Launching a new business is daunting.

Launching a new business is daunting. But it can also be incredibly exciting, and that’s why so many people are drawn to it. After all, the best way to learn about starting a business is by starting one. That’s what I did with my first company after college. I had no experience whatsoever in the medical research space into which we were launching, but I was determined to give it my all—which included taking on massive amounts of school debt to fund the venture. The short story? We succeeded! Our company found commercial success, giving me an opportunity to build another company (this time in consumer products) while simultaneously paying off my student loans in full (a rarity). But would I do it again? Sure—with some caveats:

• Confidence without competence will lead you astray
• Neophytes can make up for their lack of experience with passion and willingness
• A good mentor can make all the difference

But that doesn’t mean that the first step shouldn’t be taken.

You may be thinking, “Why should I take the first step?” Well, it’s quite simple. There is no growth without movement. Or, as Steve Jobs once said, “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits and troublemakers.” You’ve got to start somewhere.

Here are a few tips for getting started:

Big ideas often start small, and few things are quite as inspiring as seeing a brilliant idea come to life. For every business, from the smallest blog to the largest corporation, there is a moment when a bright-eyed founder decides that he or she is going to make a difference in the world. The day when you managed to get started with your little corner of the internet might have been just as special, if not more so. This section is dedicated to showing you how those first few steps can be made easier in order to boost your chances at success.

Think about your dream customers first.

So many small businesses are created to satisfy a market need (e.g., I always wanted to run my own restaurant). We start out with an idea of who our ideal customers will be and then, once we’re up and running, we begin marketing and serving those customers, hopefully earning their repeat business. But then something happens. Our first few customers may be very different from the ones that walked through our doors or called us for service on day one. Now, in order to continue growing, our business must begin targeting these new customers instead of the ones we originally envisioned—and this is where things can get confusing.

Instead of focusing solely on each new customer as they come in the door, take time to think about your dream customers; how they fit into your vision of your business; and what you can do to ensure that word gets out among that target audience so that more people like them hear about you, visit you, stay loyal to you (because they’ve learned that you’re all about them), and recommend you to others like them.

Write out your mission statement.

The first section of your messaging is your mission statement. It should be clear and concise, with an actionable call to action.

You want to include a few components in your mission statement:

• State what you do, who you do it for, and why you do it.
• Include a strong call to action. Make sure there’s something readers can actually do on the page—click a button, sign up for an event or make a donation. You may be tempted to include multiple calls to actions, but this can distract from the main objective of the page: inspiring readers to take action and support your cause.
• Include your vision and values as part of the message that is strong enough that people outside of the organization know them well by heart. This should highlight what makes you different than other organizations doing similar work.

Create a business plan (but not too much)

It’s important to have a plan. It creates structure and direction, not to mention much-needed focus and momentum. But it’s also important to recognize that no plan will be perfect, especially when it comes to getting a business off the ground. In fact, one of the most common mistakes entrepreneurs make at this stage is spending way too much time on creating a business plan (which is usually never even looked at again). If you think about it, how can you possibly create a comprehensive business plan for something that doesn’t yet exist?

Instead of getting bogged down in details, we suggest creating what we call “a north star document”: a short summary of your vision for the company. This means laying out your mission statement, identifying your target market and providing an overview of your products or services. You should also provide some data on why this opportunity exists — why are customers having trouble finding what they need? What makes you different? How big is the potential market? Answer those questions concisely and then move on! You can always tweak things as the business develops and you learn more about the market and your own strengths/weaknesses.

Find some good resources to help you get started.

We’ve all been there. You want to learn something new, but you can’t seem to get started. You know what you want to do, but how exactly do you go about doing it? Where should you start? Let me tell you some places where I find good resources for learning new things:

• Amazon.com books section – I like the reviews in particular here because they’re often from people who have used the book and found it helpful (or not).
• Your local library! – Often your public library will have a copy of whatever book is on Amazon that you want to read. Bonus points if they also have an e-book version available so that you can read it online instead of having to go out and get a physical copy.
• Udemy courses – Udemy has thousands of online courses on all kinds of topics, including everything from business and marketing strategies through coding tutorials up through personal development topics like meditation or yoga practice tutorials–it may take some searching, but chances are good that if there’s anything remotely related to what are interested in learning right now then there’s probably an online course available somewhere on Udemy (and often at very reasonable prices!)

No matter how small or large your dream, the important thing is that you take the first step.

• You can’t do everything at once. Make a plan.
• Realize that nothing will ever be perfect.
• Don’t wait for the opportunity to fall into your lap. Make it happen yourself.
• Push past your fear and just do it, step by step, day by day.

Tired of feeling like you’re being pushed off the ground when you try to start your business from the ground up? Have you tried to start your business from the ground up, but found yourself overwhelmed by how many times you tried and failed to do so? Have you tried to start your business from the ground up, but found that you had no idea where to begin? You’ve Got to Start Somewhere is a blog about starting a business from the ground up.

You’ve got to start somewhere: A blog about starting a business from the ground up.

Are you tired of getting the same old advice? “You’ve got to start somewhere. Just get out there and do it.” That’s all well and good, but how do you actually do that?

The truth is, there are a million different ways to get your business started. But how do you know which is right for you? I’m here to give you some pointers on what worked for me when I started my own business, and why I did it that way.

I’m a big believer in starting simple. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel—just take the time to think about what other people have done in the past and figure out what will work best for your business.

So, you wanna start a business?

You’ve got a million-dollar idea that’s going to change the world, and you’re ready to take it to the next level.

But how do you get it off the ground?

Glad you asked!

We’re You’ve Got to Start Somewhere. We teach you how to start your own business. We give you tips on writing a business plan, setting up your website and social media presence, identifying your target audience, and much more. Don’t worry—we know this can seem overwhelming. So we break it all down into bite-sized steps that are easy for even a first-time entrepreneur to understand.

After all, somebody has to teach you how to run that empire of yours!

So you want to start a business. Well, not to sound too trite, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

And that’s where we come in! The team at [company name] is here to help you get your business off the ground, from creating a brand identity to choosing a marketing strategy. We’ve been in the business of helping entrepreneurs launch businesses for more than 20 years, and we’ve learned a thing or two in that time. So let us share our knowledge with you!

The first step is determining what kind of business you want to run. Are you looking for something small, that can be run out of your home? Or are you planning on opening a brick-and-mortar storefront? We’ll walk you through all the pros and cons of each type of business so you can make an informed choice.

Then it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty: branding! We’ll help you choose a name and logo that will resonate with your customers, and give them a sense of what they can expect from your business.

Of course, we can’t forget about marketing! We’ll provide examples and actionable strategies for how to promote your new business online and offline—and on a budget!

And finally

We’ve all been there. You want to start a business, but you don’t know where to start. Do you have an idea? A product? A service? What do you need in order to get started? Who do you need to talk to? How do you fund it? How long will it take to get off the ground? What if you forget something?

It’s overwhelming, and it’s easy to see why so many people give up before they’ve even started. But the truth is that starting isn’t as hard as it seems. In fact, there are only a few things you need in order to start a business:

A concept that solves a problem or fills a gap

Capital (money)

A plan (business model canvas)

Let’s break these down.