Everybody wants to start a business and flourish in it. But the problems is, ‘how do you start, nurture, and build the business to standard. It is very easy for people to think they know what is involved in establishing and building a new business until they find themselves in such a situation. That is why you see those who have great opinions on how businesses should be nurtured fail woefully when they are thrown into the ring. It takes a lot to achieve this, and apart from the book theories, street smartness and situational intelligence matters a lot. Below are some of the rules of starting a new business.

• Get Into an Area You Are Passionate About

The fact remains that the drive and motivation to go the extra mile cannot be overemphasized as one the number one recipes for the success of any startup. This type of drive cannot come from gains only. Are you actually doing something you love to do? Are you passionate about the business you are starting? Now, many people fail in their new business because their only motive for getting into it is to make money. There may come a time when challenges blur this part of the drive. When this happens, the people’s interest and the will to move on will only be sustained by the love and passion.

• You Must Have the Talent and Strength to Build

Asides passion, another thing that will be very essential in starting a new business and nurturing it to a certain level will include the strength and talent. Of course, you must possess the level of energy the business requires since at the initial stage, you may not have the wherewithal to hire staffs to carry out such jobs for you. You will be doing a lot by yourself at the initial stage. And, if it is the type of business that saps energy, you must ascertain if you can handle that or not before you start. Don’t get in there and run away because of fatigue. The next is the talent. There are some businesses that require special talents. Do you have them and are you willing and ready to get people with the skills you lack on board. You can develop some of the skills with time, but it is better for you to acquire them before you start the business.

• Access to Enough Funding and Resources

This is the next essential rule of starting a business. In some cases, this may even be the most essential. No business could be set up without cash. Even if you would be offering services, you will still need to set up some platform for it or get some tools for the execution of the jobs. Money will also be essential for advertising and marketing. Make sure you know what will be enough for the preliminaries. When you are aware of this, ensure that you have enough that can kick start the process, and some extra as backup. You will need this when the main fund is exhausted or when unforeseen circumstances arise. So, you need enough funding and some extra cash. You will also need some resources. This may not just be about money. There are some assets that your business cannot thrive without. Are they available or are you going to purchase them. If you want to succeed, plan about these before you start your business.

• Check the Validity of the Idea

The truth is that almost every business idea will look good on paper, and there is no idea that won’t come off as a money spinner at the first glance. But, before you say you want to get into a business, which you hope to make some profit from, you need to check the validity of the idea you want to sell. You have to test the business idea and see the possibility of making money from it before you start. You can start the validation process by getting your sincere friends and family to buy your products. When you do, they will be the ones to tell you whether the idea will sell or not. Of course, there is this case of your close friends, relatives and associates finding it easy to encourage you by word of mouth. They will tell you that your business idea will sell, but find it difficult to pay for it. So, if you sell to them and they pay you swiftly, it means most of them are seeing the value you are offering. So, that business idea will probably sell. With this your idea has been validated. You can also get some experts to do some market research and feasibility study for you. When you come out with the first set of products, allow for some period of marketing and feedback to know what people think before you delve into it big time.

• Set the Work Hours

The next idea is to set the hours you will be working. If you make it a thing of impulse, then you will soon lose the business. One of the biggest rules of starting a new business involves discipline and organization. Here, you will need to map the work hours which you shouldn’t ignore or default on unless something serious comes up. When you treat your new business like a hobby that you attend to at your convenient time, you will fail. You need to treat it like work or business with set opening and closing time every day. If it is your side business, you should also map out the time for it. It should be a routine, and not something you do when you feel like.

• Create the Plan and Add Deadlines

This must be adhered to for you to succeed in your new business. You have to use different timelines to create a plan for growth and achievements and milestones in the new business. Set the goal, set milestones for reaching the goal, and follow it religiously. What do you aim to achieve by the first quarter of this year? What will be the aim for the second quarter, and where do you intend to be by the end of the next year? These must be very clear to you.

ShortBio: Alex Norwood is a blogger, traveller, and aspiring entrepreneur. He always tries to improve himself and experience new things. Also he is web designer and content writer.