If you’re a small biz owner—or if you are just thinking about opening a business--you need to know this important piece of info: almost 50% of all businesses fail within their first five years. >Gulp<. How did I ever survive? Lately, I have been thinking about this, because I have done some mentoring with college alumni, other young editors just starting their own businesses, and a small business group I once helped to lead. Folks are always asking me how I got started and to share my suggestions for success. Here’s a few. Take a workshop. They don’t have to cost too much, or take too long. In fact, when I first started, I took a free SEED workshop from my local Small Business Development Center that was only a couple of weeks long. I learned how to write a business plan and to figure out what to charge for my services, and I got to meet and talk with other entrepreneurs like me. Network, network, network. And did I mention networking? Yeah, I know. You’ve heard it … [Read more...]