双语：如何迈出创业的第一步

The First Steps to Take to Start a New Business
开始创业的第一步

In any type of economy, there are many opportunities for entrepreneurs to go into business for themselves. Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics show that about 71 percent of future employment will come from small businesses. The following areas are likely to thrive  for small businesses:
不管在什么样的经济形势下，创业者都有很多机会自主创业。最近劳工统计局的调查显示未来71%的就业就会由小企业提供。以下是一些将会繁荣发展的小企业类型：

1.Career counseling
就业辅导

2.Catering
公共饮食业

3.Computer and Office Machine Repair
电脑以及办公室仪器维修

4.Day Care
日护

5.Educational Services and Products
教育服务及相关产品

6.Financial Planning
财务规划

7.Home Health Care
居家护理

8.Marketing, promotion, and public relations
推销，促销，公关关系

9.Senior Fitness and recreation
高级健身和娱乐

10.Specialized delivery services
专门的运送服务

First, you want to be sure that you have the characteristics that make an entrepreneur . If, after your self-analysis, you determine that you do want to start a small business, then the first step you must take is proper planning.
首先，你要确定自己有成为创业者的必备特征。在自我分析之后，你得确定自己想开创自己的事业，那么你的第一步行动应该是建议一个合适的计划。

The First Steps to Start a New Business
创业的第一步

1.Identify a Product or Service That is Needed in the Marketplace.
确立你要销售的是在市场上有需求的服务和产品

The list of products and services that are needed in the marketplace is unlimited. You may have a dream that you’ve had for years about an invention. You may have a new idea about a current, or old, product or service that can be used in a new way. You may have a talent that you want to use to start your business. Any of these ideas will work.
市场上有需求的产品和服务数不胜数。可能，这几年来你一直渴望创新。也可能，你有将某个新产品（服务）或旧产品（服务）另作他用的新创意。也可能，你的某项天赋很适合创业。以上任何一种想法都可能为你创业铺路。

What you have to do is find a niche  for your product or service. A niche is a small, but profitable, segment of the market where there is demand for your product. The Small Business Administration has a Small Business Startup Kit that can help you focus on factors you should consider.
你要做的就是为你的产品或服务找到市场定位。定位的市场是很小的，但也是有利可图的，是市场上对你的产品有需求的那一部分。在小企业管理中有关于开创小企业的方法，显示了创业时你应该考虑的重点。

Finding a niche requires marketing research. You have to realize that your small business can’t be all things to all people. Even large companies find a niche for their products. Let’s take Wal-Mart, for example. Their niche is bargain-minded customers. You have to analyze your product and figure out what type of customer you should market it to. The trend is to make your niche small. Instead of marketing to the familiar 18-49 age group, you want to identify a more specific group.
找到一个市场定位需要做市场调查。你必须意识到你的生意不会涉及所有的产品，也不能面向所有的客户。即使是大公司都也要定位自己的产品市场。比如说，沃尔玛的市场定位是零售市场。你必须要分析你的产品，并确定你的目标客户是什么样的群体。与定位于18-49岁的客户群来说，你需要做更精确的市场定位。

After doing your market research, you should be able to realistically determine the potential of this business and whether it a realistic expectation that you can reach it? Another important question to answer is whether you will enjoy the business and if you are willing to do the hard work and put in the long hours necessary to achieve success.
在做完市场调查后，你要能够实事求是地确定你所售产品的发展前途，你是否能够实现自己对它的期望？另一个你必须回答的重要问题就是，你是否喜欢这个事业，是否愿意努力工作，投入必要长的时间和精力以达到成功。

2.Make Sure Your Business Will Work
确保你的事业切实可行

After you find a business that you are passionate about and that you are convinced will work in the market niche you have identified, there are issues you have to consider before you can actually choose it.
在你找到自己热爱的事业，并成功的定位了销售市场后，在你真正开始之前还是有些事情要考虑好的：

1). How much is my initial investment in order to enter this business?
      为了进入这个行业我的初始投入资金是多少？

One of the major reasons for business failure is under-capitalization. Many businesses cost less than $20,000 to start, but many cost more. You must have adequate capital to start your business. If you don’t, you will be one of the many small businesses that fail. You can turn to friends and family for initial money for your business. Alternatively, you can try to get bank loans or you can try to raise equity financing from angel investors or venture capitalists.
很多事业之所以失败主要原因之一就是缺少资金。很多企业的创业成本低于20,000美元，但有些也不止。你必须要有充足的创业资金。如果没有的话，你只会成为创业失败者之一。你可以向朋友或家人筹借创业资金。另外，你也可以向银行贷款，或者说服善良的投资者或愿意冒风险的资本家向你提供赞助。

2). How long will it take to turn a profit?
 多久才可以盈利？

It generally takes at least 6-12 months to turn a profit. You need to have another source of income or savings to support you and your family during the start-up phase of your business.
一般情况下要6到12个月才能开始盈利。在创业的初始阶段，你要有其他的收入来源或者存款来养家糊口。

3). How long will it take to recover my initial investment?
什么时候才能够回收我的投资成本？

This is an important question. You want to recover your initial investment in your company in as short a time as possible. There is a financial metric you can use to calculate how long it will take called payback period.
这是个很重要的问题。你想尽可能的在短期能回收投资成本。你可以利用一个金融公式来计算资金回收所需要的时间。

4). How will I pay my living expenses until my business can support me?
在我的事业可以养活我之前我怎样支付日常开支？

You need to have a financial cushion saved to pay your living expenses until your business can support you. The amount is different for everyone. Usually it should be 6-12 months worth of living expenses.
在你的事业可以养活自己之前，你要有一定的存款来支付日常开支。每个人需要的数额不同，一般情况下是准备6到12个月的日常开支存款。

5). How much risk is involved in this business?
创业的风险由多大？

Risk management will become an important part of your business.
风险管理将成为你事业中重要的一部分。

If, after considering all of these issues, you still think you can make a go of the business you have chosen, then you are ready to go.
在考虑完以上各点之后，你仍然认为自己可以去开创选择的事业，那么你就已经准备好创业了。

3.Hire a Lawyer and an Accountant
聘请一位律师和一位会计

Time to call in the professionals! You will need the services of an attorney . Why? You need to think about what form of business organization your company will be. You also need to deal with issues like patents, trademarks, and copyrights, as well as naming your business. There are also business licenses and regulations to consider. A lawyer can help you with this.
是时间聘请专家了。你需要有一位律师。为什么？你要考虑你的公司的企业组织是什么样的形式。你也要处理像执照，商标，版权，以及公司名称等事务。公司营业执照和规章制度也是要考虑的事情，而律师可以帮助你处理所有的这些事务。

An accountant can help you set up your books and record-keeping. They can also serve as business advisors and tax advisors. Even if you want to keep your books yourself and are capable of handling your taxes, you will want to have a relationship with an accountant in case anything complex comes up.
会计可以帮助你建立账簿和记录档案。他们也可以担当业务顾问和税务顾问的责任。即使你想自己做账，可以自己处理税务，也要和一位会计保持良好的业务关系，以免将来发生什么复杂的事情。

4.Financial Planning
财政计划

Most potential business owners say that they want to start a business. They even have an idea and have thought through many of the issues in this article. However, they get stuck at the thought of how to finance their business. Businesses literally cannot start up without significant financial planning. You have to get the money from somewhere. It will make your business life much easier if you plan in advance how to get the needed capital and follow your plan.
很多有潜力的创业者声称他们要开始创业。他们有了好的设想，也考虑了文中所提到的这些事情，然而，他们在考虑公司的运营财务分配时就陷入了困境。没有慎重的财务规划，创业是不可能实现的。你要从别的地方得到钱。如果你提前计划好如何得到必要的资本，你的创业就会容易很多。

Financial planning should be one part of your company’s business plan. However, it also has to be one of the first things you think about, right along with choosing your product or service or you can’t go into business at all. Time to start looking for your funding!
财政计划要成为你公司计划中的一部分。也必须是在你选择公司产品（服务）后首先要考虑的事情。否则，你根本无法创业。是时间开始收集你的创业资金了。

An old business adage is that businesses do not plan to fail, they just fail to plan!
有一句古老的格言就是：没有计划要失败的事业，只有没计划好的事业。

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