In my book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, I provide a step-by-step guide to developing a successful small business using the Emerson Planning System.  I highly encourage you to dig inside this 23 chapter book to get the specific action steps you must take to Become Your Own Boss in 12 months.  Here is the 30,000 foot view of what’s inside the book;

12 months before you start. Develop a Life Plan. You need to figure out what you want out of life and then build a business around that vision. Small business owners typically underestimate what they need to get started in business. With a life plan you will have an idea of where you want to go, what skills you already have and need, and what type of work style suits you best. Developing a life plan will also help you determine what skills you will need in a partner or an employee.

11 months before you start. Develop a Financial Plan. In order to fire your boss, you must have your own money. The funds to start your business are going to come from your right or your left pocket. It will be a real test to get back to only the bare necessities. Are you willing to reduce your lifestyle down to just basic living expenses? Your personal savings, credit, and budgeting skills will be critical to your success as an entrepreneur.

10 months before you start. Define Your Business Vision. You need to define your business vision or the articulation of what you see your business becoming long term. As Stephen Covey says you must, ”Begin with the end in mind.” In this chapter, I also define the 7 essential principals of small business success.

9 months before you start. Define Your Business Concept Refining your business concept is the next phase of your journey as an entrepreneur. You must spend a significant amount of time determining if your business idea is viable.

8 months before you start. Define Your Marketing Niche. You’ll start your Market Research in this month. I suggest you “Niche to get Rich.” Niche marketing offers a concentration of clients in an area of limited competition. When you start a niche business you can spend more time generating business and less time looking for the market. Niche businesses can also position themselves as specialists, charge more and generate higher profit margins.

7 months before you start. Who’s Buying and Why? Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months asks you to develop the marketing plan before the business plan. I do it this way, so that you do not waste your time. If you get stuck trying to validate your market opportunity, you will have your answer to whether you should quit your job and start your business. If you can identify who’s buying and why that is validation that there’s a real market for your product or service. Your marketing plan is the foundation upon which your business plan is built.

6 months before you start. Every Small Business Needs a Plan. You cannot be in business successfully without a business plan. You business plan is your road map for reaching your future business destination. It does not have to be complex; it can be as minimal as ten pages or as long as forty-five pages or so. The length of the plan is not the issue, it’s the quality of the strategy outlined in the plan that really counts. Be sure to establish a clear connection between your business strategy and your marketing plan. Every one has great ideas, but ideas do not become businesses until they are written down as a plan.

5 months before you start. Brand Your Small Business. It is time to start developing a brand identity. Your brand is the image or culture you create for your product or service. It is also your business name and how that name is visually expressed with a logo. When building a brand, credibility counts. Building a credible brand requires knowing your target audience.

4 months before you start. Develop Your Online Strategy. It addition to having a website, you now need a social media footprint and should consider using a blog. Remember, not much can be done until the content for the website is developed. Effective online marketing is about engaging customers where they are online, in the right way at the right time and most importantly delivering on your brand promise.

3 months before you start. Cultivate The Market. People do business with people they like and people they know. Hopefully, you can be both to your clients. Before you start your business you need to start talking about it, but make sure you have a tight elevator pitch before your hit the streets. Reconnect with former colleagues or classmates and start attending networking functions at least two times a week. Don’t forget about your social networks as well. Remember its all about “give to get” in social media.

2 months before you start. Set Up Shop. Success can change your geography over time from a kitchen table to a boardroom, but what do you need to get started? Setting up shop is really about all the things that you might not think about as a new business owner. Unless you are opening a retail business, let your business drive your growth. Work from home until the business operations require professional office space.

1 month before you start. Launch Your Business. As opening day of your business approaches, you must let the world know your new company is open for business. The most important thing you must do is attract customers. With that as the goal, your first step is to develop a advertising budget, based on your marketing plan. Next decide what advertising vehicles you will use. Develop a clear message and focus on activities that generate repeat business.

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