SENO

Where to begin?

I suppose that’s a natural question to ask as one sets about writing something, whether it be a blog such as this, an article, or a book. But that’s not how I mean it.

No, for me, the question is about business. Specifically, it’s about the business that I’m about to start. That’s right, I’ve finally decided to take a step (a major one) that I’ve been considering for a long time:  Becoming an entrepreneur.

My name is Rob Anderson, and before I go into the specifics of my plan, I should explain that I don’t have an MBA or a typical “business” background and I’m not an inventor. I’m just a guy with a passion for New Orleans, a desire to make at least a tiny difference in this community, and an idea. The idea involves the development of a (hopefully) unique and engaging way to address a problem that has long plagued this city and, indeed, our entire country. It’s not so much a “money-making” idea, but an idea that is based on bringing about social change.

In other words, I’m starting a non-profit. And this gets me back to my initial question:  Where to begin?

To me, it seemed like the best idea would be to do some basic research on what it takes to launch a new nonprofit. It seemed like a logical first step, and I knew it might be a relatively easy one, as I’m not going into this project completely blind. Almost two years ago, I was part of a group that launched a local, free medical clinic and outreach program called Luke’s House and I currently serve on its board of directors. This experience provided me with a taste of what it took to get a nonprofit organization off the ground.

Still, I knew that going it alone would be a completely different experience and would require more knowledge of the particulars. That’s why I began to seek out organizations or individuals who could provide me with the information and guidance that I required.

An initial round of Web searching led me to several potentially helpful sources:  the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO), the New Orleans-based Nonprofit Central, and a national group, the Foundation Center. I also found helpful information on GeauxBiz.com, a new site produced by the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office, and LegalZoom.com.

In my next update, I will describe some of the specific information I gleaned from these resources and provide snippets of advice I received from one-on-one conversations. I will also address the question that came to mind after I finished my initial research: What’s next?

In case you simply can’t wait to know what my next step will be, I’ll give you a little teaser:  More research. I know, it doesn’t sound that thrilling to me either, but it makes sense. After talking with several people who have knowledge of such things (including an LSU business professor, another entrepreneur, and SENO’s own Andrea Chen), it has become clear that I need to examine the “market” to determine exactly where my little non-profit will fit in the bigger picture. More precisely, I must determine how much of a need there is for an organization such as mine (if, in fact, there is a need at all). More on this in the weeks to come.