Simple Steps to Starting a Business That Makes a Difference The process many entrepreneurs use to find greater rewards in business.

Successful business owners thrive on trusting their instincts, taking calculated risks, tackling uncertainty with creativity, and solving problems on a daily basis.

If you have the entrepreneurial fire in your belly, the process of launching and building a successful business is a tremendous reward in itself. But when that work also uplifts others and betters the community, many entrepreneurs discover a far deeper level of happiness.

Are you excited by the prospect of building a successful business that makes a difference? As Andrew Carnegie once said, "If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes."

Here's the best way to get started.

Step 1: Push logic aside, and start with your heart

Start by building a list of the business categories you find especially inspiring. What industry instantly appeals to you emotionally?

Envision your days. Let your heart do the choosing. And don't be afraid to include something unexpected. Once you've got your "emotional list" compiled, it's time to switch gears.

Step 2: Take your emotions out of it, and let your head take over

Now comes the fun of assessing the costs, financial benefits, and other realities of each business. See what fits your budget, goals, and vision of a satisfying lifestyle.

You might be surprised where this two-step process leads. Many aspiring business owners who have a soft spot for kids have discovered that investing in a business franchise like Kumon, which is the world's largest after-school math and reading program, offers the best of all worlds.

An established franchise can provide a roadmap to success.

A global franchisor like Kumon combines the independence of small business ownership, with the advantages of a large business network. Since you're buying into a business model that is in many ways turn-key, there's no need to sweat starting from scratch and working through the kinks yourself. While this is clearly an asset for any franchisee, it can be a difference-maker for anyone who feels they don't bring a strong business background to the table.

For example, in the case of Kumon, many business and management best practices have been honed over time through the experience of 26,000 franchisees. That's a lot of institutional learning.

As you might expect when joining a global brand, franchisees also benefit from the awareness and credibility that come from extensive national advertising and regional/local co-op campaigns. As well as ongoing business support that includes marketing subsidies and professional training opportunities.

Making a difference, and a living doing something you love, can be the ultimate reward.

A franchise like Kumon offers an ongoing opportunity to make a direct, personal impact on kids and families in the community. And it's designed in a way that having a background in education isn't necessary. Using the Kumon method, the franchisee's role as instructor is to "guide and encourage" students as they move through an ingeniously designed system of worksheets that progress incrementally in difficulty.

So, whether you have years of teaching experience or none at all, you play the same important part in every child's success, and are right there at their side to celebrate each new math and reading achievement. As Kumon franchisee Cristina Costa said, "That aha moment…that is why I do Kumon."

Interacting with excited and proud parents can be just as rewarding. "To have families come in and thank me for starting my center is amazing" said one Kumon owner. "It's really a great feeling, and not one people get very often in their careers."

Does the thought of starting a business that changes kids' lives jumpstart your heart? Opening a Kumon franchise just might be your answer. Visit Kumonfranchise.com or email franchise@kumon.com to learn more about available opportunities.