Rick Spence, an entrepreneurial specialist, has offered some simple steps to get your 2009 off to a flying start in his article
Resolutions for entrepreneurs to prosper by.
Suggestion # 1: Act sooner. Finding new employment can be compared to running a marathon. It won't serve you to be sitting at the start line "taking some time off" while everyone else sprints away. As Rick says "successful entrepreneurs have a bias for action". And, when you're seeking work you're an entrepreneur and the product you're selling is you.
Suggestion # 2: Model and swipe. If you're thinking of starting your own business, who do you know (or know of) who has done it? What can lessons can you learn from them?
Suggestion # 3: Which brings us to Rick's suggestion to read more. Find out what others have done and benefit from their experiences.
Suggestion # 4: Throw out more. if you haven't done it already, take all your old files, emails, newspaper clippings and anything else that you have sitting around and put it into long term storage (use a box for paper and an email folder marked 2008 for electronic information). If by the end of 2009 you haven't opened the box or searched the email, throw it all out. (The only exceptions are papers you must keep by law such as tax returns and other business-related documents.)
Suggestion # 5: Go one-on-one. This includes online networking relationships such as those being developed on sites like Linked-In and Facebook. The new "Platinum Rule" is "treat others the way they want to be treated."
Suggestion # 6: Raise your prices. If you're starting an entrepreneurial business the easiest way to make more money is to raise your prices. A Toronto-based coach tells his clients to start with the end in mind. In other words if you think someday you'd like to be charging $75 or $100 an hour, then don't start charging a lesser amount. It is really hard to raise prices once you've set an amount (often based on how much you feel you're worth and not based on the worth of your service).
Suggestion # 7: Spend more time with family. Work as hard on your family relationships as you are on your business relationships. Business relationships come and go but family ties can (if nurtured) last forever.
