start now            Don't wait around. Start now. Lack of inertia is the #1 killer of great ideas. According to a survey performed by Yahoo! Small Business, 66% of Americans over the age of 18 have considered starting a business, but many never take the leap. "There's a way to do it better - find it." – Thomas Edison.             If you have a great idea for a business, act on it! Don't put off writing a business plan, or at the very least, putting your ideas down on paper. Business writer Tim Berry offers valuable advice on the topic: "Don't wait until you have enough time, don't wait until you have the right people, and definitely don't wait until there's an urgent reason. Instead, just do it now."             Writing your ideas down is the first step to actually getting your business up and running. We suggest that you take time throughout this article to jot down ideas as they occur and spend time answering the questions we pose, but don't be quick to answer! Make sure the answers are thoughtful and truthful to your situation. Because every business is unique, many of these questions are ones only you can answer. BE PREPARED            Ask yourself why you want to own your own business. The reasons may be: wanting to be your own boss, freedom from your present job, improved standard of living, having the option to do what you want to do when you want to do it, or most importantly wanting to create a product or service for which you feel there is a considerable demand. There are also costs of starting and running your own business far beyond the obvious. Spend the time necessary to prepare yourself, your finances, and your future business.            Once you understand how to start the engine of your business, you will realize that some of the negative aspects of running it will include working 12-16 hours a day, dealing with difficult employees and vendors, collecting on past-due invoices, and a whole slew of other time-consuming issues.  At StrongBusinessCredit, we emphasize the word "will" because you will without a doubt find yourself dealing with many of these challenges.             Ask yourself if you have the physical stamina to handle the workload and schedule, along with the emotional strength to withstand the stress. It may also be necessary for you to temporarily lower your standard of living until your business is firmly established and while you are depending on a small business loan for your cash flow. This is just one of many sacrifices you will make.