Starting a business
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- SteveJobs0
Your first business will teach you all the ways to not start or run subsequent ones. Books, videos, and lectures teaching you how to avoid many common mistakes the first time around are invaluable.
Find something you're passionate about. Something that you're willing to put in more work then you every have or ever will working for someone else. Be prepared to stay in on the weekends when your friends are all out. Whatever you estimate as the time it will take to go from idea to launch will probably be way short of the mark, especially if you're a perfectionist (a condition common with many ambitious entrepreneurs), so account for that and the additional time you might want to allocate in your already busy schedule. When you're 99% done, you'll have tons of tiny things to complete. That last percent will drain your soul. Deal with it.
Something else you'll hear from others that also helps, as with most things in life - hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Your first year probably won't be as good as you'd like and all the work you've put into your business will seem like months (years?) wasted getting it going. Most businesses are lucky to break even the first year if they don't fail altogether.
Last but certainly not least, others may not share your enthusiasm for whatever business you're going into. Let that doubt fuel you not discourage you. Generally most encouragement comes from those who've been down that road or share your passion but for the most part you're on your own.
Good luck.