Thinking of Starting a Business? Read This First to Save Yourself from Big Losses

Make sure you're not taking the wrong turn like I did - Read this to save yourself from big losses. Starting a Business Without a Background: A Hard-Earned Lesson Introduction: A lot of people jump into business with big dreams but little preparation. I was one of them. In this post, I’m sharing my personal experience — how I made early mistakes and what I would do differently if I were starting today. This article is for anyone thinking about starting a business without prior experience. Learn from my failures so you can avoid them and start strong. 1. My Costly Mistake I entered the business world without any formal knowledge, guidance, or a mentor. I had never worked in the footwear industry, yet I jumped in with excitement. I placed my first order in an unprofessional workshop without knowing the basics of leather quality, sole types, costing, or manufacturing. I thought I could simply start selling on Amazon Seller Central India or Flipkart Seller Hub India and earn lakhs. But reality was harsh — I ended up with expensive, poor-quality shoes that didn’t sell. 2. What I Should Have Done First If I could go back, I would first have joined a job in the same industry I wanted to start my business in. Working in a company gives you: Product knowledge (quality, costing, material) Market insights (who buys what, at what price, and why) Buyer behavior and payment cycles Inventory and investment clarity Sales communication skills This practical knowledge is gold. If you’re thinking about business, the best first step is not registration or logo design — it’s real market exposure. 3. What You Should Do If You're Planning a Business Before investing even a single rupee, I strongly recommend you to: Work in a Sales & Marketing role in your target industry. Learn how products are made, priced, and positioned. Understand which products are in demand, and why. Know your ideal customers and where to find them. Talk to real buyers, suppliers, and distributors. Trust me — this one year of work can save lakhs later. You can also follow free business learning content on platforms like: Startup India (Official Government Platform) MSME (Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India) Invest India (National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency) 4. Lesson Learned If I had taken even six months to understand the business before jumping in, I would have saved a lot of time, money, and stress. My product didn’t match the market. My pricing didn’t justify the quality. And I ended up selling everything at a 60% discount, still bearing losses. That’s when I realized: Experience is not optional — it’s essential. 5. Final Thought Before you start a business, invest in learning — especially through a Sales & Marketing job. It gives you a 360-degree view of your product, market, customer, and business cycle. I’m not against starting a business. I just want you to start smart. If you want to build a solid foundation, avoid these mistakes — and you’ll already be ahead of most first-time entrepreneurs.

More real-life business experiences coming soon at Made By Experiences blog.

If you have any doubts, questions, or need help understanding something I’ve shared — feel free to leave a comment below. I personally read and reply to each one. Let’s grow together!