创业之前要想清楚的三个问题

    3. 公司赚的钱够维持运转吗？

    在寻找创业目标的时候，你还需要考虑财务因素。研究显示，美国80%的新公司在前十八个月便遭遇失败，其中最大的原因是现金流不足。如果你的公司不能带来利润，你就不可能获得自己努力谋求的积极影响。能够立刻赚到钱的初创公司寥寥无几，所以你需要保证自己有足够多的积蓄或其他收入，来充当你创业的坚强后盾。

    如果你最中意的商业创意需要更长时间才能产生利润，更好的做法应该是先专注于较小的业务。之后，你可以利用小业务的成功及其产生的利润，作为启动大项目的跳板。但要切记，纯粹为了赚钱进行创业，最后往往都以失败告终。

    总之，确定自己的创业目标，然后弄清楚如何利用自己的创业激情，来帮助你的社区。为客户提供一个支持你事业的理由，并且确保公司的利润足以令其生存下去。祝你好运，一定要享受创业的过程。（财富中文网）

    译者：刘进龙/汪皓

    3. Will it be profitable enough to sustain?

    You also need to consider your finances when rifling through your options. Research shows that 8 out of 10 new businesses fail in the United States within the first 18 months, and the No. 1 killer of startups is a lack of cash flow. If your business doesn’t turn a profit, you will be unable to make the positive impact you’re striving for. It’s rare for a startup to make money immediately, so you need to make sure that you have enough saved, or that you have another income stream that can support you.

    If your favorite idea will take longer to turn a profit, it might be better to focus on one of your smaller ideas first. Afterward, you can use the smaller business’s success — and profit — as a springboard to launch a bigger project. But remember, starting a business for the sole purpose of making money usually ends in failure.

    So figure out what your tennis ball is, and work out how you can connect that passion to helping your community. Offer customers a reason to support your cause, then make sure your margins allow for some profit to keep that business afloat. Good luck, and remember to have fun along the way.