Thinking about starting your own business can be exciting, but having a great idea is only the beginning.
Before investing your time, money, and energy into a new venture, it is important to understand what starting a business actually requires. From evaluating whether your idea has potential to identifying customers, estimating startup costs, and creating a business plan, the decisions you make before launching can help shape what happens next.
Am I Ready to Start My Own Business? is a free LIVE online workshop taking place on October 13, 2026, at 12:00 PM EST. This introductory 60-minute session is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to better understand the fundamentals of starting a business and determine whether entrepreneurship is the right path for them.
Meet the Instructor
Walter A. Lassiter is a SCORE volunteer mentor and retired educator with more than 41 years of experience teaching middle school, high school, adult education, and community college students.
Throughout his career, he specialized in trade and industrial education, including drafting, graphic arts, and pre-engineering, helping students develop practical skills for success. He has also worked with Sylvan Learning Systems, further expanding his experience in education and professional development.
As a SCORE mentor, Walter enjoys helping entrepreneurs build strong business foundations by providing guidance in areas such as business planning, marketing, technology, and work-life balance.
His extensive teaching background and practical approach help make complex business concepts easier for entrepreneurs to understand and apply.
Whether you’re preparing to launch your first business or looking to strengthen an existing company, this workshop offers an opportunity to learn more about the organizational structures available to small business owners.
What the Workshop Covers
Starting a business involves much more than choosing a name or deciding what product or service to sell. Successful business owners need to understand their market, finances, customers, and the practical responsibilities that come with entrepreneurship.
During this workshop, participants will explore important considerations such as:
- Evaluating your business idea: Consider whether your idea solves a problem, meets a need, or provides something customers are willing to pay for.
- Identifying your target market: Understand who your potential customers are and why defining your audience matters.
- Developing a business plan: Learn why planning can help you organize your goals, strategies, finances, and next steps.
- Understanding startup needs: Think through the financial, operational, and practical resources you may need before launching.
- Assessing your entrepreneurial readiness: Explore the skills, commitment, responsibilities, and mindset involved in owning and operating a business.
- Preparing for the next step: Learn how thoughtful preparation can help turn an initial idea into a more realistic business opportunity.
The goal of the workshop is not to convince everyone that they should immediately start a business. Instead, it is designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs ask the right questions, understand what business ownership involves, and make more informed decisions before moving forward.
Workshop Details
Workshop: Am I Ready to Start My Own Business?
Date: October 13, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM EST
Duration: 60 minutes
Format: LIVE Online Workshop
Instructor: Walter A. Lassiter, SCORE Volunteer Mentor
Cost: FREE
Register for the Free Workshop
If you have been asking yourself, “Am I really ready to start my own business?”, this workshop can help you take a closer look at your idea, your goals, and the steps involved in becoming a business owner.
You do not need to have everything figured out before attending. Whether you have an early-stage idea, are considering entrepreneurship as a future career path, or have already started researching how to launch, the session can help you identify important questions to answer before taking the next step.
REGISTER FOR THE FREE WORKSHOP
Are You Ready to Turn Your Business Idea Into a Plan?
One of the biggest mistakes aspiring entrepreneurs can make is moving too quickly from an idea to a launch without taking enough time to evaluate the opportunity.
A strong business idea still needs a market. It needs potential customers, a realistic financial plan, and a strategy for delivering a product or service consistently. Entrepreneurs also need to consider how much time, capital, knowledge, and support may be required to operate the business.
Taking time to evaluate these factors before launching does not mean slowing down your entrepreneurial goals. It can help you move forward with greater clarity.
A business plan can also help transform a broad idea into specific questions: Who are your customers? What problem are you solving? Who are your competitors? How will the business generate revenue? What will it cost to get started? How will customers find you?
You may not have every answer immediately, and that is normal. The important part is recognizing the questions that need to be answered and building a plan around them.
At YMA Financial, entrepreneurs and startup founders can explore business consulting, startup planning, business formation, and business development support. Educational workshops like this can complement that process by helping future business owners better understand what they should consider before taking the leap into entrepreneurship.
If starting a business has been on your mind, use this workshop as an opportunity to learn, evaluate your readiness, and begin turning your idea into a more structured plan.
REGISTER FOR THE FREE WORKSHOP
About YMA Financial
YMA Financial is committed to empowering individuals, families, and entrepreneurs through financial education, business resources, and practical strategies that help create lasting financial success. We proudly share educational workshops, community events, and expert insights that support small business growth and financial well-being.