The Only Stupid Question,

is the one you don't ask.

I was taking a few moments this morning and came across this topic in one of the blogs that I follow. Evidently a prospective entrepreneur asked a question at a seminar and was not treated with a great deal of respect. I think this happens way more than it should and it leads to many people sitting on their hands rather than jumping into the fray. Let me say this in the strongest possible terms: if you are an entrepreneur or thinking about becoming one, never be afraid to ask your questions. Sure there may be people in the room that already know the answer and bully for them. That does not lessen the legitimacy of the question or the fact that others are sitting there wanting to know the same thing.

To take this discussion a step further, I implore you to take the time to develop a written business plan! This includes balance sheets, cash flow statements and break-even analysis. If you don't know how to do these, ask for help. It is available from several partners across North Carolina and in many cases at little or no costs. This will lead to a better understanding of what you are trying to accomplish, who your market is, how much money you need to start and at what level you become profitable.

So don't worry about the guy or gal who sits there and rolls their eyes or snickers when you ask your question. Most of the times, these know-it-alls will be the first ones who go out of business!