"On your marks, set, go Business!"

                                                                         

Just like in a Marathon race, every business starts with an ‘’On your Marks, Get set, ready and go’’ notion and every participant must adhere to those simple but crucial instructions before the race should s/he wish to win,  so also In the business world, there are such crucial instructions that must be strictly adhered to should one want to "run" well in business.And so the question of whether one gets to the finishing line or not, depends on who’s on the track. 
Of course you know it is not all racers on race track that gets to the touch line at the same time first. 
For one reason or the other some racers just have  to inevitably trail.
 In similar vein, it’s not every established business that becomes successful and ofcourse that also has
 its sad reasons. 
Here are some facts and tips that will keep you on your mark, set, ready and running to success as a business 
person.

·        1. On your mark:  Brainstorming on the kind of business you want to venture in, what it takes to run it, 
how to run it, when to start, as well as some level of extensive research, all fall under “on your marks” level 
so just as a racer should be on marks, anybody who wishes to start up something should be on marks, 
This is because business has many lines and a very wide and an unpredictable uncertainties  to  risk and you 
don’t want to be a victim of painful loss. So, by ‘’on your marks’’ I mean master your craft. 
 Know what you do or want to do and be prepared to do what you know how to and want to do. 
Be very sure to not start something you have no proper idea of, do not want to start any business, 
any business at all just because there is money in your hand or you just feel you have the money, that can be abysmally risky and frustrating. And again, don't start a business simply because it seems appealing or boasts of large hypothetical profit margins and returns. Do what you love. Businesses built around your strengths and talents will have a greater chance of success. It's not only important to create a profitable business, it's also important that you're happy managing and growing it day to day. If your heart isn't in it, success is out of it.

Focus.  Even if you have multiples of business ideas, it is advisable to take out ONE for a start. Many first-time entrepreneurs feel they need to jump at every "opportunity" they come across. But most of the so called
 opportunities are often wolves in sheep's clothing. Avoid getting side-tracked. Juggling multiple ventures
 will spread you thin and limit both your effectiveness and productivity. Do one thing perfectly, 
not 10 things poorly.

2 GET SET:  At this point, set a target. Your target should be consciously targeted at BOTH SUCCESS AND FAILURE, so shoot at an aim and also aim at a shoot. You don’t need to be biased on always thinking of business success and success alone, also have it at the back of your mind that a business can also fail( including the ones you would say were well mapped out or planned. In fact the chance of success and failure at this beginning  point is 50:50. This imperative view will help. Try to understand that as a start-outer, you are on your own almost totally. No one will give you money or at least the kind of money you would want to start out with afterall nobody share the vision you have with you. But Just know that when once you proof yourself first, you can then demand from others.  if you need large sum of capital to launch a business, and you don’t have, no need to feel sick, go back to the drawing board. Find a starting point instead of an end point. Scale down the idea and simplify it until it's manageable as an early stage venture. Find ways to prove your business model on a shoestring budget. Like I said earlier, demonstrate your worth before seeking investment. If your concept is successful, your chances of raising capital from investors will dramatically improve.

3 Get ready. Very ready. Avoid fire brigade approaches or firebrigading. Take ample time to plan. NO rush is necessary at the start. State your mission, service and goals in a clear and concise manner. If you need to pen it down, do just that. You need something to run with, something to keep you on track and in check. You don’t want to be wayward in business. Act like a startup. You see, most people always pretend to be sophists and not in need of any help but always want to be the ones offering help to others so why not be the one to get the help. The best and fastest way to access help or an assist is by ‘’acting like’’ a novice. Yea we know whenever you close your eyes, you always dream about those fancy offices, fast cars and fat bank accounts, and you wish it happened NOW, yea, everyone does; but as you would say, the journey of a thousand miles BEGINs with A STEP. Take your time to layout the foundation, those things will come sure just like in your dreams.

4 GO : Establish connects someone said Know what you know, know what you don't know and know who knows what you don't know. That is a great statement, you see, some people can’t differentiate their feats from  their feet and their   feet from their fits, I guess you know these are 3 different things. No one knows everything, so don't come off as a know-it-all. Surround yourself with advisors and mentors who will nurture you to become a better leader and businessperson. Find successful, knowledgeable individuals with whom you share common interests and mutual business goals that see value in working with you for the long-term.(we can help you establish the connect that best suits your business)

5. GO

Spend Wisely. Practice and perfect the art of being frugal. Watch every dime and double-check every expense and manage your cash flow effectively. Money is not to be spent like you see Rappers spend on music videos. This doesn’t mean you becoming stingy and miserly of course you know you must spend to get whatever it is you want

6. GO

Learn Fast. Someone’s opinion holds that no business book or business plan can predict the future or fully prepare you to become a successful entrepreneur. There is no such thing as the perfect plan. There is no perfect road or one less travelled. Yes that is true. In as much as you might never want to jump right into a new business without any thought or planning, don't spend months or years waiting and waiting to execute. You will become a well-rounded entrepreneur if you learn fast. The most important thing you can do is learn from your mistakes and never make the same mistake twice.

7 Go .

 Stay healthy. This is mummy’s advice. Of course you’d agree with me that a sick fellow can do from little to nothing. However, you will be much more productive when you take better care of yourself, you must have heard this before. Working to the point of exhaustion will burn you inside out and make you less productive. Don't make excuses. Eat right, exercise and find time for appropriate rest.

Extra tips

9. Put up or shut up. Don’t just talk the talk unless you can aswell walk the walk. Impress with action not conversation.  Avoid over exaggerating truths and touting far reaching goals as certainties.

10. Do not be  afraid to fail. Truth is, at some points, you fail, everyone does, even sometimes it comes after a very careful plan. Failing most times appear inevitable and like something you actually need to grow. If you think you haven’t failed before, you just might be overthinking it but I know you have and we all  have too. As a matter of fact, it is when you fail that you have that ample opportunity to try again, It is called retrial strategy, you haven’t become a failure by failing, you can only become one if you stopped trying.

your thoughts may have just pranked you, a smart captain doesn’t necessarily have to sink with the ship. Don't go on a fool's errand for the sake of ego. Know when it's time to walk away if need be. If your idea doesn't pan out, reflect on what went wrong and the mistakes that were made. Assess what you would have done differently.

*Try again.