I started my first business back in 2004 and successfully grew it to $1 million turnover, with 50 staff across 10 sites in only 2 years and I loved it. I learned some useful lessons along the way that I feel compelled to share with you. The most important of which is that you need to know why you want to be your own boss and whether you have really thought through the consequences of that decision.

Here are a few of the reasons why many people want to be their own boss and valuable points to consider if you plan on having products, clients, customers and employees:-

You want to be master of your own destiny.
There are many factors effecting any business, depending on what you are selling including, the weather, availability of supply, cost price, choosing the right employees, choosing the right clients, choosing the right bank, seasonality and your competitors, all of which seem to conspire to distract you from your path.

You don’t want to conform to the corporate rules.
You may not want to wear a suit, be politically correct or be the person that others expect you to be, but be prepared to take time to find like-minded people who want to work for and buy from the person you want to be.

You want the flexibility to work when you want.
Employees will expect a good leader to lead by example. If they think you are half-hearted then believe me, they will be. Clients expect to you be available when they need you!

You don’t want anyone telling you what you can and can’t do or to impose deadlines upon you.
What you can or cannot do will become apparent as you see the ebb and flow of clients and customers, they will vote with their feet if they feel they are not getting what they thought they were going to get, when they want it. Also remember your relationship with clients, suppliers and staff is a two way street and if you fail to deliver your part of the bargain, you won’t feel like you are in charge for long.

You are fed up with making money for other people and feel you can make more for yourself.
Check out your ‘Wealth Profile’ online, it costs about $100, but it will be the best move you ever made. You need to find out what kind of character you are and who else you need around you to be successful. For example, I am a ‘CREATOR’, which basically means I am great at coming up with innovative ideas for products or marketing, but I am poor at completing projects and give too much away when closing deals and as a result, I need a ‘SUPPORTER’ on my team.

Your current job does not give you the life you want.
Make sure you have the support of those around you. You can make significant gains, but get it wrong without the support of your nearest and dearest and you could lose more than just your money.

Changes in circumstances such as, you have been fired or made redundant and the current financial climate makes finding another job, with the same pay, in the same field unlikely.
Changes in circumstances can often be the catalyst for helping you make the decision you have feared for a long time and if this is the case then go for it. If you are starting a business because it seems like the last resort, I admire your principle, but you may find it almost impossible to conjure up the self-confidence, drive and enthusiasm you need to succeed.

Your current employer has just appointed you a new Line Manager, who you don’t get along with.
Starting a business, won’t stop other people deciding who you work for. If one of your key clients is the employee of a large corporation, they can be replaced and if your client is a small business owner, they may sell, both scenarios can equally result in change for better or for worse.

You have just come into some money and want to put it to work for you.
‘Learn before you earn’ is a phrase used by multimillionaire Brad Sugars. If you don’t understand the rules of making money, you could stand to lose it and then some! Do a lot of self-development before you risk your children’s’ inheritance.

If some of the realities of being your own boss seem daunting to you, but you feel that you have the energy, stamina, determination, self-discipline and self-motivation, the qualities common to all successful Entrepreneurs and essential in any business, then start with the ‘work from home’ model, with no employees, low overheads and fixed price good quality products, as long as you have honed your people skills you’ll be fine..

Good luck.

Jonathan Bradley
Managing Director
Sharp and Strong Ltd.
If you want the definition of a ‘customer’ visit my blog entitled ‘What is a Customer’ at http://myhealthwealthandsuccesssecrets.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-is-customer.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Bradley

Have you ever thought about it? I know you have, because if you are the sort of person who would read an article like this one you have asked yourself that very question or something like it?

How did they do it? What makes them different from you? Perhaps they’re not, perhaps they just work and invest using their own personal strengths and leave the stuff they don’t do so well at to someone else.

Ask Richard Branson how he got where he is today, and he will tell you straight out that he did nothing he wasn’t good at, he’s great at generating new ideas and coming up with new schemes to make money, but he’s not good at “all that financial stuff.”

Here are some quotes from Mr Branson that illustrate my point:

“A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.” or

“I have always lived my life by thriving on opportunity and adventure. Some of the best ideas come out of the blue, and you have to keep an open mind to see their virtue.” or

“I never get the accountants in before I start up a business. It’s done on gut feeling, especially if I can see that they are taking the mickey out of the consumer.”

See what I mean? He got a creative streak.

What about Donald Trump?

“I have made the tough decisions, always with an eye toward the bottom line. Perhaps it’s time America was run like a business.” or

“Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.”

These lines single him out as a Dealmaker, one of the best ever.

Warren Buffet, is like my father, who’s a hoarder, my father I mean, however Mr buffet is in his own way too as he accumulates things, mainly property and he doesn’t very often sell it again. What does he have to say that prove my point?

“Wide diversification is only required when investors do not understand what they are doing.” or

“I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years.” or

“Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre.”

I wonder who you are most like?

Would you like to know?

I came across something the other day that filled in all the blanks for me, multitasking is great to a point, however there are some things that I just do not do well, and then I ran into an acquaintance at a seminar and she told me to go straight to a website and take the “Wealth Profile” test. I posted the link to the test on my Blog just the other day.

Well did I learn a lot about myself! I found out that I had three real strengths and needed to stop trying to cover all the angles for myself. I learned that I have certain strengths that will create wealth and success for me as long as I concentrate on them and I have found my path. Yes, my path to success and wealth is set out before me now and I know what to do, only what I am good at, and what I am great at.

It will tell you that Mr Branson is a Creator, and Mr Trump is a Dealmaker and Mr Buffet is an Accumulator and the test result will tell you what your three greatest strengths are and how to turn those personality strengths into assets that build you wealth and success. It will also tell you who to partner up with or who to look for as your greatest asset in a partnership or joint venture, taking most of the risk out of finding a partner. I can tell you it will be the best money you have ever spent as it will save you much, much more in the long term.

When you play to your strengths and use your talents to create wealth and success you will succeed and you will be wealthy, it just follows. The trick is to allow those people who are better than you at the things you are weaker in to handle those things and get on with what you do best.

“How do I do that?” I was just getting to that, if you cannot afford to hire someone to help you, offer someone who compliments your weaknesses with their strengths a joint venture. Go into partnership with one or more people who together make up a winning team. All of you will benefit, all of you will end up wealthy and successful and for all of you it is a win-win as all of you a using your personal talents and skills and passions in a common purpose.

I have already formed a joint venture and already another person has asked me to joint venture with them, once you know your Wealth Profile you are able to tell others who have also taken the test, what your profile is and easily form new partnerships, joint ventures and work with passion and motivation.

Can you imagine only ever doing what makes you happy, only ever working with what you are passionate about? This is the direction my life is taking already.

Work? Bring it on…

Annie Robinson is a Master Life Coach, Master of NLP and has a Graduate Diploma in Education, she is also a certified website coach and marketer. Her business “Freedom, Wealth & Happiness” is focused on helping people to learn success strategies in what ever medium they choose. Currently Annie is finding success on the internet with her eBooks and website strategies. Her Blog “Infinite Success” can be found at: [http://infinitelisuccessful.blogspot.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annie_Robinson

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Wealth Dynamics Profiling system provides clarity on your path of least resistance to wealth creation.

Through a profiling test it identifies your specific path to wealth. Wealth Dynamics is an evolution of Jungian psychometric testing into specific action & thinking dynamics that relates to entrepreneurs. It goes back to the roots of personality profiling in Chinese philosophy, which precedes Western psychometric testing by 2,500 years.

Rather than just being a profiling report and list of soft recommendations, Wealth Dynamics provides an intuitive system which equips an entrepreneur with:

1. Clarity on the path of least resistance to success.
2. One of eight paths with a list of identifiable role models & biographies.
3. A six-step process to building the right team and focusing on the right activity.
4. Links to the growth stages in business, giving clarity on leadership succession.
5. Links to country, industry and lifestyle trends, giving clarity on when winning formulas become losing formulas.

What is the ONE best action to accelerate YOUR wealth creation today?

“We all have different strengths and ambitions. We are all at different levels of growth and expertise. With all the conflicting advice we receive every day, how do you know what is the right next step for you today?”

Youtube Video URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6yzI3xnq9k