসি। নিজের কাজগুলো গুছিয়ে নিই। সব সময় ডায়েরিতে সব লিখে রাখি। সকালে এসেই ই-মেইল দেখি এবং অগ্রাধিকার বুঝে দিনের কাজগুলো সাজিয়ে নিই।সাধারণত, শিপিং এয়ারলাইনস বা বিদেশি প্রতিষ্ঠান আমাদের এখানে এলে তার ব্যবসা কীভাবে এগিয়ে নিয়ে যেতে পারবে, সে সংক্রান্ত কাজগুলো করে থাকি। ইচ্ছাশক্তি থাকতে হবে। তাহলে সফলতা আসবেই।

আরেকটি বিষয় হলো এইচএসবিসির ফ্লেক্সিবল ওয়ার্ক পলিসি এবং কর্মক্ষেত্রে নারী-পুুরুষ সমতা আমার ক্যারিয়ারকে আরও অগ্রসর করেছে। সহকর্মীদের সঙ্গে পারষ্পরিক বোঝাপড়া এবং সহযোগিতামূলক সম্পর্ক কাজটা উপভোগ করতে সাহায্য করে। এ ছাড়া ব্যাংকিং এ গ্রাহকেরাই আমাদের কাছে সব। আমি স্পষ্টবাদী। মিথ্যা আশ্বাস না দিয়ে আমাদের সীমাবদ্ধতাগুলো তাদের জানাই। তবে এটিও বলি, তাকে আমার সর্বোচ্চ সেবাটুকু দেব। আর এখানকার ব্যবস্থাপনা বিভাগ অন্যদের থেকে আলাদা। একটি কথা বিশ্বাস করি, কাজ করে গেলে সফলতা আসবেই, পদোন্নতি হবেই। আমার পদোন্নতি হলে আরেকজন এগিয়ে আসার সুযোগ পাবে। এ ছাড়া ব্যাংকের পলিসি অনুযায়ী আমি ও আমার নারী সহকর্মীরা বিভিন্ন রকমের ছুটি যেমন ছয় মাসের মাতৃত্বকালীন ছুটি, ফ্লেক্সিবল ওয়ার্কিং আওয়ার, দুই সপ্তাহের বাধ্যতামূলক ছুটি প্রভৃতি পেয়ে থাকি যা যথেষ্ট সুবিধাজনক।


আমার দুই সন্তান। পরিবার ও কর্মজীবনে ভারসাম্য আনতে পেরেছি। আমি কোয়ালিটি টাইম দিয়ে থাকি পরিবারকে। যখন যে কাজ করি তখন সেটিতে মনোযোগ দিই। ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের কলা অনুষদ থেকে পাস করে নর্থসাউথ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় থেকে এমবিএ করেছি। সবার কাছে অনুকরণীয় একজন ব্যক্তিত্ব হতে চাই, যাতে অন্যরা অনুপ্রেরণা পায়। আত্মবিশ্বাস রাখতে হবে। তাহলেই সফলতা আসবে।

Prothom Alo.26.10.2011

[shibli]

গৃহহীন থেকে কোটিপতি
Posted: রয়টার্স | 08-Oct-2011
তুরস্কে ছন্নছাড়া জীবন ছিল হুসেইন ওজারের। মা-বাবার বিচ্ছেদের পর হয়ে পড়েন গৃহহীন। কিছুদিন ঠাঁই নিয়েছেন গণশৌচাগারে। সেখান থেকেই ছোটখাটো কাজ শুরু। একসময় ভাগ্য অন্বেষণে পাড়ি জমান লন্ডনে। কঠোর পরিশ্রমে তিনি আজ সফল একজন রেস্তোরাঁ ব্যবসায়ী। কপর্দকহীন থেকে কোটিপতি।
কেবল লন্ডনেই ওজারের এখন ওজার ও সোফরা নামে চার-চারটি রেস্তোরাঁ। বিখ্যাত রেস্তোরাঁর তালিকা প্রস্তুতকারী মিশেলিন গাইডেও উঠেছে তাঁর নাম। সর্বশেষ সেরা উদ্যোক্তা হিসেবে এ বছরের ওয়ার্ল্ড ফুড অ্যাওয়ার্ড পেয়েছেন ওজার। ওজারের মুখেই শুনুন তাঁর সেই জীবনের সেই গল্প।

‘সবার অনাদরের পাত্র ছিলাম আমি। খুব ছোট থাকতেই মা-বাবার বিচ্ছেদ হয়। তাঁরা আবার বিয়ে করায় আমার যাওয়ার কোনো জায়গা থাকল না। তাই দাদা-দাদির কাছে কেটেছে আমার ছোটবেলাটা।’ বললেন ওজার।

এর পরের কয়েকটি বছর ওজার আত্মীয়-স্বজনের বাড়িতে আশ্রয় খুঁজেছেন। কিন্তু ১১ বছর বয়সে একেবারেই গৃহহীন হয়ে পড়েন। তখন গণশৌচাগার ছাড়া আরও কোথাও আশ্রয় নেওয়ার জায়গা ছিল না তার। ওজার বললেন, ‘সেখানে থেকেই আমি ফেরি করে কিছু জিনিস বিক্রি করতাম। এতে সামান্য রুটি কিনতে পারলেও প্রায় সময়ই না খেয়ে থাকতাম। এরপর একটি পানশালায় কাজ নিই। সেখানে সিগারেটের ছাইদানি পরিষ্কার করা এবং তাদের জন্য খাবার এনে দেওয়াই ছিল আমার কাজ। এর বিনিময়ে তারা আমাকে খাবার দিত। তখন ভাবতাম আমি তো ধনী হয়ে গেছি। ওই কয়েকটি বছর ছিল আমার জীবনে গুরুত্বপূর্ণ।’

এর পরের কয়েকটি বছর রেস্তোরাঁয় কাজ করেছেন ওজার। দিনে কাজ আর রাতে ইংরেজিতে কথা বলার চর্চা করতেন। একপর্যায়ে নতুন জীবনের আশায় পাড়ি জমান যুক্তরাজ্যে। প্রথম দিকের কয়েক বছর একটি কাবাবের দোকানে কাজ করে কাটিয়েছেন। কিছু টাকা জমিয়ে সেখানে প্রথম একটি রেস্তোরাঁ চালু করেন। এরপর আর পেছন ফিরে তাকাতে হয়নি তাকে। তিনি এখন কোটিপতি রেস্তোরাঁ ব্যবসায়ী।

জীবনের শুরুতে কঠিন বাস্তবতার মুখোমুখি হলেও অতীত নিয়ে ত্যক্ত-বিরক্ত নন ওজার। নতুন এ পুরস্কারকে তিনি তাঁর মায়ের নামে উত্সর্গ করেছেন। শ্রদ্ধাভরে মাকে স্মরণ করে ওজার বলেন, ‘আমার মনে হয়, স্বর্গবাসী মা সবকিছু দেখছেন এবং আমার জন্য তিনি গর্ববোধ করছেন।’

ওজার রেস্তোরাঁর রিজেন্ট স্ট্রিট শাখাটি দেখাশোনা করেন তাঁর সত্ভাই ডেভিড। তিনি বলেন, ‘তিনি (ওজার) খুবই কঠিন চরিত্রের একজন মানুষ। তিনি সব কিছুই নিখুঁত চান। খাবার হতে হবে ভালো। আর ক্রেতাকেও রাখতে হবে সন্তুষ্ট। অন্যথায় বিপদে পড়তে হয়।’ ডেভিড বললেন, ‘প্রতিটি খাবারের টেবিলে ওজারের মোবাইল ফোন নম্বর লেখা আছে। কোনো ক্রেতা খাবার কিংবা সেবায় অসন্তুষ্ট হলে তিনি সরাসরি ওজারকে ফোন করতে পারেন। আর এতে বিপদ নিশ্চিত।’ রয়টার্স।

-Prothom Alo

[shibli]

Rashel Khan: Profile of a Successful Young Entrepreneur
Posted: Shafiqul Islam Chowdhury | 18-Jun-2012

This is not a common story. In our country, people graduating from the University prepare CVs and send them to the employers for a job. But Rashel Khan thought in different way. After passing out from the university, he realized that he wanted to start something for himself. His motto was, in his own words, “don’t be employed, create employment”.

The promising entrepreneur opened his first distributorship in 1995 in Dhaka and named it as “Top One Trading”. With zero capital, the entrepreneur developed a passion for his work, immersing and applying himself in the trades. Experiencing success, he began to specialize in “equipments” for the hospitality industry, which was rather a barren field in that time, in the context of Bangladesh.

Having established himself in Bangladesh and equipped with strong supply network and knowledge of products, Rashel decided to expand his horizons. Seeing Singapore as an ideal place for investment, as it is in Asia’s Business Hub, the entrepreneur established Ace(S) Management Pte Ltd in 2006.

Starting as a one man show proved hard initially as Rashel had to do everything himself. However, the entrepreneur displayed tenacity and has built his organization from the ground up and now reaches out for the next platform of success. His organization’s vision statement is “To be the leading provider of quality equipment to Asia’s Food and Beverage and hospitality industry.”

He has already proved this. His product range includes kitchen equipment, food service equipment, laundry equipment, glass and dishwashing machines, bar equipment, hotel supplies, banquet furniture, buffet fuel and lot more. Rashel Khan already secure a loyal customer base in Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and his own country, Bangladesh.

Recently Ace Management has been awarded “Asia Pacific Brand Awards 2012” in recognition of developing one of the “Singapore’s Finest Bands”. He has done brand excellence and the everlasting development of his brand had made every Bangladeshi proud for this achievement.


He is also a Director of Italy-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Member of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce, and Bangladesh Indenting Association. He is a life time Member of Trans Asian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is also associated with various socio-cultural organizations. He is the Director of Rotary Club of Dhaka Midtown, Senator of JCI Bangladesh and served this chamber as Founder President of Dhaka South and played other key roles in various capacities.

He always encourages young entrepreneurs of this country and wishes them to “have confidence in doing things your own way. If you have the quality, you can succeed in business, even when you are starting from scratch”.

[shibli]

Wining in the Business
Posted: Shafiqul Islam Chowdhury | 08-Mar-2012

Winning a business is not an easy job. It needs continuous efforts. But it’s not impossible. In order to succeed in the business, following tips may be helpful for you:

Grow yourself: As an entrepreneur you are the leader of your business, therefore, you need to grow yourself. At first discover your basic, and only after that go search for the exotic. Work on your personal development and core values such as discipline, eager, ambition, attitude, desire etc.

As a business person, you need to believe in yourself. Even when there are setbacks again and again, and the results you wish are not showing up. You have to be certain that the projects will succeed. Confidence to success comes by doing whatever it takes. It's the mind that will try to take you out and it's YOU who has the ability to control it. Thus, winning in business is equal to mind mastery and a strong winning mind.

Besides, look at the successful businessmen who already marked a permanent foot print in the business arena. Find out what they are doing differently and try to model them.
Have clear picture: Clarify the business results you desire. What is your definition of extraordinary business? Is it Return on Investment (ROI), Cash Flow, Customer Loyalty...? Without a clear, specific and compelling vision, without knowing exactly what you want, you won't be able to hit the target of winning in business, let alone lasting success.
Make a strategy: An outstanding strategy will be of great importance in order to close the gap between where you are in business today and where you want to be in the future.

Improve your knowledge: When you train small, your mind goes small. Today, in the 21st century you can't be a passive learner. Extraordinary business results come from unrelenting commitment to focus on constant improvement. Experience by training and practicing, improve your skills in order to be able to add value to your business and your customers.

Success leaves clues. You don't need to know how something works, if you model something that works. Certainty and determination in business along with the willingness to take risks will drive you to success. You can change your whole reality based on the way you think.

Lastly I can share one important thing from my life. If you desire to earn extra money, donate some extra cents to the poor. May be this small amount of money can service him. In return you will get an extra benefit from your business. This is natural and proved by hundreds of lives.

[shibli]

Life of a successful entrepreneur: Mr. Jahurul Islam
Posted: Dr. AR Khan | 29-Aug-2011



Jahurul Islam was one of those who have been discussed very frequently in the history of business and entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. He was born in Bhagalpur, a village iii Bajitpur thana under Kishoregonj district. His father Mr. Aftab Uddin was a tiny contractor in Mymensingh district board. His father had small income with which he used to run his business staying in his village home. His mother Mrs Rahima Aktar was a very pious housewife. She was very well known amongst her neighbors. Mr Islam lost his father in 1972. He was the second son of his parents .He had four more brothers and three sisters. Jahurul Islam had very simple and ordinary boyhood and was fond of making friends from middle class families only. He started his schooling in Chandragram local Patshala and then in the Shibnath High School. When he was a student of class five, he was sent to his uncle’s house in Calcutta, where he studied in Chetla High School. But due to the transferable job of his uncle, he had to shift to a number of schools.


In 1945, he passed matriculation from Ripon High School. Later, he went to Bardwan, where he studeid I.A but he failed to pass in the final examination. In 1948, he appeared again from Haraganga College at Munshiganj. This time also he failed which brought the end of his formal education. From the very boyhood, Jahurul Islam had a knack towards carrying on independent business. He conceived the idea from his father’s business. In 1948, he joined a job in the C&B department with a monthly salary of Tk. 77.5. Later on he became a lower division clerk in the same department with a monthly salary of Tk. 80. In 1951, after a period of two and a half years he left the job and started his business as a 3rd class contractor with a very little amount of money that he could manage. Initially, banks did not render him any financial assistance. At that time, there were a lot of works available in Bangladesh and he did his business with utmost sincerity & devotion and by 1953 he gradually became 2nd Class and then a 1st class contractor. He had very good liaison with the government authority and thereby he started getting a lot of contract jobs. He used to do all types of construction works i.e building, road, bridge, irrigation, sanitation, sewerage and many others from which he could build a lot of wealth.

He realized in the mid of 50s, that in course of time, Dacca (Dhaka) would grow very fast and would require lot of accommodation facilities. As such, he started buying lands in the city and preferably in the city outskirts where the price was very nominal. Thus, he became the owner of a huge land in the areas like Mirpur, Savar, Joydevpur, Kaliakoir, Rupashi and in many other areas. These lands were bought at a very low price. He used part of the purchased land as industrial plots and the remaining ands as housing estates. Gradually, the value of land increased and he could thus by selling lands at a higher price mobilized a lot of capital. In the sixties, during the period of president Ayub Khan, the then; government took up a lot of development works. At that period, a number of industries of various types namely Jute, Cotton etc were established Jahurul Islam, besides his construction business, set up good number of industries. In 1960, he set up a timber factory in Chittagong, glass factory in Zinzira and also a pharmaceutical industrial unit.

In his business and industries, Jahurul Islam as an entrepreneur had the best time between 1960 and 1970. His firm Bengal Development Corporation Ltd at that time constructed a lot of houses in Dhaka and Chittagong. By this experience, he realized that large number of middle class families in the cities would soon be eager to buy houses if these could be developed and constructed in the suburb areas. He inderstood that as a policy of the government, the potential buyers would most likely be financially assisted by the House Building Finance Corporation. Realizing this, in 1964 he organized Pallabi Housing Ltd on one thousand acres of land. In the project, a family could buy a flat making only Tk. 3000/ down payment and the rest amount could be repaid on installment basis. Some high priced flats were also made available. At the same time, he established Sonali Jute Mills and some other industries near Dhaka. During the period of 14 years from 1951 to 1964, the size of his investment was multiplied to several crore Taka.

Jahurul Islam was very sincere and devoted to his business commitments. During the Ayub region in 1963-64, Govt. of the then Pakistan decided to build the Parliament building but the time allowed was very short. Jahurul Islam got the contract and within 40 [forty] days he finished the construction of the Parliament building at Tejgaon near old airport. Later, he constructed a 60 room, two storied MP hostel within 35 days only. It was a unique performance in the field of construction works in a record time. He of his own used to immediately made repair or even would reconstruct without asking for any additional finance, if any defect of his work, could have been detected.

In 1970, Mr Islam got the contract of 5000 deep tube-wells. It was really a great achievement in the face of foreign competitors. After liberation, he got the proportionate share of the same contract as was due for the part of Pakistan now Bangladesh. He built the infrastructure for training and service support in the country which could not be made earlier in spite of foreign assistance. After the liberation, his business suffered some setbacks due to the government’s nationalization policy. At that time, Jahurul Islam used his talents at home and abroad. He involved himself in construction in the Middle-East countries. In 1977, he started building 5000 houses in Abu Dhabi. In the next two decades he built thousands of houses at home and abroad. Jahurul Islam was very optimistic about the economic development of Bangladesh. He believed that use of gas, oil, leather and cheap labor could be justifiably used to enhance our income and lifestyle as well. In 1982, with Japanese assistance, he established Aftab Automobiles Ltd to assemble vehicles at Chittagong. At present, it builds bodies of different types of vehicles, especially jeeps and pick-ups that are seen on the road.

He established Bengal Development Corporation Ltd and Islam Group of Industries, the employment opportunity of which are exceeding 5000. Some of his other establishments are: Miliners Ltd, Eastern Housing Ltd, Navana Ltd. Essential Products Ltd, Dhaka Fibres Ltd, Navana Sports, Navana Industries Ltd, Millners Pump Ltd, Islam Brothers’ Properties Limited, etc. Which signify the dreams of Jahurul Islam? In these establishments he had almost one hundred crore taka worth of investment.

In personal life, Jahurul Islam was very simple and economical. He didn’t, have any bad habits of smoking and likewise. He used to wear very simple dress, usually pajama and serwani even while he used to move abroad. Reused to have very normal food especially rice and fish at day time and chapati at night. In every morning, he used to say, fajr prayer and after that take a nap. Then, he used to start his days routine that would take him to end mostly till midnight.
Jahurul Islam died in 1996. But the people of Bangladesh will ever remember his name because of his achievements in the field of economic development of our newly liberated country He believed in the theme of total business along with his family members He had a very positive outlook towards business He faced many difficulties in his way of business life but he successfully overcome all those with positive spirit and concerted efforts. .he never deprived any body from his due share. Even he had very positive attitude towards his competitors Besides his entrepreneurial achievements he had a lot of enthusiasm for social works and educational field as well At the end of his life in order to encourage medical education, he established in his own locality at Bajitpur the Jahurul Islam Medical College which is currently considered as a dependable college for medical learning in Bangladesh.

Source: Entrepreneurship Small Business and Lives of Successful Entrepreneurs, by Dr. AR Khan, Published by: Ruby Publication (2007)

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Chen Shu Chu: A vegetable seller shows the way
Posted: Shafiqul Islam Chowdhury | 18-Dec-2010




Vegetable seller Chen Shu Chu adjudged as a best Asian of the year 2010. Chen has donated about USD 3,21,550 towards various charitable causes, including helping schools, orphanages and poor children.

The selfless generosity of a women with such humble income has placed her under the international spotlight. In March 2010, Forbes magazine named her one of 48 outstanding philanthropists from the Asia-Pacific region.

A month later TIME magazine selected the year’s top 100 influential people and Chen emerged under the ‘Heroes of Philanthropy’ category. In December, Readers Digest has adjudges her a best Asian for the 2010.

Born in 1950, Chen lost her mother after completing her primary school education. Her mother was admitted to hospital due to difficulties in labour and the family had to pay an insurance of USD 160 before medical attention could be granted.

Chen saw her father asking their neighbors for money but it was too late to save her mother. The eldest daughter in the family, Chen had to grow up overnight. She gave up her studies and dedicated her life to help at vegetable stall at Tai-tung county’s Central Market in Taiwan.

When she was 18, her younger brother fell sick and the illness dragged on for over a year, gradually depleting the family’s savings. Doctors suggested to send him to a good hospital, but how could they afford the fees. Then a primary school teacher started a donation drive. Unfortunately her brother could not be saved.

After this kindness bestowed upon her family by a school teacher, Chen made up her mind to help the poor, once she was able. When her father passed away 17 years ago, Chen donated USD 32,140 to Fo Guang Shan monastery.

In 2000, she donated to her primary school to set up an “Emergency Relief Fund” to help poor children. In 2005, she made two story libraries to a school. Chen’s ability to donate such large sums of money has led many to ask how a mere vegetable seller can earn so much.

“Spend only what you need, and you will be able to save up a lot of money”, says Chen. She leads a very simple life without any luxuries. Neither does she have any desire for material gains nor any form of enjoyment. Work, she say’s, is the enjoyment, “I love my work. If I didn’t would able to work 16 hours a day? ‘

All she needs is small food and a place to sleep. Everything else is a luxury. She does not buy expensive cloths and foods for a living.

The philosophy of Chen’s life is simple. In her own words, “If doing something makes you worried then it must be wrong thing. If it makes you happy, then you must have done the right thing. What other say is not important.“

[shibli]

You want to start your own business?
Posted: Business Town | 05-Jun-2010

You want to start your own business, but don't know were to start. Follow these steps and you'll be well on your way."

STEP 1 Business Ideas
To start a business you will need to choose or create a business idea. While this is an obvious step many people who want their own business don't have an idea, just the desire to be an entrepreneur. For the budding entrepreneur, there are many options; buying a franchise or an existing business, or looking to others for ideas for a start-up business. Once you have decided on the business you wish to start, then the real work begins.


STEP 2 Business Plan
Writing a business plan is your next and most important step, this is how you and others will evaluate your business. When seeking financing the investors or lenders will want to read your plan before they supply you with funding. If you're financing the business yourself, you will still want to have a written plan to develop business strategies and financial projections. A key element within the business plan is the marketing plan, which explains marketing strategies that will be used to advertise and promote the products or services. The goal setting steps of the plan will help you to analyze the success of the business in future years and clearly illustrate the capital needed to operate the company to break-even.

STEP 3 Financing
With your business plan in hand, you are ready to go find yourself some capital. Most small businesses have three options for financing: friends & family, investors or bank loans. Each of these options has different considerations for the business. Investors and even friends & family usually want ownership and control of their portion of the business. Bank loans burden the business with an additional expense of the loan payment, which can erode the business profits.

STEP 4 Getting started
You've got the plan, the money and the enthusiasm; you're ready, right? Not yet, as with everything you need to take the legal issues into consideration. First you should choose a legal structure: Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, or Corporation. Your financing decisions will have an effect on what legal structure you choose. Now you can file with the state to incorporate and obtain a federal Identification number.

STEP 5 Opening the Doors
Okay, it's time to get on the road to making some money; this of course means spending money. Where are you going to run your business? Will a home office do or is commercial space needed to service your customers? Do you need to hire employees to help you run the business? What are your bookkeeping needs, do you need an accountant? Finally, who could forget taxes, what taxes do you have to pay and collect? Now that your business is through the start-up phase, you can now look forward to the issues of managing a small business.

[shibli]

6 steps to creating a super startup
Posted: Anne Field | 11-May-2010

Thinking about starting a business? Follow these crucial tips and your company might just become the next big thing.

(Fortune Small Business) -- If you want to be an entrepreneur, you're in good company. An average of 464,000 adults a month create new businesses, according to the most recent statistics available from the Kauffman Foundation (kauffman.org), which tracks and promotes entrepreneurship.

But starting a business is a complicated, risky, all-consuming effort. Indeed, just two-thirds of new small businesses survive at least two years, and only 44 percent survive at least four years, according to a study by the U.S. Small Business Association.


Taking the six steps below will help put you on the road to success.

1. Determine if you're an entrepreneur or just a wanna be. Starting a successful business requires a unique set of characteristics. You have to be willing to take calculated risks. In addition, a mix of optimism, high energy, and an ability to live with ambiguity are also crucial.

According to a recent study of 1,600 Columbia Business School alumni who started businesses, the desire most related to success was the inclination to build something.

"They took a long-term view," says Murray Low, director of the Eugene M. Lang Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia.

Make sure you're prepared to wear many hats, at least in the beginning. "You need to be willing to meet with the chairman of the board, then go back to the office and fix the toilet," says Low.

2. Pinpoint an opportunity. There are lots of ways to find the right business idea. But for most people, it's wise to begin with your interests, say small-business experts.

"You should start with what you know best and are most passionate about," says Sarah Chiles, director of Programs at NYU Stern's Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Back in 1999, Julie Dix started sewing satin tags onto her baby's blankets, after she discovered the infant liked playing with soft edges. Soon, other mothers began telling her what a great idea it was. That's when she teamed with friend Danielle Ayotte and formed Spencer, Mass.-based Taggies. Today, the company sells the blankets, and dozens of other products in six countries.

The bottom line: "You have to find an underlying need that's not being fully met," says Timothy Faley, managing director of the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.

3. Make sure there's a market for your idea. Get out there and talk to as many potential customers, suppliers and distributors as you can. Trade-show attendees are a particularly good source of information. And remember: You're not trying to sell anything yet; you're just exploring the opportunity.

"Everyone will be more willing to talk if they think you're just looking for information," says Faley.

It's also a good idea to make a prototype of your product, so customers can test it out. That goes even for low-tech wares. Early on, Dix and Ayotte made samples and brought them to crafts fairs, as well a local store. When it sold out in just a few days, they knew they were onto something.

As you get feedback, good or bad, fine-tune your concept accordingly.

4. Write a business plan. Any plan needs to answer a few key questions: What is your product or service? Who is your customer? What need does it address? And, how are you going to turn your idea into a money-making venture?

The plan "should lay the foundation on which you build your business," says Faley.

Divide the document into a few sections. First, and perhaps most important, is the executive summary, detailing in no more than two pages the key information in your plan.

Next should be a market analysis that describes the needs you're addressing and any potential competitors; a discussion of your marketing plans and the management team; and a financial analysis of the first five years in business, with a sample income statement and balance sheet.

Be prepared to revisit the plan many times. "It should grow and change along with your company," says Faley.

5. Determine your business structure. You have four basic choices -- sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation. Each offers different legal protections, tax savings, and ownership requirements. They also vary in how complicated they are to set up.

For example, sole proprietorships and partnerships require little paperwork to establish, but also don't provide the tax breaks and liability protections of other structures.

With limited liability companies (LLCs), you are personally protected from creditors and lawsuits and can have as many owners as you'd like.

Corporations also shield your personal assets from creditors and provide various tax breaks. If you incorporate as a C corporation, owners are not responsible for liabilities, because the corporation is considered to be a separate legal entity. But there's also a double taxation, on both earned dividends and profits. An S corporation avoids that problem by having shareholders report earnings on their personal tax forms. But there are limitations on who and how many people can be shareholders.

6. Look for funding. Most entrepreneurs start their businesses by dipping into their savings, and hitting up friends and family. Perhaps half of all startups, in fact, are funded initially by the founder's credit cards, according to Faley.

Getting a bank loan is tough unless you have assets - and that often means using your home as collateral.

Other likely sources include potential suppliers and even prospective customers, who might be willing to help out in return for steep discounts.

What about venture capital? Fact is, VCs rarely invest in startups.