(This material is based mainly on www.businesslink.org which has excellent guidance on how to assess oneself as a businessman, exploring the market, getting finance, and other aspects. Check out the website, and supplement it with local information.)

You want to start a business! Can you do it? Should you do it? Of course you can, and, if you have got this far with your  drive, you certainly should consider going into business. You'll improve your chances of success if you do background assessment and planning and ask for help when it's needed. This page, and connected resources, will guide you through the steps you need to take. Working through the various sections will make you more aware of the options available to you - and help you to become better informed for putting together your all important business plan. It will help you...

• assess yourself against the attributes and skills needed to launch and run a business

• discover the range of issues that you'll need to consider in developing your business proposition

• decide on the right sort of finance to start and grow your business

• become aware of - and find - the regulations that apply when starting a business

• decide what type of business is most appropriate

• understand the steps required for informing public authorities that you are launching your business. (You certainly cannot do without this in India).

A key ingredient of a successful business is “you”. Another is the idea, and then there's the know-how. Before doing anything else, you should take a close look at yourself and assess your own skills, strengths, weaknesses, drive and commitment. Take a look at " Starting a Business? Take a look at yourself ", produced by the Small Business Service, to help you go through the process. In Indian conditions, you should also assess some members of your (extended) family, their expectations, skills, and support available. 

Maybe you have what it takes to run your own business but don't know what business it should be. You might like to read more about the subject, especially if you've never been in business before. Other resources here will help you towards many of the answers you need. 

Towards a Business Plan 

Have you ever got  onto your vehicle and started driving without planning how to get to your destination? It might be an exciting trip, but you'll probably arrive late, if at all. Starting a business without a plan might also be exciting - but are you really willing to get lost along the way? You need to know where you want to go, have a plan on how you want to get there and have an idea about how much it will cost.

If your plan is to have the best chance of succeeding, it should be based on good practical research and reliable information. You can't just leave it at that though. You need to keep it up to date, looking ahead all the time. Your survival and success depends upon it. Your business plan is a key document, which should be with you throughout your business life.

A careful look at the checklist produced by the Small Business Service -- Starting in Business: Pre-start homework questions –should take you through the whole, interconnected, set of issues you need to assess – markets, process, equipment, funds, people, and so on.  

Finance in India 

Funds in India can be had from a variety of  financial sources . To check up on the basic meaning of financial terms and the methods of accounting, see the section on Finance & Money in "business link ".

Laws & Regulations 

Even for a small business , you will need to be aware of the regulations that apply. Even for a small factory in India, there is the Factories Act, there are laws governing payments to labour, and so on. Registration of an enterprise is mandatory, and there are other kinds of registration, with the municipal authorities, and other agencies where required. There is also the rules of taxation which apply.

Be sure to check out  the Labour Laws in our section on Policy &Regulation