The Accidental Entrepreneur : The 50 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Starting a Business

Like many business owners, Susan-Urquhart Brown never expected to end up as an entrepreneur. Launching her own business spoke to her passions, but she soon realized there was much more to being a successful owner than she ever expected. In The Accidental Entrepreneur, she takes all the mystery out of going solo. For those who are just beginning to consider starting a venture as well as those who want to take their organization to the next level, she offers adВ­vice on what works and what doesn't. With hard-won wisdom and empathy, she shows readers: the 8 questions everyone should ask up front \* the top 10 traits of the successful entrepreneur \* how to obtain a license and sellers permit \* the best way to create a business plan \* 10 simple ways to get referrals \* the 6 secrets of marketing a business \* smart tips for investing and finance \* ways to avoid burnout \* how to avoid the 7 biggest pitfalls in business Starting one's own business should be exciting, not scary. This is the one book that will show readers how to create a successful and fulfilling venture they can be proud of. Contents......Page 6 Foreword......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 Eight Questions to Ask Before You Start a Business......Page 18 Myths About Going into Business for Yourself......Page 21 Take the Entrepreneur Quiz!......Page 23 The Entrepreneurial Mystique......Page 26 Taking the Leap......Page 28 Ten Traits of the Successful Entrepeneur......Page 31 Know Why You're Going into Business......Page 32 Tune Up Your Entrepreneurial Skills......Page 35 Avoid the Seven Common Pitfalls in Business......Page 37 A Name That Grows with Your Business......Page 46 A Checklist for Setting Up Your Business......Page 48 Are You an Independent Contractor or an Employee?......Page 51 Which Business Structure Is Best for You?......Page 53 To Partner or Not to Partner......Page 59 Partnerships That Work......Page 61 Why a Business Plan?......Page 68 Target Your Market!......Page 71 Put Your Own Money on the Line: Investing and Financing......Page 73 What Motivates You to Keep Going?......Page 78 If You're the Boss, Who Keeps You Accountable?......Page 82 Magic Formula: Intuition and Intention......Page 85 Making Procrastination Work for You......Page 88 What Stops You in Your Tracks: Self-Sabotage and Resistance......Page 90 The Isolation of the "SoloPreneur"......Page 92 Burnout: How to De-Stress......Page 95 How Do You Spell Success?......Page 97 A Fork in the Road: Which Way Do You Go?......Page 101 Mind Your Ps and Qs......Page 104 Why Market Research?......Page 106 Going Green and Saving the Environment......Page 109 Six Secrets of Marketing Your Business......Page 113 Marketing = Sales!......Page 115 Ten Simple Ways to Get Referrals......Page 117 Six Sales Tips to Help You Sell with Confidence......Page 119 How to Get Unstuck in the Sales Cycle......Page 122 Position Yourself to Sell a Solution......Page 123 Why Customers Should Buy from You......Page 126 Strategic Networking......Page 128 Customer Service as a Sales Tool......Page 131 How to Cultivate That "Something Special" in Your Business......Page 135 How to Warm Up to Cold Calls......Page 139 Landing Consulting Gigs......Page 140 Dealing with Downtime in Your Business......Page 143 Keep-in-Touch Marketing Using the Internet......Page 146 Tips from Tech-Savvy Entrepreneurs......Page 149 Six Ways to Promote Your Business via the Web......Page 153 Your Web Promotion Action Plan......Page 158 Success Stories of Seasoned Web-Based Entrepreneurs......Page 160 Expanding Your Business......Page 168 How to Tickle Your Customers......Page 174 Hire Wisely the First Time......Page 176 Retaining Good Employees......Page 179 Action Plan–What's Next?......Page 181 Your Business from A to Z......Page 182 C......Page 186 F......Page 187 L......Page 188 P......Page 189 S......Page 190 W......Page 191 About the Author......Page 192

Like many business owners, Susan-Urquhart Brown never expected to end up as an entrepreneur. Launching her own business spoke to her passions, but she soon realized there was much more to being a successful owner than she ever expected. In The Accidental Entrepreneur, she takes all the mystery out of going solo. For those who are just beginning to consider starting a venture as well as those who want to take their organization to the next level, she offers advice on what works and what doesn’t. With hard-won wisdom and empathy, she shows readers:
• the 8 questions everyone should ask up front
• the top 10 traits of the successful entrepreneur
• how to obtain a license and sellers permit
• the best way to create a business plan
• 10 simple ways to get referrals
• the 6 secrets of marketing a business
• smart tips for investing and finance
• ways to avoid burnout
• how to avoid the 7 biggest pitfalls in business

Starting one’s own business should be exciting, not scary. This is the one book that will show readers how to create a successful and fulfilling venture they can be proud of.

"The last thing entrepreneur Susan-Urquhart Brown ever envisioned was striking out on her own. Then one fateful day, she went to career counseling and almost overnight, she became an accidental entrepreneur. Like many people who go it alone, she quickly realized that there was much more to building a business than she ever imagined. But after years of working hard, seeking the right advice, making many, many mistakes, and learning some hard but valuable lessons, she built a thriving business that spoke to her passions. Now, she offers the self-employed an invaluable edge, by sharing the foolproof guidance that she wishes someone had shared with her when she was starting out on her own. For those who are just beginning to consider starting a venture as well as those who want to take their organization to the next level, she offers real-world advice on what works and what doesn't--from marketing tips and business-building advice to ways to avoid burnout"--Page 4 of cover For those who are just beginning to consider starting a venture or want to take their organization to the next level, this book offers advice on what works and what doesnt. Like many business owners, Susan-Urquhart Brown never expected to end up as an entrepreneur. Launching her own business spoke to her passions, but she soon realized there was much more to being a successful owner than she ever expected. In The Accidental Entrepreneur , she takes all the mystery out of going solo. With hard-won wisdom and empathy, she shows Starting ones own business should be exciting, not scary. The Accidental Entrepreneur shows you how to create a successful and fulfilling venture they can be proud of.