Page 6 - 6 Secrets to Startup Success

Foreword

Most of us harbor thoughts of starting a business.
It is a delicious fantasy while staring at gray cubicle walls, or toil-

ing outside for an hourly wage under the command of someone who
is profiting from the fruits of your labor.

“I can do this,” you say, “How hard could it be?”
Some, emboldened by the desire to take charge of their own des-
tiny, actually take the leap.
Things can go well for a while, until the moment when they real-
ize that there are a whole lot of things that can go wrong.
And that if they had known then what they knew now, they may not
have been so quick to give notice at their job, or to invest precious money,
time, and energy in an idea that was not quite ready for prime time.
The greatest heartbreak, popular success publications tout, is failing
to do something about your burning passion for a world-changing idea.
A greater heartbreak, in reality, is placing this idea onto a shaky
foundation, and watching it fall apart.
What is really driving your desire to start a business? If you are
like most people:
9 You want to make an impact in the world.
9 You want to create wealth for yourself and your family.
9 You want to translate your idea into a tangible product or

service.
9 You want to have flexibility to spend time with your family.
9 You want to feel fully alive.
9 You want to use your strengths in a way that leads to deep

value.

These desires are not fantasies. There are thousands of entrepre-
neurs who have built successful businesses on a solid foundation and
accomplish these goals every day.

American Management Association • www.amanet.org