By Shari Lifland

According to the latest statistics from the Small Business Administration, small businesses (generally defined as having fewer than 500 employees) represent more than 99% of all employees. They employ 51% of all private sector workers and provide a whopping 75% of new jobs. If you are thinking of starting your own small business, you can learn a lot from the front-line experiences of Anita F. Brattina, author of "Diary of a Small Business Owner -- A Personal Account of How I Built a Profitable Business" (AMACOM 1996).

In 1984 Anita Brattina left the comforts and the frustrations of the corporate world behind to found Direct Response Marketing, Inc., a 60-employee firm that specializes in surveys, research, and lead generation through telemarketing. Her company has generated millions of dollars in new business for AT&T, Digital Equipment Corporation, Pittsburgh Corning Corporation, among others. Her practical and inspiring book offers would-be and current entrepreneurs a wealth of advice on how to start, maintain, and grow a successful small business. As she writes in the epilogue to the book: "If you own your business or are considering it, I hope you can avoid even one mistake by reading through this diary."

Why start your own business?

For Brattina, the reasons were simple: "More important than what I wanted to do in my own business, was what I was not going to do. I was not going to work for someone I did not respect. I was not going to have my job description changed without my consent. I was not going to have to worry about corporate politics. I could finally work hard and get rewarded with a fee for my effort."

As the author discovered, running a business is more difficult than coming up with a great idea. Things always tend to take longer than one expects, and even though the rewards may be great, it’s really hard work. She writes, "I thought that after two or three years in business I would have large cash reserves, no debt, and time to travel and enjoy my independence from the corporate world I just left. Instead, almost eight years later, I still work 50 or 60 hours a week and drive a used Jeep."

One very interesting and illuminating aspect of Brattina’s book is her inclusion of 11 years worth of "executive summaries" of her business. These summaries follow the growth of her business from a start-up in her spare bedroom with no employees except herself, to a successful business with $1.1 million in annual sales, 40 full-time employees, and a 6500 square foot office.

Year One -- Executive Summary
Type of work:	Marketing, direct mail, and telemarketing consulting
Business location:	Second bedroom of our apartment
Number of employees:	None
Sources of new business:	Friends, cold calling
Starting capital:	$8,000 pension-fund distribution
Avg. monthly sales:	No customers and no prospects. Started from scratch with a few ideas and a list of family, friends, and colleagues.
Avg. sale:	$350
Greatest challenge:	Restraining my enthusiasm
Comments:	More excited about leaving my job than focusing on any One service. My market was anyone who needed Marketing or advertising services and who would do business with me.
Year Eleven -- Executive Summary
Primary services:	Telemarketing, telephone research, telephone Fund-raising
Number of employees:	40, plus 20 temporaries
Sources of new business:	Telephone prospecting, direct mail, and direct sales in five selected markets
Capital sources:	Increased line of credit to $100,000, and $53,000 Long-term note from bank to partially fund move to New offices. Rest of growth funded through operating Capital.
Average monthly sales:	$90,000
Average sale:	$10,000
Business location:	6,500 sq. feet in five-story corporate office building. Our neighbors are regional offices of Fortune 500 cos.
Annual sales:	Approx. $1.1 million
Greatest challenges:	Controlling sales, redefining my goals, and experimenting with letting go.

Following are some of Brattina’s words of wisdom, from "Diary of a Small Business Owner:"

Getting Started:
"Many start-up businesses begin with a single customer, someone the owner knew before she quit her job. But many people I've talked to did exactly what I did: started with an idea, no customers, lots of enthusiasm and drive, and an incredible sense of urgency. This momentum carries us through the first few years, when we are doing the most learning."

Asking Advice in the Early Years:
"I wish that I had started out by searching for people who started businesses from scratch and were a few years ahead of me (through networking, trade organizations, chamber of commerce meetings, etc.). Maybe they would have been honest enough to tell me that my two biggest problems were:

1) I didn't really know what business I was in
2) I had absolutely no direct sales experience or training. I didn't have a clue as to how to sell my business services to the business community."

Brattina recommends that entrepreneurs track down companies with a least 15 employees and where the founder is still running the company. Then, ask him or her these questions:

• How did you start this business?
• What were the keys to your successfully growing this business?
• What successful methods have you used to find new customers?
• What is your average sale?
• In the early years, were you more involved in sales or operations?
• Who did you hire to cover the side you were not covering?
• What was your background and business experience?
• What were the three things you did that most helped you grow this business?
• Can I keep in touch with you from time to time and ask you questions about problems I am encountering?