The idea of becoming an entrepreneur can be intimidating.  You might feel like you’ll be in this by yourself, and what if you fail?  The key is to think big but start small.  Nothing will happen overnight.  It’s going to take a lot of work, but if you follow steps like these, the process can be much easier.

• Start with your idea.  Does it have potential?  What will your start-up costs be?  What about overhead in the future?  How much time will you need to invest to get things off the ground?  Who is your market?  Do they want what you’re selling?
• If you’re having trouble thinking of a good idea, try thinking of a bad one.  If you can see what won’t work, it may be easier to view the opposites to find what would.  Try to meet a need, and don’t over-think it.  The simplest solution is usually the best one.  If you find a need to meet but aren’t sure how well your solution would be received, consider one definition of selling: convincing people that they need or want something that they didn’t know they needed.  Can you do that with your product or service?
• Don’t get overwhelmed by your idea and all of the surrounding questions!  There’s an easy way to settle in and find your answers, and that’s by creating a business plan.  You should go as in-depth as possible regarding every aspect of your business, but there’s no need to create a 50-100 page document (unless you’re going to apply for a bank loan for funding).  You’ll find yourself forced during this process to answer questions you may not think of at the start.  One detail will open up a new question, and you’ll want to know the answer.  Plus, writing everything down, especially goals, will give you a better chance of success.
• Know that you are not alone.  Go networking, attend seminars and conferences, and talk to people.  You’ll encounter entrepreneurs who are just starting out like you and others who have been at it long enough to offer you some sound advice and possible help.  You never know; that person behind you in the checkout lane might be the best mentor for you, and you won’t know it if you never open your mouth.
• Keep your work ethic strong.  You’ll only get out what you put in.  Start part-time if you need to; you won’t be raking in the millions right away, perhaps not even for a few years.  So don’t quit your day job if you know you won’t be able to survive financially without it yet, and focus all of your free time on your business.  Once it grows, you can take the next step into running it full-time.  Try not to get discouraged by any failures or slow times.  It’s inevitable.  Learn from it, talk to contacts and mentors, and keep going.
• Another simple but great piece of advice is to READ.  Chalene Johnson, a personal favorite entrepreneur and motivator, suggests in her blog that reading is the key to succeeding at anything, business or otherwise.  Pick up books and magazines and check out websites and blogs and the like.  You’ll learn about other people who have been in the same boat and have been kind enough to pass on details of their journeys and what they learned from their successes, failures, and other people.  And you don’t have to stick purely to business material.  Motivational, self-help, spiritual, and comedic books can all help you, and of course the list doesn’t stop there.  Think you don’t have time?  Make time.  Find time.  There’s probably at least a few minutes in between daily duties where you can pick up and read a few pages.  (The Kindle from Amazon comes highly recommended, as you can download and store numerous books at once and read on the go.  If you’re exceptionally busy, this can be extremely helpful.)

As you may suspect, I recommend checking out Chalene Johnson’s blog at www.chalenejohnson.blogspot.com.  She may be a fitness personality, but her passion lies in motivating others in all aspects of life.  In her July 16, 2009 blog, “Become the Smartest Person You Know,” you’ll find her advice on how reading will help you reach your goals.  Also, www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com is a very interesting site, with more advice than I had time to read!  (I know, I know…I’m not listening to my own advice.  But my article had a deadline!)