Choosing Your Business 11
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Must I have fancy business cards and stationery made up?
If you are serious about being in business, you should have business cards and business stationery. If your business is one where appearances and creativity are important, you will need well-designed business cards, letterhead, and envelopes all printed on a good stock (stock is a term used in the printing industry to describe kinds of papers). If your business is something like a car repair service, you can probably get by with a plain white business card and inexpensive stationery. You may also need things like sales slips, shipping labels, and invoice forms.
Do I need a computer?
Owning and knowing how to use a computer is almost essential in most businesses today. Although there are many businesses that don't require a computer to create or deliver a product or service, most businesses can benefit greatly by using a computer to run the business. Doing your accounting, keeping track of sales leads, reminding yourself to make follow-up calls to prospects and customers, and writing letters, sending out mailings and bills, and many other tasks can be done much more quickly and efficiently on a computer than they can be done manually, once you learn how to use the computer and software. Customers may want to send you electronic mail or place orders online, and you may want to look for suppliers on the Internet.
Don't make the mistake of assuming a computer is the magic ingredient that will put you into business, however. If you don't already have a computer available at home, wait to buy one until you know how to use one and know what you will use it for. Most local schools and colleges offer adult education computer courses. (Unless you want to start a new career as a programmer, though, don't bother with programming courses. Look for courses that teach you what you can do with a computer and/or how to use frequently used computer applications such as word processing, databases, and spreadsheets. See chapter 12 for information on buying a computer.)
Do I need any special training to start a business?
If you have no previous experience running a business, you will need to acquire some basic knowledge of business practices and procedures. Most of that basic knowledge can be acquired inexpensively through reading, networking with other businesspeople, and attending inexpensive business conferences in your area.
I never finished high school. Will I be able to run my own business?
Yes. One of the nice things about being the boss is there's no one to tell you that you can't be hired because you don't have a high school or college degree.
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