smallbusinessbrief.com General Small Business Issues Forum 2/1/2010
Excerpts from other posters on this thread, unwittingly spinning the treads of bondage:
"Many people replying to these posts recommend research. Which is makes sense of course. but I don't think these start-ups quite realise the in-depth amount of research required. It's not like writing a paper on the subject. It's about the small, practical day to day jobs that need doing to make each business work. . .
Research can take years. Don't take it lightly. Take the time and make sure the business is right for you."
Jayson's response:
2/1/2010
In my experience:
Business Planning: a futile attempt on behalf of the human ego to limit the risk of failure by spending buckets of time taking zero risk and delaying the day when the businessperson and the business idea will have to prove itself.
I'm hugely biased in favor of the bootstrapped business -- where little money is invested, the business is kept micro and the entrepreneur tries lots and lots of stuff.
I'd give a new business research MAYBE two nights of pouring over the internet and a few phone calls to entrepreneurs who are trying something similar. Other than that, I'm going to learn by doing and (mostly) failing.
I will give CF this: quitting your job and/or dumping money into a business is usually unwise. No need to have an entrepreneurial seizure. Work the "other workday" (from 9pm to 2am and weekends) until your business proves that it can take care of the bills, then jump ship.
Being a newbie to this illustrious forum, I hesitate to say this. . . but, I think the notions of research, business planning, raising capital (i.e. pretty much all of the conventional wisdom of entrepreneurialism,) is like rust on the soul of the entrepreneurial movement.
It repels folks who would've otherwise had a blast and made some dough. This isn't the IRS. This is the wild, wild west. Rock and roll!
