Starting a Business

Equally important to having all the physical "stuff" collected for your business, is being collected mentally. Your thoughts, ideas and attitudes should be in harmony so you are prepared to handle your business.

One of the best methods of doing this is to schedule your time, so you know how much effort is going toward each activity you're required to undertake in your business. All this will go a long way in helping you maintain the essential attitude you developed when you became comfortable.

As you go through the process of getting collected, an important point to keep in mind is your professionalism. Getting collected not only means making your business as easy as possible, but also as professional as possible:

You'll know how to manage your time. You'll have a professional-sounding voice mail system. You'll know how to get yourself mentally prepared for calling potential clients. You'll know how to respond to unexpected questions. In essence, you'll conduct your-self in a professional manner.

Many people decide to work from their homes, however, you must be cautious about doing this. Just because you're home-based doesn't mean you don't have to be professional.

On the contrary, you almost have to be more professional when you're home-based. Don't get overly casual just because you're working from home. Have professional letterhead and business cards created and present a business image that's on a par with large successful companies.

An important part of being professional is creating a business plan. You need to have a business plan and plan your activities week by week - even day by day - because planning means using your time efficiently.

To plan, you must have goals. Remember the goals you wrote down when you made your commitment? To get collected, you need to use those goals to create a business plan.

You may resist creating a business plan. Perhaps one of your goals is to get away from a rigid schedule and creating a plan seems to go against that goal.

However, if you don't create a plan and make some sort of schedule, you'll never claim your success. If you don't want a rigid schedule, create a schedule that isn't rigid - it's as simple as that. It's not creating any schedule at all that is self-defeating.

Now, your business plan doesn't have to be set in stone. It is just an estimate of how to get where you want to go, and it can change as you see necessary. Also, it's okay if you don't follow the plan to the letter, as long as you don't completely disregard the plan.

Remember, if you plan nothing, that's exactly what will happen with your business - nothing. And, if you let your plan go, you'll be letting your goals go also.

Without a plan, you'll essentially wind up being goal-less, plan-less and clueless.

When you make a plan, you need to include your professional as well as your personal commitments. This will help to ensure that you are making a plan you know you can follow.

For example, if you know you have to pick up your children from their after-school activities, don't schedule meetings for that time, because you obviously can't be in two places at once.

By considering your personal commitments when making your business plan, you increase the likelihood of following your plan and claiming your success.