Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 13 Call for your free quote today! WindowWorldFredericksburg.com (540) 369-4802 This Window World Franchise is independently owned and operated by Window World of Fredericksburg, d/b/a Window World of Fredericksburg under license from Window World, Inc. *See store for full terms and details. Offer expires 12/31/22. Voted Best of the Burg 4 years in a row! NOW OFFERING ROOFING 0% financing available* Highest in customer satisfaction among window and patio door retailers. Ranked #1 in price, ordering and delivery, sales staff, and service. Fund Your Idea Most startups require at least some investment. Once you've established the type of business you're start- ing, figure out what you will need to begin – inventory, equipment, office/retail space, etc – and estimate how much it will cost. If the amount exceeds your savings, consider asking family members for a loan. They will be more willing to consider investing in your business if you present them with your well-thought-out business plan, which should include details about your own financial invest- ment along with how you plan to repay their loan. "Early on, an entrepreneur shouldn't need to spend money on a lot of business services or support, and they should always check with a parent or other adult before signing up for anything. In fact, many busi- nesses can be started with very little cost and will only need to invest as they grow," says Wilson. Establish an Online Presence A website and social media accounts can drive a lot of traffic to your business, but both can be time consum- ing to maintain. Begin designing your website prior to your launch date. This will give you time to work out all the tedious details before you get busy offering your services or products to customers. Consider following a preplanned social media calendar to take the guess work out of what to post each day. Try Wix.com for free web building and web hosting. Google "social media calendar samples." Be Prepared Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Prepare yourself for the long haul as you put a lot of hard work and sacrifice into building your business. Keep a list handy of your short-term and long-term goals. Celebrate milestones along the way, and always find ways to move yourself closer to your next goal, even if it's only an inch at a time. Learn to Delegate 70% of small businesses are run solely by one individual, but that doesn't mean they do it all on their own all the time. As your business grows, think of ways to lessen your load so you can spend less time on tedious tasks (like updating your website or cleaning your office space) and more time on creating a quality product or service for your clients. Keep Going Every entrepreneur and every business experience ups and downs, but if you throw in the towel at the first (or second or tenth) sign of distress, you won't even get started. It's normal to feel discouraged at how slowly things are happening or when sales are low. Whenever you feel like giving up, it's time to rekindle your dedication! Go back to the first five items on this list and ask yourself: • Am I still passionate about what I'm doing? • What can I learn to better serve my customers? • How has my mentor handled ups and downs in their business? • Are there new ways I can more effectively reach my market? • Where am I at on my business plan, what have I already accomplished, and what direction am I headed next? "SCORE is a nonprofit resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration dedi- cated to the formation and growth of small businesses in the United States. We help small businesses by providing free business advice and mentoring, offering low or no- cost business training, and sharing free business templates and resources. We work with clients of all ages, including teens and young adults, and our mentors provide an experi- enced resource who can answer questions, provide feedback and encouragement, and help them avoid common pitfalls. Mentoring is often a long-term relationship, some lasting years, as we help them with their journey," says Chris Wilson. Success is a marathon, not a sprint.

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