If you are an entrepreneurial spirit who is tempted to go it alone and start you own business, you may want to consider working in someone else’s start up before you take the plunge.

While it is tempting, when you have an idea, to simply go for it, the skills gained working in a start-up can be invaluable to those looking to start their own business and can help to set you on the right path to success.

Benefits of Working for a Start-up Before Going into Business

Most people are drawn to the idea of a start-up business by the possibility of being their own boss and reaping all the rewards of their efforts, however no new business is a sure thing and those new to entrepreneurship might find that there are more pitfalls than they had expected. Choosing to work for someone else’s start-up company before going it alone can offer an insight into the issues that may arise once you start your own business and give you the opportunity to develop strategies for dealing with potential problems when you finally take the plunge and go it alone.

When you choose to work for a start-up in advance of building your own business, you are essentially taking a crash course in entrepreneurship. You will see the nuts and bolts of business building from the inside and may gain a number of valuable hints and tips on how to create a successful company for yourself.

Another great aspect of working for a start-up before setting up a business for yourself is that you can learn the ropes without having your own capital on the line – there is no point investing all your money in your own business before you truly understand the demands of the world you are stepping into since you may find that it is not for you, or that there are elements of self employment that you are not comfortable with and this is much better discovered at this stage than once your financial future is on the line.

Using Start-up Experience to Boost Your Own Business

Once you have put in the hours working for another business or company, you will find that you have developed a number of skills and a depth of knowledge that will stand you in a great position for launching your own start-up. Simple aspects of business, and tricks of the trade, such as using promotional USB flash drive’s as a giveaway at trade fairs and industry events or networking with the local press and other businesses to promote your product or service will come as second nature – allowing you to gain maximum exposure in the early day instead of waiting to discover these methods down the line.

Whether you work in a start-up that succeeds or fails, you will gain a great deal from your time spent there, and will come away equipped with what you need to give your own business the best possible chance of success.

John Tabatabai is the founder of bidibot.com, an online penny auction site. He is also a professional poker player and has worked an ambassador for Betfair’s poker division. John has combined these two elements by creating a PA site that only caters to the online gambling industry and is the only one of its kind.

Founded in August 2010, John had seen how the penny auction industry had boomed over the last couple of years and after seeing the high attrition rate of users they have decided to do what he always wanted too do; start his own business.

Bidibot now has 11 employees and are based out of Knightsbridge, London. Getting funding wasn’t easy and John was turned down many times by those who felt it was too risky or that it was too late too enter the industry. But the 25 year old felt that it was just the beginning and kept looking for funding and soon enough received investment from a private VC.

Tabatabai feels that the biggest challenge so far has been, as with any business, ‘getting the customers educated about our service and bringing them to the site.’

John’s advice for budding entrepreneurs is “Seek a mentor, someone successful who can guide you and prepare you for the unthinkable. Regardless of how much preparation you do, how much you know about an industry, you cannot and will not be able to prepare for every eventuality, as events will occur that you simply would not have fathomed. Stay calm, focused and always remain adaptable to your changing environment.”

John’s plan for the future of Bidibot is too revolutionize the Penny Auction industry and become a pioneer by introducing new types of auctions, games and mechanisms.

How does an investor know whether to invest in your idea? One of the first questions asked by an investor is ‘How much of your money (including family and friends) have you invested in the business already?’ Because if you are not willing to invest in your business, nor will they!

Being an entrepreneur means you will be a risk taker. To be a good entrepreneur, you need to be able to effectively manage risk. Business Insider looks at some points that will help entrepreneurs on their way to success.

Find your passion. Entrepreneurs, like Olympians, tend to put a competitive spin on anything they find a passion for, and once they are snagged, they have to win. This passion, while it is your soft inside, is probably the single most important factor in achieving business success.

Get committed. No one truly understands how much they can accomplish until they develop their hard shell of commitment to a goal you really want. The commitment has to not be one day, or someday, but today. Nothing good comes without hard work. In business, that means first put it in writing with a business plan.

Take some risks. Be willing to stick your neck out. The best entrepreneurs always believe their start ups will thrive despite the odds. Don’t worry if you feel some fear. Fear is a natural emotion, and fears can actually help us to be alert. Especially, you must not fear failure. People learn more from failure than from success.

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Starting your business can be one of the most exciting things you do. Building your own businesses is hard work but can be financially and personally rewarding. It requires a lot of determination and self belief. One of the most significant aspects about starting your own business is the fact that you can do what you really enjoy.

You should have a goal in mind when starting a business. Do you want to make enough to be financially comfortable to be able to look after your family? Do you want to create something that will change the world? or do you realistically feel that you can build you can build your idea into the next large corporation?

Whatever it may be one thing’s for sure, you need give it all you got and run it like a professional business from the off. Take it seriously, a big idea no matter how good it is, won’t work with half hearted efforts. Make sure the business process it done properly and professionally and you will begin to reap the rewards.

Have a plan, a business plan. Make it tailored to your goals. That is step one; next execute it. Carry out the plan fully, one of the reasons many start ups fail is because people don’t try hard enough.

Be immersed in your business, you need to know what is going on in the industry so research and read up on it. Be prepared to put many hours into it, there is no quick win.

You will make mistakes and there will be set backs but if you have the determination and willingness to learn then you still have a chance. Where there is a will, there will be a way (as long as it’s legal). So go out there and make it happen!

I leave you with this quote:

“You must fall in love with what you do, because being an entrepreneur is a lot of hard work, and overcoming a lot of adversity. From that love, will come the dedication that will get you out of bed at 4 a.m., because of a great idea you just had and get you to work till 11 p.m. and not feel tired” said Ken Field, Real Estate Magnet.

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Make it Happen: Guide to Starting Your Own Business

As Nicko Williamson celebrates his companies first profit, he is excited by what the future for green driving may be able to offer capital cities such as London.

The young entrepreneur, only 26 years old has founded and manages his own company Climate Cars, a silver-colored fleet of low carbon chauffeured vehicles, targeted specifically for corporates.

At 23 years of age, the Climate Cars CEO found himself getting bored of driving up and down to Bristol University, when he drove past a company trying to sell green fuel. The resulting idea is now a profitable fleet of discreet Eco Silver Prius, taking London’s top businessmen around the capital city.

Nicko Williamson has a great vision for his company as he intends to one day make it have fully electronic vehicles. He is however quick to point out that the technology has some way to go before he can incorporate it fully into his fast growing executive corporate car service.

Nicko Williamsons Company can be seen as a test. If it can make financial sense out of purchasing this technology, then it will not be long before carbon free driving becomes a generally accepted normality rather than a city gimmick.

Williamson says that the electric vehicle would have to do about 100 miles before it is recharged again in order for it to make any kind of sense.

Climate Cars is fast approaching a fleet of 60 cars, targeting a turnover approaching £2m for next year. This will be achieved through the growing the fleet size by about another 40 cars.

Creating a supply of batteries that could simply be swapped by divers, is one answer which could work for climate cars, however Williamson believes the best transition phase would be a ‘hybrid plug in’.

London’s Hackney Carriages, the ubiquitous black cabs, are now finding themselves under pressure to perform against a new wave of green competitors. The black cab used to be the mainstay of the London transport system, but in recent years is has come under pressure from companies like Addison Lee and a plethora of licensed and unlicensed vehicles.

If Williamson’s hunch continues to pay off the days of corporate black cab account may well be numbered.

Written by Christine Maema

Ben Kaufman is the CEO and Founder of Quirky, a social product development company. Now what is that? you say.

Well here is a graphic to explain:

Quirky allows inventors to get their products out into the world by opening a new supply channel. We get more and more innovative products every week. Quirky get a nice new shiny product to sell.

Quirky is centered around a community (people registered with them) where any one join and become an influencer. Vote on which product you want to see and even submit your own ideas if you want (It only costs a tenner).

23 year old Ben Kaufman publicly launched Quirky in June 2009. He started on his entrepreneurial journey while in his senior year of high school, when he started Mophie, an ipod accessory company. In his effort to get this off the ground he managed to get his parents to remortgage their house. Now that’s determination!

Well he paid them back quickly as Mophie won “Best in Show” at MacWorld 2006. The young entrepreneur went on to sell Mophie to mStation in 2007.

He used his time after this to further develop his idea of social product development, which ended in Quirky.

He was also named in Inc Magazine as the top entrepreneur in the country under the age of 30. He was 20 at the time.

This is only the first chapter in his entrepreneurial journey…

Times Are Tough, But Don’t Be A Victim

by Michael D. Hume, M.S.

There are two types of people: The Entrepreneur, who takes initiative and controls her own destiny, and the Victim, who needs taking care of and acts as though the world is out to get him.

In fact, both types live inside each of us, and it’s important to feed your Entrepreneurial image and starve your inner Victim. Only in this way can you become a more inspirational leader, as most of my clients hope to do.

Victims are political creatures, carefully concealing their true intentions and feelings. They’re critical of others, and very competitive.

By contrast, Entrepreneurs are courageous, choosing to boldly proclaim their goals and aspirations. They are curious about other people, usually looking for something to appreciate about everyone they meet. And they’re very collaborative.

Victims believe life is being done to them. Entrepreneurs believe it’s up to them to get things done in life.

It’s been my privilege to coach and counsel many of the world’s brightest consultants and business people… and it’s a privilege for which I feel quite blessed. I will say that the biggest trend I’ve spotted in all my clients has been a desire (perhaps even a need) to be more inspirational to those around them. Whether it’s building inspirational leadership for the team at work, or even exuding inspiration in family or private life, people ask me all the time how they can become more inspirational. The answer I’ve discovered is this: while the weaker side of each of us tends toward the Victim, only the Entrepreneur in each of us can be inspired, and therefore inspirational to others.

Whether you own your own business, make your money through investing, or have a traditional job, you need to take personal responsibility for maximizing your Entrepreneurial spirit this year. The challenges out there are tough, and you’ll need to bring forth you very best to beat them.

You can do it.

Here’s wishing you a happy, healthy, prosperous, and truly Entrepreneurial 2011. This time next year, I hope we’re all celebrating the big steps forward we’ve made as Entrepreneurs, and as inspirational leaders.

All-Time Essentials for Entrepreneurs: 100 Things to Know and Do to Make Your Idea Happen

29 year old Lauren Craig is the founder and owner of ‘Thinking Flowers?’ an environmentally ethical floral design consultancy company founded in 2003.

After only 7 years, Lauren has combined and respected the natural beauty of flowers with her creative flare to produce breathtaking flower installations for prestigious venues and organisations, including, The Tate Modern, BAFTA, Westminster Cathedral, The Royal Festival Hall and created an installation for the Obama inauguration celebrations at The House of Commons on request.

Despite the encouraging outcome of a rapidly flourishing business, the trigger that initially caused Lauren to turn to the beauty of flowers was far from positive. After experiencing losses of loved ones through knife and gun crime, Lauren realised the comfort and joy that flowers bought her in a time of sadness. After completing a BA Honours degree in Marketing and Advertising, she decided to focus on the power of flowers through studying floral design.

In her first year, she managed to secure three contracts, turning her dream of combing art with trade into a reality. Her perseverance eventually resulted in Lauren being the youngest ever post graduate in floral design and enterprise.

Thinking Flowers’ main aim is to highlight the demand for flowers and the unethical elements that have come with the cut-flower industry. By raising awareness and offering an alternative through the use of sustainable sources with low impact transport and packaging, Lauren hopes to create natural, beautiful, simple floral installations with a cleaner supply chain by using fewer resources.

Inspired by the Eden Project and Patagonia, Lauren attempts to keep installations beautiful in their simplicity by keeping the flowers close to their natural state. The services that ‘Thinking Flowers?’ offers are: floral design and consultancy, floral installations, design workshops, styling services and green-waste disposal (many flowers are re-used and recycled).

Lauren Craig also has other strings to the ‘Thinking?’ bow, including ‘Thinking Images?’, which was initiated by her photographic documentation of the aftermath of street crime and culture and ‘Thinking Therapies?’, an alternative medicine company.

With three rapidly developing businesses, Lauren Craig is surely one to watch. For more information on ‘Thinking Flowers?’ please email info@thinkingflowers.org.uk.

Written by Emma McWhinney

Sarah Finlay last year graduated from Glasgow University where she studied Geography. Now she is a young entrepreneur after starting her own confectionary company, Miss COCO.

In the last year of her university course, she decided she wanted to become a chocolate maker and start up her own chocolate brand.

This is not the kind of stuff they teach in Geography, so in her spare time she took a course called
Encouraging Dynamic Global Enterprise (EDGE) to gain some business knowledge. She also attended a seminar on the art of chocolate making, as well as reading every chocolate making book under the sun.

She put in a lot of hard work in order to get her dream of having a chocolate brand, making an effort to learn new skills by teaching herself.

Oh yeah and did I mention the 24 year old from Scotland was also crowned Miss Earth Scotland 2009. Well this gave her an opportunity to visit many new places she otherwise may have not been able to, and she tried to infuse her new experiences into her chocolates. It has helped her determine the brand image of Miss COCO (glamorous and luxurious, who would have guessed?).

Her enthusiasm and hard work has led to her being awarded BT Scotland Young E-ntrepreneurs awards scheme which looks at encouraging young entrepreneurs to make use of e-commerce in their start ups.

The sociable scot believes it is an integral part of starting a new business to keep customers updated with on-goings and build a relationship with them.

So good luck to Sarah, in her future as a chocolatier!

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Sarah Prevette is the founder of Sprouter, a collaboration tool for entrepreneurs where they can share knowledge and communicate with other entrepreneurs.

So what is so unique about it? Well it is focused towards expanding the network of entrepreneurs specifically. The primary aim is to connect with those you do not know, rather than other applications which are either socially focused or mainly about maintaining relationships with people you were already connected to.

This is not Sarah’s first start up, she also founded upinion.com, a tween pop culture community. She found it more of a struggle not having entrepreneurial peers around her and so this was the bases for Redwire which rebranded as Sprouter in 2009. It also now takes on a Twitter like format where users can only use 140 characters. Sprouter currently has over 15,000 users and is rapidly growing.

Sarah is also a bit of a philantrapist and she helps spearhead the ‘Twestival Toronto’ event every year. It is an event which brings together Twitter communities from around the as part of a fundraising initiative. Twestivals are held in many locations and Sarah’s Twestival in Toronto raised $20,000 of the $460,000 total.

Sarah’s favourite thing about being an entrepreneur ‘is the privilege of spending each moment of your life working on your passion.’

Some advice from Sarah for budding entrepreneurs, well first of all, “Just go for it”, take the leap, you have to take the risk to have a chance of making it big.

Also “you are going to fail, just know that and accept it before you start!”

You will always come across problems but learn from it and adapt, nothing goes to plan, but the quicker you adapt to change the more successful you will be and it is the same whether you are working 9 -5 or you have your own start up.

“Isolation Kills” is another piece of advice from Sarah. In other words take advice, bounce ideas, get opinions, ask questions, people are a valuable resource so use them, they want to give their opinions, you never know it might be useful!

Sarah has expanded her team to four and they will no doubt grow larger in the future as Sprouters popularity picks up more and more.

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