The Entrepreneur's Survival List : Part 2

6. Critical Mass - "SIZE MATTERS"
For online businesses which operate from your basement or from a motor home, it certainly helps to look bigger than you really are. There's a certain comfort in dealing with a business that seems established.

You should try to establish 24 hour customer service. Even if it means answering the phone at your favorite watering hole. Just try to get away from the background noise.

Having a separate business line is critical. Attempt to inform your family that if the business line rings it should be answered in a professional manner. You really don't want your loved one picking up the line in the middle of closing a deal to remind you to take out the garbage.

Have a logo developed for your business; there are several sites available that will create a logo for you. Or find a student from a good graphic design school to create one. Use your logo consistently, on all your stationery, packaging and other corporate communications.

Take advantage of any local business incubators, these operations offer affordable, flexible leases for start ups. They will provide anything from office furniture and equipment to business plans and high speed Internet access. Historically businesses in an incubator stand significantly higher chances of surviving.

You can get free publicity for your business by contacting local news media and selling your company as a human interest story. There are many periodicals looking for businesses to profile.

Get your name on TV. We have all seen those morning shows with live outside feeds. A poster board you hold up in front of the camera may get you more publicity than a 30 second commercial.

And finally, if you have a web site, ensure you have the ability to process credit cards. Most Internet transactions use credit cards to complete a purchase.

CONCLUSION
The preceding list just scratches the surface of an entrepreneur’s "to do list". The Internet is awash with information and you can drown yourself in web sites, magazines and secret membership sites, and still not learn anything. Why? The Internet is a new and ever changing phenomenon. Advice that seems fundamentally sound today can be completely wrong the next day.

However, you can learn from both the successes and failures of others and be guided by their experiences. Remember that no matter what you do, you will never achieve much success unless you have happy customers, happy workers and happy suppliers. That means you must have a company that is perceived as friendly, especially in the area of customer service.

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The concluding section really give important message. The Internet is filled with such and more information and you can draw whatever you need so get started and get going thats what I can say.

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