The Business of Beginning

By Jerzzy Amankwah

Integrated to Columbia College I have several academic subjects which one of them is Doing Business in the United State through this academic subject I could show you what are the most important steps for starting a business in US.

Different steps to start a busines 

For my part, I think the most important step to start is Have an idea of product or service that can bring something new in a goal to resolve a problem or help people and obviously Money without money you can't build your business and in long term expand your business.
Then you need to have a Digital presence (create a website, blog) to show your business, start to make herself known now with Internet you can target not only a local or regional location but the entire world.
Finally set up a Marketing Plan/Target Customers the goal of that is to make an idea of which socio-professional category go to benefit about your product. I think add with this step to have a good and strong networking start with some friends, contacts you make when you do volunteering mission, professional contact and step by step but also with word of mouth it can help your business to grow up.

"Money is the blood of business"

My professor Valerie Beck Founder and CEO of Chocolate Upflit her career path is very interesting Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School she went to Paris during one semester. She worked as lawyer but she didn’t appreciated her job and decided to create her own business named Chocolate Tour and become entrepreneur at the beginning, nobody know her business and for that she created a website, few meetings but she stilled unknown.

After wondered how it didn’t work she sent mass mailing to her professional contact that she made during her studies, when she worked in law sector and it worked more and more people came to her business.

After all these efforts Chocolate Tour rising and become famous in Chicago she expended her company across the US and renames her company to Chocolate Uplift over and above she gave some media appearances on chocolate, mentors other entrepreneurs. Professor Beck attracted by the Faire Trade and created Chocolate Freedom Project to enhance of child slave labor on the West African cacao farms.

If you want more information about Professor Valerie Beck and her comany, please see some links:

Valerie Beck's Linkedin
Chocolateuplift

A different way to start a business

During Doing Business in US course, Professor Beck brought the groups to visit the Legacy in East Monroe to hear Mary Vallender a realtor of @properties.
When we are all in the unit Mary Vallender presents us the place is a condominium it means is an apartment building in which each unit is owned separately by the people living in it but also containing shared areas. The unit was at the 66th floor with a beautiful view of Lake Michignan, Millenium Park and Michigan Avenue, 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms for 2.436 square feet estimated at 2 million dollars.

After explain her career path I can tell you is totally different than my Professor Beck.

Mary Vallender studied in Michigan State University and leaved with a Master Business Administration after she worked as Brand Manager for Quaker Oats, then Senior Vice President of Information Resource Inc. was hired at Keller Williams as broker and for finish she’s now at @Properties as realtor.

The Legacy's View

The difference between her and Valerie Beck is Ms. Vallender since the beginning she doesn’t really change is way she stays in the business area of the beginning until now through manager and broker jobs. Regarding to her networking through all her job she could improve her skills of target her customers, for example to sell an unit at The Legacy she have to meet people in Midtown and able to buy it or she can be refer by other realtors of others companies also have on her few business cards that she can give during meetings, private parties or even during volunteering missions.

To have more information about Mary Vallender and @ properties you can go at:

Mary Vallender's Linkedin
Atproperties

In conclusion for this first professional visit, I think the keys of success to build his company and rising in U.S. are to persist, don’t give up and we will be rewarded. Moreover have a big and accurate networking against his job to be refers to a lot of customers and at the same time build a good relationship with them to they fell comfortable and confident with you. And the most important I think put yourself out, to be confident in what we doing, take risks, to dare this is the only way to get an idea of what you matter and to justly increase your networking.

You can see some videos taken of the appartment during the visit: