When people ask me which business to start, as if one business is generically better than another, or which business is something you could pick off of a list, I always say, “Look in the mirror,” meaning that the best business to start depends on who you are, what your resources are and so forth. But I have to say that Pamela Slim puts a lot more thought into that idea, plus, better still, a methodology, in “How to Choose a Business to Start” on the American Express OPEN Forum.
I highly recommend it. She’s got it down to a logical process, which still respects the basic truth that the answer is different for everybody. Your answer is unique to you. You should read that post.
I like her conclusion:
The only way to guarantee failure in business is to never move your ideas out of your head and into the real world. So get moving, and if one idea doesn’t work, move on to the next.
But don’t just read the conclusion here, click the link, read the whole thing there.
Pamela Slim is the author of Escape From Cubicle Nation, which I’ve recommended highly, including in my post about business books yesterday.
Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software and Bplans.com. Follow him on Twitter @Timberry.
