"Planning: Getting Off On the Right Foot" – Linda Mohr
             In the presentation given by Linda Mohr, she introduced different ideas and concepts on how to start off a business on the right track. She gave several ideas to think about before entering a venture. Self assessment and the reality of what it is going to take, knowing what to expect and planning for the unexpected, knowing who to call and where to find inspiration were all topics discussed in her presentation.
             In the self assessment arena many people need to understand that the workload, the work hours, and the pay are all uncertain aspects of starting a business. We also need to understand the whole concept of why we are looking to start our own business and assess the risk involved. Business owners must work well under pressure and be able to adapt to change rather well. They must be able to inspire others to do well and have the drive to make the business do well. Business owners must also like to interact with people and know how to handle different personalities in relation to their employees as well as their customers.
             Ms. Mohr also gave the group some incite on common start-up mistakes. Many people underestimate the capital needs in starting a business. You should try to evaluate every aspect of your financial needs and make sure you have enough finances to cover them and any problem that may arise. Hiring too many employees is another mistake that owners make. You should evaluate the need
             for employees by doing research in the field of sells that you are in and then working the business to evaluate the workload and traffic in your business. Accepting "no" as a final answer and listening to doomsayers are other mistakes that owners make. You should have enough courage and confidence in yourself to know that you can make your business thrive because if you don not believe, nobody will. Starting a business is not a 9 to 5 job...