Let’s start breaking down the years:
Year 1: Planning & Learning – Decide what I’m going to do and how I’m going to do it.
There are a ton and a half of things to do this first year. And since this year has already begun I better get my hide going!
I haven’t planned everything I’m going to do this year (mostly because as I move one and learn then this list will constantly grow and change). But here are some of the things on my list so far:
- Business Planning & Research
- Decide on which business
- Conduct market research
- Develop a business plan
- Research costs
- Research SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Research shopping carts and merchant accounts
- Things to learn in general
- Take classes at local community college (part-time only) – I’m currently taking Principle of Marketing, and later I plan to take Drawing I (whether it applies to the business or not), and Business Law
- Learn about taxes
- Learn more about business practices and setting up a business
- Learn bookkeeping (and find a good software application – does anyone know a good one?)
- Additional actions
- Invest at least a little money (this will require more research)
- Initiate networking
- Find a good accountant, attorney, etc. (anyone know some good ones?)
- Save money for copyrighting (if necessary), and other initial business costs
As I said, this list is far from complete. I will need to get it into a more finalized condition. Plus I will need to break it down even more into what I need to do/learn for each item, and then into specific checklists and smaller, bite-sized, goals. And then it might be a good idea to set up an overall completion chart to chart my progress and perhaps even give myself a reward system, but then again I might be giving myself too much to do that has little to do with getting this year’s goal(s) done. (i.e. don’t give yourself too much to do or it won’t get done.)
Posted by Sindy 