How to Start a Business in 30 Days: The Complete Guide-Part 1

By S.T.E

Whenever I think about "starting a business", I remember a book I read years ago: "Feel the fear and do it anyway".

In my opinion, it's the fear of the unknown that holds most of us back, not the question of whether we are competent or smart enough or anything we feel is necessary to run a business.

As with everything, learning to manage, being the boss and running a business are just things that happen over time and with practice.

So, as I see it, starting is more of an encouragement conversation than a to-do list.

For this reason, I'll start by sharing with you a list of things you can do to put yourself in the position of running your own business. From there, we'll cover what you need to do, day in and day out, to get started.

Beyond this list, I encourage you to read about managing and running a business every day. If you do not know where to start in terms of reading, take a look at our list of professional blogs that you should read, but probably do not do and the list of books we encourage you to start working.

While our data applies to an American audience, the reasons for starting a business will not be much different, whether you're in Canada or South Africa.

• 1. You can do it because others do it. Do you think the country is dominated by large companies run by people with MBAs? False. 99 percent of businesses in the United States are small businesses, and they employ 80 percent of the population! You do not need "special" training to run a business. You just need an idea, the desire to learn and adapt, and the ability to act!

• 2. You can do it because there is a business that matches the interests, experience, passions or expertise of everyone. "Starting a business" is all about determining your business idea, making your paperwork and sorting out the money. Given the number of funding resources available today, you should not have too much trouble getting this initial cash start, especially if you are focusing on a lean business model or MVP route to the market.

• 3. You can do it even if you start from home. According to the SBA, 52% of all small businesses are home-based and out of the 28 million small businesses in the US, 22 million are operated by people who consider themselves self-employed (they have no employees and no additional payroll).

• 4. You get tax benefits. Oh yes. This is true even for freelancers. Depending on the type of business you register, you can deduct a number of your expenses, including travel expenses, phone bills, food, refunds on things like cars, and so on. And, depending on the company you start, there may also be various government incentives. If you do not know what to do and how to register, I strongly advise you to talk to your accountant about the tax benefits to which you may be entitled.

• 5. And the one I consider most important - you do what you want, when you want, as you want. It's an opportunity to make sense of the things you do and add value to where you care. For example, Palo Alto Software focuses on helping small businesses realize their dreams of starting a business.

Week 1: Get the ball rolling