How to Turn a Nest Egg into a Windfall - The Groundwork

Is launching a small business or a start-up the recurring character in your dreams for a brighter future... except you don’t know the first thing about casting the part? Even in this economy, however you slice it, there’s money to be made by taking the entrepreneurial big leaps - the news bulletins are awash in success stories, rags-to-riches tips and even the odd oh-no-he-didn’t gasps. What’s to say yours won’t be the next business venture that carries the day on Wall Street? 

If you don’t have money to burn - and who does, these days? - but you’re considering putting your savings on the line for the chance of striking it big, take every precaution before plunging in head-first. Remember that some failure is predictable from the get-go and so, you should consider hedging your bets as best you can before putting your head on the block. 

1. Use online tools by way of planning ahead - the gung ho and the gunshy alike stand to profit from not going into a potentially costly affair on a wing and a prayer. Sorting out your finances beforehand, accounting for the initial expenses and tallying all the risks involved in founding a company are all necessary steps. A painless, free option is resorting to the Internet as your personal go-to financial adviser, which you can learn more about through just a couple of clicks. Playing it safe (being cost-conscious) and smart (getting customized financial advice) will save you money in the future.

2. Don’t discount the helping hands - even if this might not be the best time to play the market, there are still investors out there willing to gamble on start-ups. As for your presumably scanty knowledge about the investment game, you just need to keep in mind that thinking opportunistically about any venture, however dear to your heart, is all it takes, even if you’re not used to framing decisions in an economics-centric manner. If your business objectively needs more cash than you can provide, an angel investor or a venture capitalist can certainly be approached to shore it up. Even a friend or relative might be willing to pony up, just as long as you both agree to separate your professional relationship from the personal one.

3. Look out for new developments - take the trouble to scope out what other are doing and how the industry you’ve chosen to enter is faring. If you’re not yet sure about what area to go into, the Internet will provide you with more than one good idea and if you’re tech-savvy, all the better, as there are tens of avenues to choose from (of which mobile communication is the hottest right now). Regardless how advanced the industry of your choice already is - and you can look that kind of info up online, via business data aggregators, as well as putting in the legwork and the research work needed to get a read on all the players - think outside the box on ways to improve it.

It’s only at this point that you can start fine-tuning your concept, drawing up a business model and picking a catchy name for your new company. Once you get your ducks in a row, and the financing in the bag, there’s nothing preventing you from going after your dream full speed ahead.