Google, Twitter, even my own company, Market America, had to start somewhere. The same principles hold true for anyone looking to start their own business. It all starts with one thing, an idea.  While having an idea won't guarantee that your business will go on to become a success, think of it like a fledgling plant.

Plants start as seeds - some take a long time to grow, others can grow very rapidly -- just like any business. The key thing is to cultivate it.  For plants, this means providing it with proper amounts of sunlight, water, nutrients for the soil, even determining the right plant for the space.  These same principles holds true for a business. You need to have an idea, determine what kind of nutrients (employees, equipment, etc) it needs to grow, then determine who your customers are and then ask yourself if your business can (not will it) grow in the environment where you plan to open it at.

It doesn't become a question of will it grow (that's where YOU come in), it is a question of can grow in the environment you put it in. If you open the business and don't nurture it, by feeding it the things it needs to thrive, then it may not grow as fast as you would like it to (or even at all). And like any plant (or business), you need to be prepared to readjust. Maybe you get too much rain -- which can drown your plant. From a business perspective, this could mean having too many employees or too many expenses. Over time, this can put it at risk of failing.

Remember, growing your business is like growing a plant. Determine all of the initial things that your business needs, provide it to your business so that it can have the opportunity to grow, and adjust accordingly. When you get that right balance, your business can thrive. Just keep in mind that you need to be ready to adjust at any given moments notice.

So tell me, what items does your business currently need and which items do you need to readjust?

Keep growing. I believe in you.

JR