In 1983, a young man named David Conant left Wisconsin with two things: a trial position as a car salesman at a regional car dealership, and a dream. By 1987, he worked his way up to general sales manager and increased sales by about 400 new cars a month. He eventually became the general manager and by 1995 he took the plunge into starting a small business in California: he purchased 100% ownership of a small company called Norm Reeves.

David was an entrepreneur. A risktaker. A dreamer. But beyond it all, he was a person with the philosophy that if you treat the customer the way you would want to be treated, you will form bonds that will last a lifetime. Today, Norm Reeves has spread throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and even Port Charlotte, FL with collective brands ranging from Acura, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Lincoln, Genesis, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

It all started with a dream, and along the way, we found a few lessons we wanted to share with the next generation of dreamers starting their small business in Orange County.

1. Find Your Vision: Identify Your ‘Why’

A business that starts from the heart is a business worth pursuing. People don’t work with businesses just because they provide a service: they work with companies that they believe in.

If you don’t have a dream, a passion, a ‘why’ behind your business, then find one. Whether you reevaluate why you are starting this small business, or determine a different business venture speaks to you, you need to have a ‘why.’ That dream will drive you to make a successful company.

And, it makes your success that much more satisfying. There is nothing more rewarding than taking home your first hard-earned dollar from an idea you believed in and then willed into reality.

2. Get to Know Your Community

California is an amazing place to live, and Orange County specifically has so much to offer for a new business. It has enough involvement to make it family-oriented while keeping the community fresh and exciting.

As a new entrepreneur, get to know the aspects of your community! If you don’t understand and learn about your community (which will be your customers), you’ll struggle to resonate with the people you need to succeed.

More importantly, looking into your community can help you find your ‘why.’ It isn’t enough to start a small business in Orange County, but rather you need to find new ways to bring value to the people within it!

3. Create a Business Plan

Finding your ‘why’ and how you can bring value makes the journey of starting a small business in California rewarding. But, especially in California, it is also a difficult journey. Only thinking of theoretical ideas for a small business is not enough: you need to start paving goals and creating a plan to get the practicalities of a business underway.

Once you have decided on your vision and listened to your community, now it’s time to put tires on the road! You’ll need to handle the logistics. This includes looking at your goals and the realities of starting a business: start-up costs, profit margins, production, inventory, taxes, insurance, hiring staff, etc.

And there’s no better way of handling all of the logistics than starting with a legal entity for the business. It not only gives you instant legitimacy, but it allows your business to be more reputable to your future customer base.

We highly recommend working with a small business attorney in Orange County to help you navigate the legal regulations for your service. As a small business owner, you just won’t have the time to wade through all the laws and legal details to make sure your business is set up properly.

4. Make the Decision Everyday to Work Hard

As a small business owner, you will be wearing almost every hat of your business, every minute, every day. There is no 9-5, no overtime, and no cutting corners. Schedule out time for your family, and days to relax, but each moment you step into work, you have a choice to either work hard and bring your best or do the bare minimum. Make the choice to put in the work and bring your dream to reality.

5. Follow the Golden Rule

Our last tip might be the simplest and yet the hardest to consistently execute. The reason why David was so successful after moving from Wisconsin was not due simply to his skill or talent, it was the idea to treat people the way you would want to be treated. It’s a great rule of life, but it’s also a great rule in business. Your customers are not just a bill, not just a transaction, or not just a dollar sign. They are people within your community that you need to serve and respect whether they are customers or not. No matter what industry you are in – you’re in the people business.

Follow Your Dreams! Start Your Small Business in California with an Expert Small Business Attorney

Take the future of your business seriously! It is your dream, and only you can make it a reality by approaching things the proper way. By choosing to work with a specialist small business attorney in Orange County, you’ll know you are ready to roll and legally protected as a business. Contact us today to get started on setting up your small business in California!

**This article was co-written with Norm Reeves. Please consult a lawyer for any legal advice on starting a business.