breaking ground

Let's face it.  Starting a new business is hard.  

A stagnating economy makes it even harder.  Investors seek safe havens, banks hold back on small-business loans, and consumers spend less on products and services.  Under these conditions, some might say starting a new business is idealistic.  I disagree.

Entrepreneurship is necessarily optimistic.  It is a deliberate act of creation in light of the real possibility of failure. 

Only through the entrepreneur's calculated risk-taking does anything get done differently or better.  In that sense, the entrepreneur embodies the kind of American spirit that we need to get through our current crisis:

• belief in the power of an idea to improve peoples' lives
• confidence in oneself and one's team to make that idea a reality
• initiative to plan, execute, learn, and innovate
• humility to balance risk, return, and duty to coworkers and community
• tenacity in the face of challenge and uncertainty

Successful entrepreneurs and small business owners, I salute you.  I aspire to put your virtues to work in my own enterprise and, in a small way, contribute to a clean & green American renewal.

This blog will be a case study in growing a small biz from the ground-up.  It will document my adventures (and misadventures) in choosing an idea, doing market research, creating a unique value proposition, branding, incorporating, developing a website, forging partnerships, financing, and more.

Here's to breaking ground!  Please subscribe to my blog and join the conversation.