How/Where did you learn how to start your first business without experience?

[sleeksilky]

This might seem like a very general question but one I'm always wondering about. Where do most people who decide to start a business get the knowledge on how to do it. Specifically all the logistical stuff like knowing if you need to register certain things or what licences or permits to obtain, who to contact for equipment and designing interiors if you have a brick and mortar business. All these things dont seem like theyre just common knowledge and yet people start businesses for the first time constantly.

So for anyone who has their own business or ever had one, can you please explain in your personal situation where and how you learned all the things initially. I always assumed school doesnt exactly teach you any of these step by step processes to do that, so im curious what everyone did or where they got their knowledge on how to do it from. If possible mention what type of business it was and maybe a small explanation of the steps you took personally to find out exactly what you need to do step by step to get it running or learning all the aspects of starting it from the ground up.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

So for anyone who has their own business or ever had one, can you please explain in your personal situation where and how you learned all the things initially.

Reading. I went to the library. Articles. Books.

Today, it's simple search engine searches. Sometimes those searches turn into rabbit holes as it takes a while to find the right information. Blogs. Forums, FB groups also.

No one is born with the information.

 

[sleeksilky]

Reading. I went to the library. Articles. Books.

Today, it's simple search engine searches. Sometimes those searches turn into rabbit holes as it takes a while to find the right information. Blogs. Forums, FB groups also.

No one is born with the information.

Do you think college teaches any of the actual steps to start a business or is just mostly general business theory stuff

 

[biophase]

So for anyone who has their own business or ever had one, can you please explain in your personal situation where and how you learned all the things initially.
so im curious what everyone did or where they got their knowledge on how to do it from. If possible mention what type of business it was and maybe a small explanation of the steps you took personally to find out exactly what you need to do step by step to get it running or learning all the aspects of starting it from the ground up.

I remember it clearly. In 2007 I decided that I wanted to have an ecommerce business. Because I knew absolutely nothing about ecommerce I thought that I should buy a business and then have the previous owner show me how things worked.

So I went to flippa and found a dropship website for $15k. I put an offer in of $15k after due diligence and it was accepted. However, the seller backed out and wanted $16k, then $17k, etc.. So I ended up started a competing store on my own.

I downloaded OScommerce (it's an open source shopping cart) and figured out how to create a store.
I looked up how a credit card processor worked and applied for an account on Authorize.net.
I found out I needed an SSL cert, so I bought one and learned how to install it.
I googled each product and found a dropshippers to supply me.
I applied for a city license and starting collecting and paying sales tax.
I didn't know until 2 years later that I needed a state license too.
I read about SEO, and started a blog and got backlinks and started to get traffic.
I made my first sale in a few days.

If you couldn't tell by now. You learn by doing things, finding out you are missing things, and then figuring out how to get things done.

 

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[Devampre]

Each country will have it's own laws, regulations, and so on.

If you can find a free non-profit business resource center in your area via a search engine, that could be a great way to help you navigate the less sexy administrative aspects of getting your business set up.

If you are talking about more open ended/abstract questions such as:

• How do I make sales
• How do I market my product/service
• How do I stay focused

and so on...

There are a lot of solutions. And determining which solutions are most effective for you are likely not going to be easily figured out by a stranger on the internet who doesn't know you or your business well enough. That's not to say you won't be given or read the right solution here on the forum. But, the solutions level of success is undetermined until you try applying the solution for yourself.

For instance,

Right now, I'm redesigning my website and changing my messaging to focus on a particular niche. Is this the "right" solution for me? Is this going to make me more money or less? Is this actually going to work out or am I going to have to eventually revert to my old approach?

No one knows until it's either successful or a failure.

Trust yourself and keep moving forward. Life is continual trial and error as we navigate from our current state to our desired state.

 

[sleeksilky]

Each country will have it's own laws, regulations, and so on.

If you can find a free non-profit business resource center in your area via a search engine, that could be a great way to help you navigate the less sexy administrative aspects of getting your business set up.

If you are talking about more open ended/abstract questions such as:

• How do I make sales
• How do I market my product/service
• How do I stay focused

and so on...

There are a lot of solutions. And determining which solutions are most effective for you are likely not going to be easily figured out by a stranger on the internet who doesn't know you or your business well enough. That's not to say you won't be given or read the right solution here on the forum. But, the solutions level of success is undetermined until you try applying the solution for yourself.

For instance,

Right now, I'm redesigning my website and changing my messaging to focus on a particular niche. Is this the "right" solution for me? Is this going to make me more money or less? Is this actually going to work out or am I going to have to eventually revert to my old approach?

No one knows until it's either successful or a failure.

Trust yourself and keep moving forward. Life is continual trial and error as we navigate from our current state to our desired state.

As you called em the "less sexy administrative" aspects is what i was referring to. Like even knowing what things you might need to actually set up a business before you can launch it, anything like licences, permits, where to obtain them or even knowing that you require any and what they are. Things like knowing who to contact to find out what equipment you might need if you need any. Things like say you bought a storefront. Now what. Who do i contact to make it look a certain way. I got employees, now how do i set up them getting their payments every week. How do i set up something that helps me track inventory or sales. All these little things that obvious a first time started has no idea about. Thats what im curious about. Where most people learn this from or find out about from.

As you mentioned the business resource centers i guess would be the way to go and seems like a good idea.

 

[Johnny boy]

Man, this one hits home.

When you're 21, have never started a business before, have useless family members when it came to business, and you're trying to get an LLC, insurance, licenses, register with the employment office, learn about state, federal, AND employment taxes, all by yourself....it's F*cking lonely, hard, and none of that stuff actually makes you any money. Now, I can put a business together in a day. But before...it was the worst thing ever.

I learned it by reading everything I could find online, wasting money with legalzoom just for them to accidently incorporate my company in texas for $500 (I'm in washington???) and waste a month of my life . Then I read more stuff online, got more frustrated than any other time in my life, walked into the secretary of state office myself and just went through the process slowly. I would be a liar if I said it didn't make me want to cry.

The funny part is that it's actually not hard. That's how a lot of things in life are. Very easy, once you know what to do. Now when things come up that I don't know, I remember that it's easy, I just need to learn.

Do you need some help? Shoot me a message and I'd be happy to hop on a call and walk you through the steps. It's not actually a lot of work and you should be up and running very quickly.

 

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[Einfamilienhaus]

Do you think college teaches any of the actual steps to start a business or is just mostly general business theory stuff

To your question:
If you have a clear imagination in which industry you want to start your business, then a study might help you or at least it will help you to find a job in which you will get paid for your future experience as a business owner in this industry.

If you just have general expectations, you will receive a general education.

The other question is, if you are willing to get into big debt to learn those things? Do you have a chance to study somewhere else with cheaper cost for your education like in Germany? Do it! Otherwise think twice.

 

[Akachukwu Aloh]

Man, this one hits home.

When you're 21, have never started a business before, have useless family members when it came to business, and you're trying to get an LLC, insurance, licenses, register with the employment office, learn about state, federal, AND employment taxes, all by yourself....it's f*cking lonely, hard, and none of that stuff actually makes you any money. Now, I can put a business together in a day. But before...it was the worst thing ever.

I learned it by reading everything I could find online, wasting money with legalzoom just for them to accidently incorporate my company in texas for $500 (I'm in washington???) and waste a month of my life . Then I read more stuff online, got more frustrated than any other time in my life, walked into the secretary of state office myself and just went through the process slowly. I would be a liar if I said it didn't make me want to cry.

The funny part is that it's actually not hard. That's how a lot of things in life are. Very easy, once you know what to do. Now when things come up that I don't know, I remember that it's easy, I just need to learn.

Do you need some help? Shoot me a message and I'd be happy to hop on a call and walk you through the steps. It's not actually a lot of work and you should be up and running very quickly.

I need help too bro!

 

[Johnny boy]

I need help too bro!

what do you need help with?

 

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[Guest-5ty5s4]

Keep in mind most of the “administrative stuff” isn’t even necessary until AFTER your business has some traction.

You definitely don’t want to be talking to lawyers if you’ve never sold anything. That’s kind of like Ferrari shopping when you’re broke, but a lot less fun.

 

[Kevin88660]

This might seem like a very general question but one I'm always wondering about. Where do most people who decide to start a business get the knowledge on how to do it. Specifically all the logistical stuff like knowing if you need to register certain things or what licences or permits to obtain, who to contact for equipment and designing interiors if you have a brick and mortar business. All these things dont seem like theyre just common knowledge and yet people start businesses for the first time constantly.

So for anyone who has their own business or ever had one, can you please explain in your personal situation where and how you learned all the things initially. I always assumed school doesnt exactly teach you any of these step by step processes to do that, so im curious what everyone did or where they got their knowledge on how to do it from. If possible mention what type of business it was and maybe a small explanation of the steps you took personally to find out exactly what you need to do step by step to get it running or learning all the aspects of starting it from the ground up.

1) Google/Youtube/Check out online business community in the same sector/Buy books

2) Talk to people who are in the business

3) Observe how your competitors move.