No course of action will be successful without a written plan. In this case, you need to write out a business plan. This will help you in a few ways. It helps financial institutions know that you are serious, and that you have a vision for your business should you ever need a business loan. In addition, it gives you something to reference to make sure that all of your following business actions are in line with your vision for the business. It also allows you to measure your attained successes against what you predicted for yourself. Writing out a business plan is an essential first step for any business.
2. Licensing
Next you should get the necessary licensing for your business, and determine what type of ownership you want. This can be sole proprietorship, corporation, or partnership. Review the advantages and disadvantages of each. This along with the licensing allows you to be recognized as a serious, legitimate business. It also helps to ensure that everything you do follows the appropriate laws.
3. Premises
This next step is often one of the most exciting when starting a home-based business. What business is complete without an office area? You should set up your office in a way that is comfortable but that encourages productivity. Make sure that the area will be free of distractions that may cause stress. Also make sure that you can enjoy this area: it will be where you accomplish your dreams.
4. Schedule
Another important step to getting the business up and running is to set your schedule. Home-based business owners have more distractions and more demands on their time than one would think. It is imperative that business-owners set a specific yet somewhat flexible schedule so that they can remain productive while working for themselves.
These initial steps must be done to ensure that the business is productive and runs smoothly. Having an organized and comfortable workspace makes working more enjoyable for the owner. Ironing out the kinks as far as licensing and business plans go also make it easier for other institutions and businesses to recognize yours. Setting the schedule ensures productivity on a daily level and minimizes time waste.