It's now or never--just do it!

          Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
          to help you better manage your small business.

     Thinking about starting a business? Stop second-guessing yourself. No matter your situation, no matter the economy, the time is now. Start that business you've been thinking about, and never look back.

     Think it's too early in life? Consider the 10-year-old boy who shovels snow for his neighbors. He went on to establish a landscaping business.

     Think it's too late in life? Consider the 79-year-old woman who established a bagel shop. She later sold out and retired--again.

     Example: Consider the lady who worked in Corporate America and rushed home every day to the thing she really loved--making pots, creating at her potter's wheel. When she was ready, she took early retirement from her fancy position and set up her own pottery operation. Her special glazes attracted lots of attention, and her reputation spread. Today, her pottery commands high praise and high prices.

     Adults are frequently locked in pursuits they little enjoy. Some rush off to change career directions--still with the comfort of a regular paycheck. Others start a business built around a compelling interest. They are looking for more fulfillment than that left behind. 

     Example: Consider the man who spent his spare time working for a local contractor. He honed his skills in painting houses, replacing gutters and windows, repairing stairs, tackling minor plumbing jobs and more. His long-range plan was to own 2- and 3-family apartment houses that needed work. He was setting himself up to do the work, or at least he would know how to judge work he hired done. Today, he owns and manages several small apartment houses and is building up a significant retirement nest egg.

     Starting a small business is a now or never proposition. I'm fond of quoting the Good Witch of the North in the Wizard of Oz. "The place to begin is at the beginning," she told Dorothy. As we all know, we make our own beginnings. 

     If you are stuck in a job you don't enjoy, start making plans to leave. Start your own business built around something that causes you to jump out of bed in the morning. Your dream becomes your alarm clock. 

          There is never a "right time" to start a business. Get your thinking straightened out. Stop wasting time. Get at it.