Did you know you can start a business in your spare time? It’s always been possible and now, it’s even more so. It’s an easy way for everyday people to succeed. You just take baby steps to your goal.

Many people I talk to tell me they really wish they could start their own business. When I ask why they don’t, the list of excuses is endless: Need the paycheck, don’t have enough money, don’t know what to do, have small children, have big children, don’t know anything about business, and on and on. Every business owner out there probably had one or more of those “problems”, too. The secret is to go ahead and make your business fit your life.

It is intimidating when business experts tell us we need a year’s worth of salary in savings before we quit our jobs, or we need six months financing for our business before we begin. While those are great ideas, for some of us, it’s not going to happen that way. The personal “issues” we all have – we’re too busy, we too old, too young, too sick, too healthy, well, they’re endless and you just have to be determined to do it anyway.

You can do it, without the cash reserves, without quitting your job, and even if you have family obligations, poor health, or personal handicaps that make starting a business seem terrifying. Just take baby steps.

Here are some baby steps to get you started on the road to being a business owner:

--Research your own likes and dislikes to find out what kind of business would be best for you if you have no idea. (My ebook Finding the Perfect Small Business for You has simple exercises and ideas to help you with this part. It’s only $2.95 and you can download it immediately.

--Read websites, forums and blogs of people doing what you want to do. If you would love to sell cosmetics, look up Mary Kay, Avon and other beauty companies. Read what others say about them. Even ask questions. Most any “group” has web information out there on the web, and many have their own magazines. Try scrapbooking, party planning, and more. There are also many ideas and articles in the Business Ideas section of the SOHO topic. You’ll find everything from how to Be a Wedding Planner to Starting a Business as a Personal Chef and more!

--Learn about eBay. Many small businesses are able to reach millions through eBay. You can have a very profitable business and hardly ever have to leave your house.

--Do a Baby Steps Action Plan: Make a list of the tiny steps you could do that would lead you closer to owning your business. Name the business; list 20 ways you could get your first sale; do research on how much to charge; identify your target customer; and so on. For ideas and how-to’s, read my article on Business Action Plans

Explore the SOHO archives for more ideas and good luck on Baby-Stepping your way to Success!