INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Find out who your competitors are and what the need is for your chosen product/service. Remember to be specific when doing your research. Even if your product or service fills a unique gap in the market, there are always other companies offering something similar, or there are other ways to satisfy the same customer’s need. The key when thinking about your competition is to learn what makes the customer choose one product or service over another   Spend some time online looking for initial information regarding your competition and also the market as a whole. For example, do a quick Google search for, “dog walkers near me,” and see what comes up. You’ll get a fairly good idea of how popular the idea is, based on the results. Once you’ve determined who your competitors are, don’t be shy about reaching out to them, as they can be a valuable resource for gaining a better understanding as to what to expect and what the actual need is in the market. It is crucial to the success of your business, to figure out who can benefit the most from your product or service. The better you understand your customer, the faster your business will grow.  When determining your target audience, you will need to consider demographics such as age, gender, race, etc.  Create an initial list of potential customers including as much detail as you can think of. For example, my customers will be local families, with two incomes, who own a dog and work long hours. There is no such thing as including too much detail when it comes to defining your audience! Survey your target audience to get a sense for whether or not they would use your product or service. Be sure to ask lots of questions to determine the usefulness of your product, with respect to your target population. If you are not able to fund the startup of your business from money you have saved, you will need to find someone who can help you with financing. Before reaching out to a parent, guardian or another adult for help, be sure to have an outline of how much money you will need, how it will be spent and what your plan is for reimbursing any borrowed funds.  Create a simple, but detailed budget for your business. Assess how much money you already have and what additional funds you will need, based on your budget. Detail how you plan to generate money and reimburse investors. Present both your business plan and budget to potential investors.

SUMMARY: Research your market. Determine your target audience. Consider financing.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Many people crave the extra 6 to 8 minutes of sleep provided by the snooze button. However, hitting the snooze button will actually make you feel more tired. When you hit snooze, you immediately go into an early sleep stage. Being interpreted early in the sleep cycle causes you to become more groggy and tired than you would have been without those extra minutes.  Set your alarm for when you really plan to get up. Do not set it a few minutes ahead of time to give yourself the pleasure of hitting snooze. When your alarm goes off, get out of bed immediately. It may feel awkward and uncomfortable, but remind yourself that you're doing yourself a favor. Keep thinking of the extra energy you'll feel forgoing the snooze button. You often end up mildly dehydrated in the morning, as your body has gone so long without water. Dehydration can make you feel tired or groggy. As soon as you wake up, drink a glass of ice water. This will help make you feel alert and energized as you proceed through your morning routine. Natural sunlight can help you feel awake in the morning. As soon as you get up, do something to get some sunlight. Try pulling back the curtains in your bedroom or stepping out on the porch for a few minutes. This may help wake you up, allowing you to proceed through the morning with more focus. During winter months, you may want to invest in a light therapy box. This is a device that simulates sunlight that you can purchase online or at a department store. Use a timer on your phone or alarm clock. Set the timer to go off every 10 to 15 minutes, and keep an eye on the time. Try to keep every aspect of your routine, such as breakfast and showering, within short time frames. This will help you keep your pace up, allowing you to get out the door in time for your early shift. Keep in mind, this may be tricky for the first few days. You may not hit all your timeframes exactly, but stick with it and eventually you'll be breezing through your morning routine. If you have an early shift, do not skip breakfast to save time. Breakfast is a vital component of a morning routine. As you've gone 8 hours without food, you'll have an energy deficit in the morning that can be fixed with a healthy breakfast.  Pick a healthy breakfast that energizes you. If you tend to feel an energy boost after some protein, try hardboiled eggs. If you tend to thrive on carbs, choose a healthy and complex carbohydrate like oatmeal. Also, in the interest of time, pick something quick to prepare. Try instant oatmeal or purchase precooked hardboiled eggs at the store. If you have time, a mild amount of physical activity can help wake you up. Exercise increases blood flow, providing an instant boost of energy.  If you regularly hit the gym before work, that can help. However, you do not need to engage in intense physical activity in the morning. Even quick, light activity can wake you up for a day of work. You can try taking a brisk walk around the block, doing some light gardening, or even striking a few yoga poses in your living room. All of this can help wake you up in the morning. Some studies indicate your brain releases dopamine in response to music you enjoy. Try listening to your favorite song or band in the morning. This may have a stimulating effect on your brain, allowing you to go into the day with energy.  Consider having a morning playlist that you listen to first thing in the morning. You can also set your alarm to be one of your favorite songs. This can give you an instant energy boost as soon as you climb out of bed. If you're in a hurry to make an early shift, it's a good idea to try and shower more efficiently. If you can cut down your shower time, you can sleep for a few extra minutes each morning.  Instead of using shampoo and then conditioner, try a 2-in1 combination. Time yourself as you shower. Set a timer and keep an eye on it, striving to keep your shower time within that frame. Use lukewarm water instead of hot water. This will motivate you to get out of the shower quickly.

SUMMARY:
Avoid the snooze button. Drink a glass of water. Expose yourself to sunlight. Time your routine. Have an energizing and efficient breakfast. Do some light exercise. Listen to music. Shower fast.