How to Set Up Your Own Network of Experts When my business partners and I decided we wanted to venture into being entrepreneurs by starting our own ecommerce business we knew there was so much to learn.
 We had chosen an industry in which none of my partners nor I had any experience, but a great deal of interest.
  It seemed a little overwhelming at times, but then I flashed back to every positioned I had ever held.
 I thought about what made me successful in those positions.
 I came to realize my success had always come from reaching out to the experts in the industry I was in.
 I have never been one that had a problem not knowing how to do something.
 As long as I knew how to get the answer, I was okay not knowing for myself.
 I also realized with each job I had taken the responsibilities I loved and become an expert in those areas.
 In the areas I didn't have an interest, I developed relationships and resources to provide me with the skill set I needed to succeed.
  One of the other tricks I had learned from numerous mentors was to document and share my knowledge.
   I had become the go-to person in all my positions.
 This worked very well at making me more valuable to all of my employers.
 It had helped me excel to the point that from my first job at age 15 through the time I decided to start my own business I had never looked for a job.
 I had been recruited to every position I had held.
Breaking New Ground When my business partners and I made the decision to go into a seemingly new business area, the question became how do we start a business with no apparent experience.
I realized that between the three of us we had produced over $20 million during the last 10 years for other companies.
 Combined, we had backgrounds in business development, marketing, public relations, customer relationship management, and finance.
 So we set out with more than just our desire and focus.
 We had sound experience and knowledge in key business areas, and just as importantly, we knew that anything we didn't know for ourselves we could learn or find someone who did have the knowledge and experience.
My first visit to the bookstore got us started on our business plan.
 The Internet gave us statistics to analyze the industry.
Our next visit was to the Small Business Development Center which enlightened us to the obstacles we may face for funding and gave us resources we would have never thought of.
  Next, we stumbled upon a site called StartUp Nation which takes a completely new twist on starting a business by having you first develop a life plan and analyze the life you want before even considering a business plan.
 The website has a blog, forum and newsletter area all of which offer a wealth of information.
  Lining Up Your Team of Experts Our next visit was to our local county's Economic Resource Center which gave us even more data on preparing a business plan.
 At this point our cost for all these resources was zero dollars.
  Other great online resource included www.
gobignetwork.
com.
 This site allowed us to connect with vendors through a program called vendor seek.
 This is where we found our web developer for our own website.
We spoke to over 10 web developers and focused our attention on those specializing in ecommerce.
 We found a company that has been doing web site for ecommerce for over 10 years and offers numerous features necessary to running a virtually seamless and efficient website.
 In addition to providing a great website they act as a resource center for setting up our site and structuring our discounts and coupons.
  When we set out to create jewelry we were introduced to a designer, Jessica Fields, who has been in the industry for several years and also has her own high-end line of jewelry being sold in various boutiques around the country.
 Her expertise in the industry and access to manufacturers, packaging, and design has not only set us apart but also given us an edge over pursuing these options on our own.
  Other experts and vendors we used to fill in the gaps in our own business skills included credit card processors and others who handled online business.
We decided on First Data as our processor and used Authorize.
net as the gateway.
Both have proven to be knowledgeable and efficient in handling the obstacles we face as an ecommerce business.
Starting a new venture is both exciting and stressful.
Just remember that you do not have to be an expert in every area.
You simply need to know where to find the experts and how to utilize their knowledge-base to build your business.
 Reach out to those who have experience in areas you don't.
 Ask questions and document the answers for easy reference.
 Finally, do that which you know and love and let your team of resources handle the areas in which they have an expertise.