Words of Wisdom When Starting Your Own Business

Starting your own business can be difficult and it can be even more challenging to run that business. For most people, running their own business is something brand new and because of that, you're learning new things all the time. When you're learning and succeeding with your business, your efforts will be rewarded. On the other hand, sometimes it may seem like your efforts are fruitless and you may be second-guessing your decision to start your own business. This is completely normal.

If you haven't taken the jump yet (or even if you've already started your own business), here are some things to consider:

• Make sure your family is supportive of your decision.
• Check yours and your family's finances to ensure your decision is financially feasible.
• Enlist a business mentor - someone you admire and can talk to about how they became business savvy.
• Know that this is your baby and that your family won't always have the same unconditional love for your business that you do.
• Know when to ask for help.
• Know when to hire help.
• Be flexible.
• Always have a back-up plan.
• Learn how to deal with the stresses of owning your own business in a healthy way that won't affect your family or clients negatively.

The last, and most important thing, is to remember why your started (or want to start) your company in the first place.

Book Review: Unleashing the Ideavirus by Seth Godin

Another book from the early 2000's that still has relevant topics to today's marketing principles is Unleashing the Ideavirus by Seth Godin. His whole premise is about marketing an experience and interacting with those involved with the experience. Those customers' information should be captured and then be asked for permission to interact them in the future. With the inundation and various types of communication channels today, permission marketing is an absolute necessity when continuing the conversation with your customers.

Another concept Godin introduces in this book is a "sneezer." A sneezer is someone more likely to tell their friends about a great new idea. These people are the crux of the ideavirus. You need credible people to spread the good news about your product, service or promotion and those people are your sneezers. Find those people, have a plan, ask for permission and unleash the ideavirus and watch the viral marketing do its magic to grow your brand awareness and sales.