Welcome to DesignedBiz!

Here's a question: Are you like millions of out of work Americans struggling to find a job?  Well, if you have a marketable idea or talent that can be turned into business, now might be the time to make that dream a reality.  Trust me, as crazy as it may sound, you won't be alone your journey. That’s right: as America’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed in the last two years, the number of self-employed has actually increased.  According to the National Association of the Self-Employed (NASE), self-employed businesses have grown faster than all other segments of the business population, contributing close to $1 trillion to the United States economy in 2007 alone.

As we begin a new year, countless individuals are re-evaluating their career choices and many are considering futures they can have more control over.  And while it isn't exactly ‘easy’, starting your own business isn't as complicated as it may first appear and there is no better time to start than right now.

But how do you get started?  What do you do?  And if you already have
a business, how do you keep it running or move it to the next level?

Well, the first step to starting a business is to recognize the value of your idea. And in today's economy, start-up entrepreneurs will have to have a solid plan and assets.  (According to The Wall Street Journal, Babson College estimates that entreprenuers need an average of $65,000 to start a business, two-thirds of which comes from personal savings and the rest from "informal" investors such as relatives and friends.)  Then you need to surround yourself with the proper resources and a support network that will educate, motivate and help you succeed.  That’s where I come in.

Now I encourage you to read my profile, but the bottom line is I strongly believe that small businesses always have been and will continue to be the key to our economic recovery.  [According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), 65% of all new jobs are created by small businesses, defined as any business employing 500 people or fewer.]  And I want to encourage and help those efforts.  So I started DesignedBiz as a practical information source on how successfully start or grow a business - basically the essential tools needed to achieve small-business success.  Not only will I share my marketing and business development knowledge, but I'll seek out other experts to help you as well.  So, if you have comments to share, please feel free to post them to the appropriate article or contact me with your questions and ideas.  In the meantime, come back often or subscribe to our feed to stay up-to-date on my latest posts.