Starting my own business.

[Hassan]

OK

I've always wanted to do this since the age of 11, but obviously couldn't coz of age.

Anyways i have started to think about having my own computer business for at least 6 months now. I believe I should start doing something now or else I'm gonna be dreaming for the rest of my life.

Now I am so sure I want to do this.

So where do I start? seems to be the biggest question at the moment.

 

[TopSecret]

Best advice I can give is DON'T!!!

I have been running my own IT support company for three years now and it is incredibly hard to get established. The IT industry is one of the hardest industries to break into. Saying that though, if you manage it, it is very rewarding, both financially and personally.

If you really are determined, you need to assess what other companies offer in your area, and aim to provide something unique from them. It could be a particular service, product or anything which sets you apart. You also need to learn basic business management skills and one of the best places to go for free advice is your local Chambers of Commerce.

Every mistake you could make when setting up a business, I did! I started with absolutely no budget, no backing and no clear goals. This made things nearly impossible for me, and I learned the hard way. You need to really do you homework before launching any business and don't expect to earn a living for the first year - most startups never show a profit in their first year of trading. Starting a business is something which will consume your life for a good while, there is no other way to do it. It's hard, hard work and I felt like throttling my mates who suggested that i had it easy because I was self employed

 

[Hassan]

Oh I'm not really planning in selling computers as I feel it is too big for me at the moment. Planning on just selling cooling parts

BTW how is your business going at the moment

 

[TopSecret]

Business is going great at the moment. It took about 18 months before I started seeing a return on my time and effort, but it was a labour of love. I think that if you are going to start any business, it should be something which you are passionate about and enjoy doing. If your clients see you enjoy your work and taking pride in it, then they are put at ease and will remember you and your company positively.

How far down the planning stage at the moment? I really can't recommend that you visit your local Chambers of Commerce enough. They specifically help business startups and are a wealth of useful info.

Cheers,

Stu