| If you're tired of being just another cog, and you crave | | | | detail and can focus on those details, then why are |
| a sense of personal fulfillment and long-term passion, | | | | you letting another company benefit from your |
| then it might be time to take the plunge. Here are | | | | abilities? You're on your way toward independence. |
| seven signs you should quit your job and start your | | | | 5. You Have Created a Winning Plan |
| own business. | | | | The most successful businesspeople keep their eye |
| 1. You're Extremely Confident | | | | on a clear business plan all the time. They begin by |
| To be a truly successful entrepreneur, there can never | | | | choosing their business wisely. |
| be any doubt in your mind that you will accomplish | | | | When choosing the type of company you want to |
| your goals, even if you must occasionally alter your | | | | operate, selecting an industry or service in which you |
| plans or refine your targets. Your success is as much | | | | have experience only makes sense. Choose an area |
| a matter of your belief in yourself as it is of the skills | | | | where you have work or educational experience. |
| you will develop on your journey. | | | | Picking a field that you are passionate about would be |
| Even though your attitude is focused on winning, you | | | | your initial "Best Bet" as opposed to investing your time |
| should not be emotionally attached to the outcome of | | | | in something where you have no personal affinity. |
| any one transaction or activity. In order to achieve | | | | Peter Lynch of Fidelity Magellan Fund put forth the |
| success, you need to be flexible enough to evolve. | | | | mantra, "Invest in what you know or what is near to |
| There are hardly any successful businesspeople, | | | | you." He was right. |
| athletes, community leaders, or artists who do not feel | | | | Once you decide what kind of business to start, the |
| certain of their ability to adapt and succeed. Winning is | | | | next step is to create a written business plan. |
| a self-fulfilling prophecy: if you decide to be a success, | | | | Pro-forma financial statements estimating the |
| you can be. | | | | company's future success should be based on realistic |
| 2. You're a Machine | | | | assumptions that are explained in notations and |
| Those who work harder and longer will be more | | | | attached to your plan. Rather than writing a full-blown |
| productive overall. That doesn't mean working "harder" | | | | "business plan," you could instead write a "business |
| is more advantageous than working "smarter." You | | | | model" in a few short pages. There are standard |
| actually need to work harder with more raw | | | | boilerplate forms for business plans available online, |
| human-hours AND work smarter by using evolving | | | | which are acceptable for simple plans and small |
| best practices to maximize your financial gain. | | | | investors; however, larger investors will prefer a |
| Fledgling businesspeople often don't realize how close | | | | thorough and clearly worded original document with |
| they are to a major success. In most cases, success | | | | detailed justifications for your assumptions, something |
| is just around the corner with a few years of hard | | | | that summarizes specific research that you have done |
| work applied properly to their industry. Overall, hard | | | | in your industry. Once you have your business plan, |
| work might not be the only barrier separating the rich | | | | you're well on your way to beginning to implement it. |
| from the poor, but it certainly enhances any other | | | | 6. You Have Already Secured Financing or Have |
| advantages the average professional brings to the | | | | Potential Investors |
| economic table. Lawyers, doctors and other high-end | | | | After you have determined what type of business you |
| professionals, for example, make more money than | | | | want to pursue and have written a business plan, you |
| most partly because they've put in more hours in | | | | need to consider how to secure some basic financing. |
| school and at work. Successful people are those who | | | | When attempting to raise capital for your first |
| are focused on proactively performing clear goals, at | | | | company, you might start by asking your friends and |
| the highest level, for the most hours, over the longest | | | | family. However, think it through first: your friends and |
| duration. | | | | family might feel obligated to lend you money, and that |
| 3. You Don't Blame Others for Your Problems | | | | might interfere with your relationship down the road. If |
| If you're the type of person who avoids blaming | | | | you decide against involving friends and family, or if |
| external forces or people for your problems, then | | | | they refuse you, then try angel capital groups in your |
| entrepreneurship is right for you. Most problems in life | | | | community. When going this route, you must have a |
| and in business are in your own best interest to solve, | | | | professional business plan that is conceptually |
| irrespective of how they emerge. Blaming the | | | | profitable for investors. Perhaps you'll consider using |
| economy will never help you, nor will blaming the | | | | unsecured debt, like credit cards, to get your business |
| government, a political party, your mom, your teachers, | | | | up and running. Either way, you'll need a financial plan |
| your competitors, your genetic code, your community, | | | | before you're ready to start a business. |
| or your boss. | | | | 7. You Can Overcome Your Fears and Are Willing to |
| Nobody and nothing can stop you from getting your | | | | Take Risks |
| fair market share if you maintain a long-term focused | | | | There will always be some people in your life who will |
| effort. Therefore, if you hate your job or aren't earning | | | | try to discourage you from quitting your secure |
| enough and you think there is an external force to | | | | position when you want to start out on your own. The |
| blame, then at the very least, you should be proactively | | | | truth of the matter is that starting your own business is |
| working to change that force every day, as opposed | | | | a big risk. But what is the worst thing that could |
| to complaining about it. Better still, change your attitude! | | | | happen? If you're smart, you won't let yourself get to |
| Once you've stopped blaming others for your | | | | the point of homelessness and destitution before you |
| problems, you're ready to venture out on your own. | | | | realize your plan has not worked, and if things don't go |
| 4. You Pay Close Attention to Detail and Can Focus | | | | your way, then you could put yourself back on the job |
| Attention to detail is one of the most essential qualities | | | | market. In the worst-case scenario, you still will have |
| that you can develop while you become a leader. | | | | learned many valuable lessons that can be properly |
| Anything that isn't done completely and correctly will | | | | applied to your future. |
| have to be reworked, thereby wasting time and | | | | You can't be scared to be a capitalist in a capitalist |
| money. If you are not detail-oriented, you are likely to | | | | society. It's not wrong to profit or make money from |
| initiate cascading problems that could put you out of | | | | your business peers and your community. Ultimately, |
| business before you have a chance to recover. | | | | within the flows of the economy, they, too, make a |
| Indeed, lacking a detail orientation in accounting could | | | | profit from you, your family, and your peers. Everyone |
| land you in tax court. Lacking that detail orientation in | | | | deserves to make an honest buck. Profits create a |
| law could land your client in jail, and if you are a doctor, | | | | virtuous cycle if you work with virtuous individuals |
| you could accidentally kill someone. Lacking a detail | | | | during the process in a free and fair market economy. |
| orientation when reviewing references could leave you | | | | Thus, there is no reason to avoid or fear capitalism. |
| with an employee who embarrasses you and drains | | | | Just dig in! |
| your profits. Failure to pay attention to detail with | | | | If these seven signs apply to you, you will then need to |
| security could get your store robbed or could facilitate | | | | take the next big step and quit your current job and |
| the theft of credit card numbers from your | | | | get busy building your own business. |
| e-commerce web site. | | | | And remember, it is critical that you attempt to keep |
| If you can pay attention to details, that's half the battle. | | | | good relations with your former bosses and |
| The other half is to stay focused. Don't get lost with | | | | co-workers. Odds are you will run across them again |
| intangible plans and tasks. Instead, stay focused on | | | | as customers, suppliers, new co-workers, neighbors, |
| tangible long-term goals, while understanding what's | | | | references, or industry competitors. So you should |
| truly happening around you minute-by-minute, and how | | | | always end relationships on positive terms and keep in |
| you can positively affect it. | | | | touch with all contacts that may benefit you or your |
| If you find that you're able to pay close attention to | | | | new company in the future. |