What is needed to become an individual entrepreneur? How to manage and develop a company

Entrepreneurship is an exciting and potentially rewarding activity that also comes with enormous risk due to the high likelihood of bankruptcy. A successful entrepreneur is distinguished by the right attitude, a competent approach to business and wise management of the company. A series of simple steps will help you successfully run your own business!

Steps

The Right Attitude

Love what you do. Enthusiasm is the most important component of successful activity. If you are doing something you don't like, then entrepreneurship will turn into torture and will immediately be doomed to failure. The owner must give his all to his own company. This is impossible if you don't love your company.
- Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Start a business based on your strengths. For example, if you are a good cook and have success working with clients, open a restaurant! If you are good at math, open an accounting or design firm. If you love interacting with people, start a party planning company!
- Make a list of your hobbies. Love to play basketball, run, watch matches and go to Gym? Open your own fitness club.
- If you are already engaged in entrepreneurial activity, then think about how much you love your business. Don't try to fool yourself. If you like your current job, then your task is to continue what you love. If you don't like the direction you've chosen at all, then change your company to suit your interests or start from scratch.
Take your work seriously and give your full attention and effort to the company. Set yourself up for success. A positive attitude leads to positive results. Running your company is more than just a full-time job. This is your life. Dedicate yourself entirely to the task, otherwise nothing will work out.
- Get ready to work harder than ever before. Starting a company from scratch is incredibly difficult. Determination is the key to success.
- Set yourself up for hard work. You will have virtually no rest, especially at the very beginning, and such work is exhausting. It is necessary to constantly work for the company to develop. In another case, there will be a more persistent entrepreneur who will succeed in a similar business instead of you.
- Work from home. Answer emails and make calls even after leaving the office.
- Find time to relax. At times, the thought of working 24 hours a day, seven days a week may arise. The trick is to give 100 percent to your work. Working harder is much better than working longer. A person needs to rest in order to be effective. If you feel exhausted, then take a short vacation. Warm up and relax throughout the day. Don't forget about daily lunch breaks.
Stay organized. Organization is the main aspect of rational use of time resources. It implies not only order in documents. Create a system and establish a routine for efficiently completing daily tasks.
- To-do lists will become good example organizations.
- Create a calendar that covers every aspect. This approach is much more effective than multiple calendars for different types activities. Include work, family and social events in it. Update your information regularly and check the calendar.
- Plan your time wisely. Plan your day to alternate important tasks with short breaks. There is no need to waste time on useless and unpromising things.
Don't be afraid to innovate. Use your creativity and trust your intuition. It should be understood that it is the innovative views of the owners that distinguish successful businesses from all others. It is unacceptable to move along the beaten path. At some point you will need to choose your own path.
- You need to take risks to achieve success. Sometimes you need to make decisions without having all the necessary information or resources. Take risks and trust your instincts.
- Analyze and find new solutions. Come up with your own way to raise funds or new approach to personnel management. It’s even better to come up with a unique product.
Be committed to listening and learning. This important aspect, because no person knows everything in the world. Meet experts in your industry and listen to their advice. Work closely with business partners and employees, and ask for each worker's opinion. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness, even if such an opinion is not taken into account.
- Successful leaders are not afraid to ask for help. You need to accept that it is impossible to know everything, so the combined knowledge of friends and employees will only strengthen your position.
- Find a mentor in your field to grow and gain new knowledge.
Invest in yourself. All the best entrepreneurs spend time and money to become better, to gain a deeper understanding of their field. Buy the best specialized books and magazines, read new information every day. Go to business seminars and trainings and continuously improve. Take classes and acquire the necessary skills.
- Never waste money on self-development. Ultimately, these investments always pay off.
- Spend equal time on study and work. Your business is more important in the short term, and self-development is a long-term investment.
Be an exemplary leader. Your positive image spreads throughout the company. You are the standard bearer of your enterprise. People perceive your company based on your actions. Make an effort to be perceived as professional and pleasant to do business with.
- Strive to produce good first impression, especially in meetings with investors or leading figures in your industry.
- Inspire others with a positive mindset. Your attitude is passed on to all employees.
- Be open to dialogue. Stick to the policy open doors and encourage your employees to contact you with any questions.
- Always dress appropriately for the occasion. This is important for your image. You should look and act like a professional.
- Find a top-notch office. If you work from home, then spend business meetings in places such as a library or cafe.
Prepare for setbacks and difficulties. Eight out of ten small businesses close quickly due to bankruptcy. The statistics are against you, so you will face difficulties. A successful outcome requires persistence and determination. Don't be afraid to take risks. Only a persistent and fearless entrepreneur will cope with difficulties.
- If you don't have these qualities, then entrepreneurship may not be for you.
- Motivate yourself to move forward. Create a mantra, find an uplifting song or a person who won't let you stop. Use your ardor and enthusiasm. In any case, it is important to remain strong and determined.
- If you fail, gather your strength and continue forward. Sometimes it takes several attempts to create a successful company from scratch. Don't give up after the first failure.
How to build your own business
1. Create a team of like-minded people. Choose your partners and employees carefully. You should not rush to hire employees, but do not delay dismissal if there are reasons for this. In your business, it is important to fully trust your employees, who must be qualified and also share your views and enthusiasm.
  - Trust is the most important aspect of relationships with first partners.
  - Communication is key. Every employee should see your openness to communication.
2. Form a base of loyal customers. Customer relationships are of utmost importance. Keep in touch and be extremely friendly. Continue to communicate with clients after meetings. They need to feel like they are part of a team so that they can reciprocate their kindness and support.
  - The customer is always right. You have to go out of your way to give them what they want.
  - Stay connected with clients. Report important business decisions or changes in the direction of the company's activities. Seek advice to make them feel like an integral part of the company.
  - The first customers are always the most important. They need to feel individualized to remain loyal to you and your company.
  - Strive to get to know your customers. Communicate with them not only on business matters. Become friends and you will get a regular customer.
  - It is important to remember that without customers, neither the quality of your product, nor your hard work, nor the cohesion of a team of like-minded people matters. Customers always come first.
3. Attract investors to support your business. Every new acquaintance is a potential investor. Develop relationships with people who have an interest in your business, especially experts in your industry and established investors. Make connections and accumulate a base of potential investors.
  - Prove the viability of your business. Even if it doesn't make a profit yet, show the potential of your idea. Aim for small successes to gain support. People are more likely to invest in a solid enterprise than in a bare idea.
  - Investors invest in people. They must trust you and share your views.
  - Attract diverse investors. If your investors are all alike, your company is built on shaky foundations. Strive for diversity.
  - Give investors confidence and a positive image of the company. One way or another, you will have to face difficulties. Look for investors who will help you weather the storm rather than disappear at the first sign of trouble.
4. Invest in a workspace. You can work from home at first, but eventually you will still need a real office. Workroom must impress investors and clients and provide comfortable conditions labor.
  - Strive for professionalism in everything. The more representative your company appears, the more likely it is that you will be taken seriously.
  - Conveniently organize your office. Order ensures a business-like appearance and increases work efficiency.
5. Use modern technologies. Thanks to technology, a start-up company is able to compete with a large but clumsy company. Use the Internet and programs wisely efficient work and competitiveness in the market.
  - Don't be afraid to invest in developing your technology infrastructure. First class computers and software will help you compete with developed competitors. Your decisions must be balanced so as not to waste money on impressive but useless equipment.
  How to manage and develop a company
  1. Create a product that has no analogues. A dough cutting machine will not help you create a successful company. Long-term success can only be ensured by a unique product. It is important to evaluate the market and find your niche.
    - Analyze the value of your product. Your offer must be unique.
    - Minor improvement to an existing product - good way stand out.
    - The distinguishing feature does not necessarily have to be the product. This could be the company's structure, fundraising or collaboration methods. Find a way to stand out and make a unique offer.
  2. Keep in touch. This applies to every aspect of your business. Lack of communication is one of the main reasons for bankruptcy. Know how to convey the company’s value to investors and your clients, discuss business issues with partners.
    - Have a real dialogue with clients. Use any convenient communication channel. Customers may leave if you stop communicating with them. Without customers, a company is doomed to fail.
    - Speak to them clearly and concisely, and get their attention. You can't waste their time.
    - Communication with business partners is never excessive. Keep them informed about everything.
    - Undoubtedly, some decisions must be made unilaterally. Such aspects should be reduced to a minimum.
  3. Keep up with industry trends. Your business must keep up with rapid changes in the market to maintain a competitive advantage.
    - Act quickly if you decide to change the direction of your business in accordance with new trends. Long and protracted changes will only harm the company.
    - Trends are new opportunities. Use them to your maximum advantage.
    - Organize your company to cope with dramatic change. Communicate any changes to investors and clients.
  4. Be a strong leader and treat your company, partners and customers with respect. In many cases, the cause of bankruptcy is discord at the top. It turns out that the founder of the company is involved in a scandal or commits an inappropriate act, as a result of which he loses the trust of clients. An example is cyclist Lance Armstrong. Don't fall into the misconception that your business will help compensate for your character flaws.
    - Remember that investors are investing in you, not the company.
    - Identify your shortcomings and strive to change the situation. If you find it difficult to find a common language with people, then develop your conversational skills. If you are prone to a wild lifestyle or commit illicit actions, then get rid of such problems before starting business. Investors always study the facts of your biography.
    - Strive to be as pleasant and respected as possible. Behave with dignity and respect your business partners.
  5. Strive for a profitable business model. The company does not always make a profit from the first days of its existence, but for successful operation it is impossible to do without a constant income. Analyze the actions of successful companies in your industry and focus on this business model.
    - Don't worry if the business isn't profitable at first. This is a normal situation. It's important to invest in infrastructure and build a great product, and investors will help you stay afloat.
    - When communicating with investors, emphasize that you will definitely make a profit. At the same time, you must have a realistic plan that will allow you to achieve your goal.

People are divided into two categories: some can work under superior management and live from paycheck to paycheck, for others it is a hard routine that turns life into a kind of hell. People of the second category make excellent entrepreneurs, but desire alone is not enough for this, although it depends on it whether the first step is taken. The question of how to become an entrepreneur is occupied mainly by those who want to achieve independence and intend to build their well-being more actively than saving a penny from their salary.

How to become an entrepreneur, where to start your business

Of course, the desire to build your own business is very important, but it is only on this basis that it is impossible to build a truly profitable business. The whole problem is that such a desire may be too abstract. I want to become an entrepreneur - this is a vague formulation, it is as vague as the desire to have a lot of money. A vague goal makes it impossible to move forward because the direction of movement is unknown. So how to become individual entrepreneur, where to begin?

First of all, you need to decide on the goal; for this it is worth conducting an audit of your own talents and skills. For people with artistic taste and bright creative thinking It’s better to select a business that suits exactly this talent, but pragmatists who prefer the world of clear numbers will feel uncomfortable in a space where everything is based on creativity.

How to choose a direction of work

Demand gives rise to supply, this old truth makes it possible to find your niche and decide on the direction. This requires an analysis of consumer demand, and where it intersects with your capabilities is where the right direction of work begins. For example, for a talented chef, a real culinary artist, good option everything related to food will become. It doesn't have to be yours own restaurant, because bringing such a project to life requires a significant amount of money and effort. Although, if there are opportunities, you should not discount this idea.

But how can someone whose talents lie far from obvious solutions become an entrepreneur? In fact own business can be opened by any specialist, from an electrician to a cleaner; not all professions require a bright sign; there are also those who provide this sign with the necessary resources. In commerce, success depends on the presence of an end consumer for a product or service, so those entrepreneurs who make other entrepreneurs their clients will certainly not go wrong.

Production, services or sales

Business as such can be divided into three categories: production of various goods, services or sale of goods. Each activity requires different skills and talents, but there are also general provisions. Anyone who is thinking about how to become a private entrepreneur must build a plan of action. First of all, this is the formulation of a commercial proposal that will interest customers and the provision of this proposal with goods or services.

Sales is a fairly profitable business, but it is in an area of fierce competition. Stores of the same type with approximately the same assortment can multiply only to a certain limit, since there are not infinite buyers. But manufacturing may have broader prospects, especially considering the number of existing sellers who are constantly in search of a product that will distinguish them from their competitors.

For those who cannot produce goods and have no talent in trade, excellent option services will become. How to become an individual entrepreneur in the services market? Even if there are already competitors in this niche, this does not mean that you should give up the fight in advance. On the contrary, a service already available on the market makes it possible to analyze the possibilities of making it better, more accessible, of higher quality and, as a result, take a leading position.

Preparatory stage

You will have to invest money in any business, even the smallest one. However, before you start spending start-up capital and registering documents, you need to carry out preparatory stage, everyone who knows how to become an entrepreneur from their own experience has already learned about this from their own experience. Everything that can be done for free and without registration must be done at this stage.

You can analyze the chosen line of business, enter into a preliminary agreement with suppliers, find premises, prepare everything Required documents, provide yourself with start-up capital. Some aspiring businessmen conduct tests on their friends and relatives, testing their own talents in action. For example, a designer can help with interior selection, and a stylist can help with image development.

Start-up capital

How to become an entrepreneur from scratch without financial investments? There is only one honest answer to this question: no way. Even if you are just going to open a small hairdressing salon with one chair, you will have to buy tools, equipment and furniture, pay for rent and utilities. Finally, funds will be required to pay for the registration of an individual entrepreneur, although this is significantly cheaper than an LLC.

Many successful businessmen recommend starting small and trying not to take out loans with interest - the risk of not only losing money, but also remaining in debt is too great. It is better to develop a minimum plan, save money from your salary, and enlist the financial support of relatives and friends. At the very least, you can agree with them to defer the repayment of the debt if something goes wrong.

What is a business plan and why is it needed?

Many people consider a business plan unnecessary, unimportant, or, on the contrary, too complex project in order to begin compiling it at all. However, it is the business plan that helps to calculate in advance all the necessary expenses, analyze all controversial issues, and provide solutions possible problems. This document is a summary that you can rely on in moments of uncertainty and confusion.

It’s hard to find an adult who hasn’t had the thought at least once in his life: “Why am I working for my uncle eight hours a day?” True, the distance from the appearance of this thought to actual independence is enormous. Running a business is not so easy, and a decent salary from an employer creates quite comfortable conditions. I worked eight hours and “don’t have a headache” - you can relax and devote yourself to your family.

Not all people are ready to actually start a business. From 40 to 60 percent of people are satisfied with stable work “from call to call.” Research conducted in various countries, regularly show that no more than 5-12% of the adult population aged 20-60 years have the ability to do business. But even having this ability is not a guarantee of success.

If you have firmly decided to start a business, then the question arises: “How to become an entrepreneur, where to start and what you need to know?” In fact, you don’t need any special knowledge to start an entrepreneurial career. There are thousands of examples of successful businessmen even without secondary education. But there are some nuances you should know.

Let's look at everything in order. Let us immediately note that, in most cases, your path to business should begin with the registration of an individual entrepreneur (individual entrepreneur). We will consider this path in detail.

Motivation and choice of direction of activity

Start your business journey with simple question, which ask yourself: “Why do I want to become a businessman?”

Before becoming a sole proprietor, answer this question honestly. This will be your first step into the world of business. If you just want to work less but earn a lot, then, as a starting point, such motivation is killer. We need to be realistic. Below are typical motivations for doing business:

I don’t have a job and I’m ready to do anything just to feed my family;
I want to create small business as a source of additional income;
I had “extra” savings and decided to invest them in business rather than deposit them in a bank;
I have been employed for a long time in one industry and, having studied it, I believe that I can start my own business and work for myself;
I have original idea, the results of which I do not want to give to anyone.

In addition to the motivation expressed in the last two paragraphs, a very pressing problem for the future entrepreneur is the choice of direction of activity. Generally speaking, there are only three areas of activity for an entrepreneur:

production;
trade;
services.

You will not be able to become an entrepreneur from scratch in Russia if you plan to engage in trade or material production. Need initial capital. Sometimes it is small, but taking an inexpensive loan to start a business is still an unrealistic task in our country. It is better to rely on your savings or the help of friends and family.

The service industry is very attractive for a number of reasons. Firstly, in our country this is the fastest growing market segment. Secondly, the provision of many types of services does not require significant initial capital. Thirdly, come up with a new service, convince consumers that they need it and your success is guaranteed.

If you just want to “add up” your capital, then you can think about buying a franchise. A well-promoted brand, if used correctly, can provide an effective return on investment. This is a fairly common way of investing savings in a business.

To successfully run a business, in addition to the right direction of activity, certain financial resources, perseverance, efficiency and, finally, luck are required. Sometimes a novice entrepreneur believes that by purchasing a franchise for some type of business, he has already ensured his success. Alas, this is not true. Mountains of gold in advertising brochures only mean that with your persistence and great effort, you can become a successful entrepreneur.

How many times in a fit of anger do we hear the following words: “I don’t want to obey anyone! I want to become an entrepreneur! I only want to work for myself!” However, if a person makes such a decision, then he will take the first step towards individual entrepreneurship. Nowadays it is very easy to become an entrepreneur, but you should clearly define for yourself what you want to do.

Who is a businessman? This is a person who has his own business - a business to make a profit. Individual entrepreneur (person), aka self employed(obsolete abbreviation) is an individual registered in accordance with the procedure established by law and engaged in entrepreneurial activity without education legal entity.

So, how to become an individual entrepreneur? Let's start with the fact that, without registering in government agencies, it is impossible to carry out entrepreneurial activities. The procedure for registering as an individual entrepreneur is simple, does not take much time and does not require large expenses.

State registration is carried out with the tax authority at the citizen’s place of residence, at the place of his permanent and official registration. Since 2011, a citizen, when submitting personal documents to the tax authority, does not have registration documents certified by a notary. The fee for registering a citizen as an individual entrepreneur is about $25.

What does it take to become an entrepreneur?

First you need to register, and for this you need to submit the following documents to the tax authority:

Copy of an individual’s passport;
Receipt for payment of state duty, original;
Application for state registration;
Copy of TIN.

In addition, along with the application for registration, you can submit an application for choosing the simplified tax system.

Also, after receiving documents: an extract from the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs, a notice of individual entrepreneur registration and certificates of state registration, you can open a bank account. However, in order to avoid being fined, you must report the opening of an account to the tax office within ten days.

Well, if you prefer cash payments with clients, then buy cash register equipment (if it is necessary for your type of activity) and enter into a service agreement cash registers. This is a mandatory condition for registering equipment. Next, you need to submit the cash register and documents for it to the tax office for registration.

As you can see, the registration procedure is quite simple, but to become successful, get used to being the best in your business from the first steps. You ask: “How to become a good entrepreneur?” To do this, you should establish the necessary habits and strictly follow them:

to eliminate inefficiency in work on initial stage work out in detail a plan for future actions, i.e. ;
it is necessary to determine all the details at the beginning of commercial activity, and then bring them into a single chain;
choose the best specialists, since more than ninety percent of success depends on those you hire;
learn to delegate some of the work, as well as authority and responsibility;
Having assigned a task to an employee, work out methods of control and ensure that the assigned tasks are completed with the proper quality and within the agreed time frame.

In addition, individual entrepreneurs are small businesses. Small business is understood as an individual engaged in entrepreneurial activity without formation of a legal entity, that is, individual entrepreneurs.

How to become a small entrepreneur?

The Law on Small and Medium Enterprises specifies the criteria for classifying an enterprise as a small business. The main criterion for small business is average number workers employed at the enterprise during the reporting period, which should not exceed more than one hundred people.

The law has created various benefits and a state support program for small businesses. Today, benefits include the possibility of using the simplified tax system and reporting forms.

Noticing this trend, in June we launched a website for self-registration of individual entrepreneurs - the “I Love Individual Entrepreneurs” service. We were asked why we made a website for an individual entrepreneur and not an LLC? For us, the answer was obvious: many choose individual entrepreneurs to start a business with lower costs. Saving 10,000 rubles on LLC registration services will not be superfluous for a beginning entrepreneur. And in order to become an individual entrepreneur, you can completely cope on your own, and it will cost only 800 rubles in state duty.

In the first three months, the audience of our site grew from 2,000 to 13,000 unique visitors, and the project, which we initially did as a non-profit, began to make a profit in September. For those who do not want to bother with documents, there is an opportunity on the website to order them from us, the cost of the service is 1000 rubles. (for Moscow - 2000 rubles). We spent only 600 rubles to launch the site, so after the first order we were in the black.

The site contains all necessary information for self-registration of individual entrepreneurs. There are sample documents, examples of how to fill them out, and step-by-step instructions. If anyone has any questions, they can ask us in the forum, and we will respond within 24 hours. Most often we are asked how to choose the right OKVED codes and whether you need to hire yourself. Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions.

1. If I am registered in St. Petersburg, but live in Moscow, can I somehow register an individual entrepreneur here?

Unfortunately no. Registration of individual entrepreneurs is carried out only at the place of residence. The exception is when the passport does not contain a registration mark at the place of residence. Then registration of an individual entrepreneur is possible at the place of residence.

2. Is it necessary to indicate the type of activity when registering an individual entrepreneur? How many types can be specified?

It is mandatory to indicate the type of activity when registering an individual entrepreneur. There may be one or there may be several. If there are more than 10, 20, etc., then they are filled in additional sheets And to the application for registration of individual entrepreneurs. Although there is no maximum number of activities, we recommend that you only include those that you actually plan to do. For example, it is enough to indicate the OKVED code 52.61.2.

3. Can an individual entrepreneur hire himself and issue a work book? Can I continue to work under an employment contract after I become an individual entrepreneur?

No, an individual entrepreneur cannot hire himself and, accordingly, make an entry about this in work book. By general rule, combining work and entrepreneurial activities is not prohibited. But such a restriction applies, for example, to civil servants and employees of internal affairs bodies. They do not have the right to carry out entrepreneurial activities along with their main job.

4. My employer pays insurance premiums from my salary. In this case, should I pay insurance premiums for my own individual entrepreneur?

Yes, because employment contract agreement with you as with an individual, not IP.

5. Finally, one of the most frequently asked questions: I'm now an individual entrepreneur, what's next?

Work and grow your business. And remember: don’t be ashamed of your desire to be the owner of a small business. Anyone who manages a stable and profitable business, no matter how big or small, he can be proud of himself.