Like most kiwis these boys started small (usually at home or in a small back-ally studio) and scaled their way to the top showing us that with the right attitude, starting your own business can be both successful and rewarding.

As recently written in Bright Magazine “there are about 150,000 New Zealanders aged under 35 trying to start up their own business and another 111,000 trying to start their own social enterprise, such as community groups or non-profit ventures.”.

Success stories such as these have created a positive trend amongst young kiwis. Around 90% of New Zealand businesses are small to medium sized businesses and are locally owned and operated. Starting your own business is an exciting prospect however there are a few things to consider first. We give you 3 top tips to get you started.

Love what you do:

A lot of time and energy goes into setting up a new business. You will be head first in everything from research, planning, setting up, marketing and selling your idea. If you don't truly love or believe in what you are offering then you may find that you loose interest very quickly. Loving what you do will get you through the tough times and through to the maturing stage of your business. It's a lot easier to stick at something that you have fun doing. A good way to test if you truly love doing something is to get out and work in the industry first. Chances are if you enjoy doing it for someone else then you will enjoy doing it for yourself.

Think smart, do your research and plan:

Many new business ventures fail because people over look the importance of research and planning. Your business idea may be great but it's not going to work if you're targeting the wrong market or have failed to recognise your competitors. It is best to spend a good couple of months researching your idea. There is a huge pool of resources online and at your local library for example NZ Statistics online is helpful for finding out relevant figures such as the size of your market. Once you have found all the relevant information its time to put it into a business plan. There are plenty of free online Business Plan Templates and guide books to help you write one up.

Find a mentor:

Talk to someone who has been in the industry for a while. Ask them questions and take advantage of their industry knowledge so that you can avoid lengthy and risky mistakes. A mentor can be a family friend or you can use the governments free NZ Business Mentor Program (available with a $100 registration fee). A mentor is someone who is simply willing to offer you support, challenge your way of thinking and offer you guidance. They are great to bounce ideas off, help you set goals and for valuable feedback.

In order to get the most out of your SBA experience, it is best to approach them with a rough draft of your business idea. Do not expect them to write a business plan for you but if you need help in writing your first draft look to the Small Business Administration's website for help and educational courses on how to start. 

Once you have a business outline, no matter how rough, contact them and they will provide a mentor to assist you in setting up your business and in getting an SBA Loan Grant. The SBA also offers an additional mentorship program, which will match you up with a retired businessperson to help during the startup phase of your business. This is a great program for those people who are starting a business for the first time.

In addition to the SBA, you can find mentors by networking local business organizations, reading industry magazines, and working with your local chamber of commerce.

The Global Resource Network for Business and SCORE are both cost free websites which offer help and resources on a national and state level for small businesses. Both also offer sources for finding a mentor in your state.

Creating a new business is hard work; it takes time, money, and effort to succeed. Increase your chances of success by using the free services of the SBA, by networking with other business organizations, and by finding a mentor. When going out to start your business take these words of wisdom from a great business mentor, Jack Welch, “Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” Become a business leader today and remember to mentor someone else in the future.

Anyway you slice it, getting and giving respect are ingrained formalities in American culture. Some people demand respect, some people never get respect, other people give respect. Many different opinions exist regarding the importance of “respect;” however, you personality, work ethic, and motivation will dictate whether you believe “respect” to be important.

Do you care if you get respect? Do you need to give respect to get ahead? Is respect important to your success? These questions have haunted many entrepreneurs during their journey towards success; however, the most important question you need to answer is, “does respect equal success?”

You will meet many different people during your entrepreneurial journeys. All of these people will have different beliefs about business, management, and experience. Some of these people will question your abilities due to your age (young, old, or middle-aged), your appearance, and/or your gender.

Some people will never give you the “respect” you feel you deserve, and some people will simply not “respect” you. In order to overcome these obstacles, you have to believe that your success is dictated by your efforts and your abilities and not on the opinions of others. You have to KNOW that YOU control your situation.

Does this mean that you should be disrespectful to anybody who you feel is disrespectful to you? Think about it like this; are you in this game to get revenge? Does the negative attitudes of a few affect you so much that you will put your goals on hold to extract a slight feeling of power by “getting back” at somebody? Hopefully, you answered NO! Know that you are running this race to achieve your version of success. If you stay true to yourself, respect will come. Do not try to change who you are to appease the disrespectful few. Stay yourself, stay in control, and stay motivated, and you will get the “respect” for which some of you so direly yearn.

So, is respect a two way street? Do you have to give respect before you can get respect? Respect the people who deserve your respect. If you want to “brown nose” to get ahead, entrepreneurialism is the wrong career choice for you. Entrepreneurs are the renegades. We are the outcasts who refuse to work from nine to five in a small cubicle for peanuts. We are the people that are willing to risk much in order to gain more. Keep this mentality, keep your motivation, and most importantly, keep your “respect” and success will follow.