‘It’s a Trap!’ Admiral Ackbar Helps Entrepreneurs Avoid Small-Business Start-Up Traps

“It’s a trap!”

As economists continue to debate the nature of “the recovery” (and whether there is one, btw, let us know once you figure that one out, guys) – here’s a fun little way that entrepreneurs can channel their inner Admiral Ackbar.

According to the Small Business Administration, the small business sector saw the strongest job growth over the last 15 years (65 percent) – and numbers from the Kauffman Foundation show that U.S. business start-ups in 2009 hit a 14-year high.

Ah, America. When our backs are against the wall, we can always turn to entrepreneurship, can’t we?

In keeping with that spirit, Yahoo! Small Business offers small biz wannabes “7 Traps to Avoid When Starting Your Small Business.” (Well, maybe 6 traps and one [somewhat confusing] piece of positive advice):

1) Does an Idea Equal a Plan? (Pssst … No It Doesn’t) – I know, I know, you’re exactly like me: You have a brilliant idea to make you gobs of money, but it’s not exactly sketched out in any kind of detailed plan, is it? Weeeeeeell, long story short, do that! Even if it’s painful, work up a detailed business plan, customer strategy and how to differentiate yourself from competitors.

2) Don’t Be an Island (Hahahahaha!) – All right, I get that you’re a rock star super-man/woman. You do not, however, know everything. Be smart and self-critical enough to know your weaknesses and surround yourself with trusted experts in the areas where your knowledge or expertise is weak.

3) I Built It, but They Didn’t Come! – You can develop the best product known to man, but if customers can’t find you then you’re up, er, y’know … that creek. Plot out your detailed marketing plan to MAKE customers come up to you. If you need help, be sure to hire a very skilled individual or even an agency.

4) Avoid Unnecessary Financial Stress – Yeeeaaah, you’re going to throw a whole lotta money at this – but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a complete nightmare. Stick it out at your day job up until crunch time and sell yourself to outside investors. You know, give ‘em the ol’ razzle dazzle.

5) Before You’re Buried in Crazy Time, Set Specific Goals – Being able to quickly jump into things is a crucial skill, but an entrepreneur also has to carefully map out his or her goals, set key dates for product availability, plans for partnerships and vendor relationships, and sales/profitability goals. Set aside periodic times to come up for air and reassess whether you’re hitting your targets – or whether major strategy changes are needed

6) “… but Fear Itself”: Don’t Be Afraid to Fail – Yeah, yeah, this one is a little cheesy. Still, making sure to be bold when you set out on your own venture is good advice. If you do go down in flames, you at least want to be able to say you did it your way and never acted out of fear.

7) Don’t Let the Crummy Economy Get You Down – And we come to the one “trap” that this blogger doesn’t really get. Of course, it’s crucial advice for an entrepreneur to always stay positive, but is letting the economy get you down really a “trap” for a small business owner? I don’t know, you tell me.

Go get ‘em, start-up wannabes! And don’t forget, if you’re ever having one of those stressed-out, miserable Mondays, this video will honestly always make you laugh and remember to take literally nothing too seriously: Admiral Ackbar 1. You honestly can’t really go wrong this this one either: Admiral Ackbar 2. Or this, really: Admiral Ackbar 3.

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