How/Where did you learn how to start a business for the first time?

[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.

[Fulcrum]

I grew up in a family run business and always worked for smaller businesses. Most of what I have learned has come from the school of hard knocks (think I'm going on my 2nd or 3rd PhD by now).

Registering is simple. You can do it either online or through a government office.

For equipment, you had better have a good idea what you will need before you do anything. Google is a very handy tool for researching what might be needed in a startup.

[philipshernandez]

Hi guys. I and My friends are planning to start a online Shoppe for the milk products. Currently it is in a planning stage. We are planning to start it as a small start-up. The app development was started. We had discussed it with the milk product production companies. They are willing to sale the product through our app. We are planning to setup a cold storage to store the products. So now we need to purchase a commercial refrigerator. We need some suggestions how to select a refrigerator as well as the specifications need to be checked. Please share your valuable suggestions which will be really helpful.
Thanks!

[Melisasmith]

Hello sleeksilky,

I have learnt from google that how to start a business for the first time.

[PaulE]

In my case my first business was based on my job. My first job was in a shoe store and my first business was then a my own shoe store. I then went from that to other retail and then onto financial products. Try starting with whatever it is you are doing. If you have a job learn as much as you can about the business, beyond just what your own position entails.

[TAG]

My Dad and Step-dad both owned their own businesses and experienced varied levels of success. I grew up working for both business as well as the big businesses like Walmart and McDonalds when I was young. I was able to see dos and don'ts in both. As my career has gone, I have worked for multi-billion dollar businesses as well as smaller privately owned. Each one has been a learning opportunity for me. Additionally I read book, listen to podcast, watch webinars, and attend seminars. They all teach a little something.

[chrismarklee]

You need a very unique product and a marketing plan.

[b-wish]

Everyone I know who has started a business learned from family members who previously ran businesses (which is obviously problematic since . It was almost exclusively passed down knowledge. That said, now-a-days, I think @melisasmith is spot on that Google is a big source of knowledge for folks. I think Twitter is also awesome for small business owners. My business partner and I actually got pretty frustrated with that ourselves and have started building a forum/business-plan creation tool to help address that for ourselves/friends. If you're interested feel free to check it out at www.joinnarwhal.com, and we'd love feedback.

[journalist55]

To add to this, I think that Instagram and Facebook now are also great platforms for small businesses! There are many wants for the audience to interact.

[Blue Hen]

I also think LinkedIn is underrated but very helpful!

[journalist55]

I agree, it is a professional platform which narrows down your audience to people who will actually be interested! I also think LinkedIn has gained more attention since the pandemic. With everyone being remote it was a great tool to network.

[journalist55]

I always wondered this too. I think someone who starts their own business is definitely a true risk taker. You can think of an idea but to actually take it to the next level of a business takes someone with great ambition and goals. But today I think it may be a little easier to start a business online with social media platforms.