The odds are stacked against a small business in the best of economic times, but it can feel almost impossible to open your doors during the worst recession in decades. However, millions of small businesses all over the country are finding success in the worst of times. Here is the path one small bookstore has taken with colossal results.

Carey McCallum, owner of a small bookstore and gift shop called The Sacred Circle in small town Virginia, didn’t expect the economy to take a sharp downturn just as he began his career as a small business owner. However, when faced with this challenge, he took action. While his actions since opening his small business have been important, it’s what he did before the doors even opened that has made all the difference.

Educate Yourself

McCallum credits much of his business’s success with good planning. Before starting his business, McCallum took part in Staunton Creative Community Find’s CORE FOUR Program. This community program offered classes for new and prospective small business owners. In particular, this business owner took classes in marketing and business management. There are classes like this in almost every community, offered through community organizations as well as community colleges. A small business owner has a better chance of success if they begin their operation with a solid footing in accounting logos, marketing, and management.

Network

Not only was he educated about critical aspects of running a business, he was able to use these classes as a way of networking and garnering support from other business owners and community members. McCallum was able to discuss ideas with people who had faced the same challenges and find out what historically has worked—and what hasn’t. In addition to finding camaraderie in classes, small business owners can join various local societies and groups intended to give small business owners a chance to make valuable contacts.

Create a Business Plan

Among other things taught in these and other classes was the importance of creating a business plan. Indeed, a business plan is key to success because it will give you a better chance of getting a loan for start-up capital. Banks are more likely to invest in a person who has done their homework and taken the time to create a plan. For many small businesses, this capital can make all the difference, such as allowing a business to open in a better location or giving valuable capital for corporate branding and professional marketing. In McCallum’s case, the same organization offering the business classes also gives loans to promising new businesses. Opening a business on a shoestring budget is a sure recipe for failure.

Not every small business can find the unlikely small business success story that Carey McCallum and The Sacred Circle have enjoyed, but following McCallum’s recommendations can certainly increase the odds. In fact, not taking steps such as educating yourself about running a small business, networking with other businesses, and creating a business plan will almost guarantee failure. If you have a great business idea, don’t let the economy hold you back. Take the actions necessary to accomplish your goals and create your own success story.