Business Entrepreneur Top Start-Up Tools for a New Business Entrepreneur Embarking on the journey of starting your own

business can be a little overwhelm ing if you dont know where to begin and havent done your homework. Every new busin ess entrepreneur should use research tools to help better themselves and their b usiness; thats why theyre out there and quite easily accessible. Here are ten tool s that can help you get underway and stay in the know. Find success stories. There are flourishing businesses everywhere and they certa inly didnt get that way overnight. The owners and founders of these companies had to start somewhere, and they more than likely know the ropes youre currently lea rning to climb. Find one that will take you under their wing and give pointers a nd guidelines you should abide by. Take their advice and apply it to your busine ss if it fits, or store it away for future use. Ask lots of questions and dont be too proud to admit you dont know it all! Inspiration is the best motivator known to man, and theres nothing more inspiring than seeing and being in the presence of successful entrepreneurs that have accomplished the very goal youre trying to attain. Attend seminars, classes, or workshops. You could be the best in your field, but there is always room for improvement and growth. Things change daily, and what was innovative today may not even exist tomorrow. Stay up to date on products in your industry, laws that get passed that pertain to your industry, and any new certifications that may now be mandatory. Learning keeps the mind fresh and open to new ideas. Seminars can be attended in person or even taken online, that way you can fit them into your schedule. Classes and workshops are also excellent w ays to network and meet new people. Make a day of it if you can and take some of your new connections out to lunch for a round of Q and A. If you carry a certai n brand of product, often that manufacturer will put on workshops to familiarize you with new products, or answer questions on existing products so you can be a better salesman. These are usually free as well as crucial, because knowing mor e about the product than your competition does will give you the edge. Also, nev er let your customers know more about what you sell than you do! You certainly d ont want to embarrass or undersell yourself. Utilize the internet. Blogging is so popular that its hard to find an individual who doesnt have one. Read up on what other business entrepreneurs have done, what you shouldnt do, and how to do things right. There are many websites that provid e forums and chat rooms where you can connect with other people in your industry . These same websites also offer tools of their own, such as reference websites, educational articles, recommended reading, and the chance to become a member an d get your presence out there. State and city websites are also fountains of kno wledge as they can help you access laws, frequently asked questions, organizatio ns, and other helpful information. Become a member of a club or association that will bring you exposure to your ta rget clientele and fellow business entrepreneurs. Often there are groups of succ essful yet retired entrepreneurs, business owners, and company founders (like SC ORE) that band together to help out the little guys. They often assign you a men tor to provide advice and insight and theyre willing to do it for free. Check wit h the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any associations in your indust ry and area that you can join. Another good resource is The Chamber of Commerce. Lots of times the members will get together for a day of golfing or a luncheon and these sessions could be riddled with jewels for success. Sometimes simply ge tting involved with your community and providing a little charity goes a long wa y and introduces you to people who spread their wealth of success stories. Buy books, subscribe to magazines, and pick up a newspaper. Theres no shortage of reading material out there for anyone interested in going out on their own and becoming a business entrepreneur. Magazines like Entrepreneur, Inc. Magazine, an

d Harvard Business Review are invaluable assets to peruse on a regular basis. Bo oks like The Art of the Start and The One Minute Entrepreneur: The Secret to Cre ating and Sustaining a Successful Business are great reads to get the entreprene urial spirit flowing, garner knowledge, and obtain inspiration. Newspaper, wheth er local or national like The Wall Street Journal, always provide insight on wha t is happening around you in todays market and economy; both good things to be we ll-read about if youre heading into business. No matter where youre located, your city should have a local business journal that will provide imperative informati on for your area, as well as other resources and tools. You will always have dow ntime and there really is nothing better to do than read. Knowledge is essential , and those who actively seek success will typically find it. Pay attention. Check out your competition and pay attention to what theyre doing. The key to being a successful business entrepreneur isnt just focusing on your o wn business, but those businesses around you as well. See what type of advertisi ng seems to be working well for them, and what locations bring the most business . See where fellow business owners are spending their time and energy and take a look into how it could work for you. Its not cheating; its playing smart. Everyth ing that exists today was created from people who saw one persons idea and put a twist on it to make a new idea of their own. This doesnt mean steal their custome rs or picket outside their stores, but youve heard the saying keep your friends cl ose and your enemies closer. The same applies in business, just be sure you play fair and stay on the right side of the law. Acquire the tools that will aid in your success. Lots of business owners need to keep in touch with clients and have access to emails and calendar appointments while being out of the office. While its true that not everyone has updated thems elves with todays technologies, if it pertains to you, you should. Smart phones a llow you to access email and your calendar so you dont miss any pressing correspo ndence or appointments. For businesses that are more advanced, you can even acce ss accounting programs and create invoices right from where you stand. Keep your customers in mind and understand who they are; which means not all of them will know how or have access to email or text messaging. Keep things like a fax mach ine in the office as a convenience to them. At this day and age you really cant a fford to be without a computer; even if you do everything by hand and retain pap er copies of everything, there are still those customers who will want to commun icate via email or instant messaging. Make sure you are available to them. Discover web marketing. Search engines are powerful tools for business entrepren eurs to get their name and products in the line of sight. Online communities lik e MySpace and Facebook are just a few of the websites frequented daily by millio ns of people. Google Ads is an inexpensive way to advertise and be sure youre see n. Though you may not be a national company, the exposure you will gain by web m arketing cannot be compared. Sites like Facebook allow you choose your target au dience by their age, location, and sometimes even income bracket so that only th ose you want to see your ad will. Fees are nominal and well worth the expenditur e. Obviously youre still in business or you wouldnt read this article. Follow thes e tips and you should be able to stick around for some time to come, with succes s nipping at your heels the whole way.