How Long Was Your Research Stage?

[Gemma Rowlands]

To people who own their own businesses - how long did the research stage last before you actually went for it and got the business up and running? I know that obviously you won't want to go for it before you're ready, as there is always the chance that you might be setting yourself up to fail then, but where do you draw the line and decide that it's now the perfect time to just go for it?

 

[Lauren Turner]

I didn't research at all, because all I did was carry on doing what I've always done - making the products and selling them - and it was only recently that I realised that I could make a business out of it. I was just doing it in my spare time before, but it has genuinely turned into a proper business now.

 

[Gemma Rowlands]

I didn't research at all, because all I did was carry on doing what I've always done - making the products and selling them - and it was only recently that I realised that I could make a business out of it. I was just doing it in my spare time before, but it has genuinely turned into a proper business now.

Did you never feel as though you should research into perhaps the business side of things though? I know you probably didn't have to think about what you were doing so much if you just carried on as normal, but if you were starting to make money from it, surely there were lots of things that you had to think about when it came to keeping records, etc?

 

[Mike Turner]

A couple of weeks because I was in the position where I had to make a decision about whether I was going to take the business on or not. I decided that I would quite quickly actually, but that left me with a heck of a lot to learn in a very short space of time.

 

[Gemma Rowlands]

A couple of weeks because I was in the position where I had to make a decision about whether I was going to take the business on or not. I decided that I would quite quickly actually, but that left me with a heck of a lot to learn in a very short space of time.

That sounds as though it must have been seriously stressful, but on the other hand I suppose at least you didn't have the time to talk yourself out of it, which you might have done if it had taken longer. So at least you know that the decision you made was the right one for you in the long term.

 

[Pete Brindle]

A fair while. Part of me wishes I'd just gone for it a lot earlier, but I'm happy that we had everything in place before we opened properly, because it would have been awful if things had gone wrong as we would have had a lot of apologies to have to make! Research is everything, but don't waste too much time, as you could be open and running by that point!

 

[Mike Turner]

That sounds as though it must have been seriously stressful, but on the other hand I suppose at least you didn't have the time to talk yourself out of it, which you might have done if it had taken longer. So at least you know that the decision you made was the right one for you in the long term.

Yes well it was a bit. But you're right I wouldn't have done it if I'd had any more time to think about it, so there's no doubt in my mind that it's for the best.

 

[LucidCaledonia]

I didn't really research at all, I just sort of learned as I went along, and sort of aquired a roadmap through trial and error. At least I know where I'm going now though, so that is all that really matters. Doing too much research can often preventing you from 'doing' and getting the business off the ground.

 

[Allegrif]

As with a few people above, I never researched my business. I just discovered I was very good at something, and that it was something other people would pay for. I've been in work ever since

That said, I do have to do a lot of research as I go, but there has been no set research phase.