One of the most prolific and successful inventors in history was not averse to coming up with a few ideas that just didn’t work. Modern entrepreneurs face a similar dilemma, coming up with thousands of business ideas that just aren’t viable. While there is no denying that small businesses are considered the backbone of the U.S. economy, the statistics relating to startup failure are still troublesome. According to Intuit, there is a 49% chance of failure within the first two years of running a new business. The old adage “build it and they will come” may well have worked for Kevin Costner, but that was Hollywood and this is real life. Far too many would-be business owners are still spending thousands of dollars in capital with very little realistic prospect of seeing any returns. Even business ideas that seem intuitively destined for success can fail. Spending time to test the validity and profitability o
f an idea before fully committing to it is always a good idea.

How to Validate a Business Idea

#1. Craft Your Elevator Pitch

The first step is to create a concise 60-second pitch that conveys exactly what your business idea is about. Not only will this help you develop your idea in your own mind, it will also mean you are well prepared to pitch for investment or clients should the opportunity arise.

#2. Set up a Website

The next stage is to set up a website to undertake some preliminary stage advertising of your proposed product or service. There is no need for this to be terribly complex. Indeed many web hosting companies offer free site builder tools to make the process of getting a site up and running relatively pain free. Hopefully it goes without saying that you shouldn’t be using a free website to do this as visitors won’t take a free site seriously. Since the cost of a domain name and web hosting is fairly cheap, this only represents a small outlay to effectively test the validity of your business idea. There are several options to choose from, but if you are looking for a low monthly payment as opposed to an upfront fee, you should check out the likes of Hostgator. You’ll have to do a little research when choosing a domain name to try to include some relevant keywords. Seomoz offers an excellent guide to keywords and keyword research.

At the very least your website should contain an effective landing page that offers the details of your product or service and what the visitor should do to stay informed in the pre-launch period. Trada has published an overview of how to create effective landing pages. While the article focuses on PPC campaigns, the information pertaining to what a landing page should include is sound and will give you a good understanding on what you should be looking at including on your own landing page. Besides, we’ll be getting to PPC campaigns very shortly. You might also like to include some sort of infographic. These are the new content of the internet. Never before has the saying “a picture says a thousand words” been so true, so make sure you spend some time getting it right. It’s well worth you taking the time to read Mashable’s Samantha Murphy’s take on how to create an awesome infographic.

#3. Analyze, Then Analyze Some More

Installing website analytics and conversion tracking tools on your landing page is going to give you a way to measure the potential success of your business idea. There are a few options out there but Google Analytics is the product of choice for many. Completely free to install and use, it gives you detailed information about how your visitors found you, where they came from, how long they hung around and what they did while they were there.

#4. Get Some Traffic To Your Site

This sounds like the easy part, but make no mistake, traffic is the holy grail of the Internet and every webmaster wants a slice of the pie. Social networking is an increasingly popular way to generate traffic and falls neatly into the undeniable trend toward inbound marketing. The only problem is that however noble a quest for organic traffic generation might be, it takes time and more often than not, it takes a lot of time, not to mention commitment. When you want answers quick, which is it likely that you do, you should be doing a PPC campaign with Google AdWords. Undoubtedly this is going to cost, but it will cost less than a poorly tested business idea failing in its first year. Tim Ferriss famously used Google AdWords to come up with the title for his New York Times Bestseller “The 4 Hour Work Week.” You can do yourself a massive favor by reading the really quick case study explaining how he did it over at Boing Boing. Ferriss completed his experiment in a week for about a $200 outlay. If that is more than you want to spend, consider setting a weekly budget. Your results will be slower, but you won’t feel the financial pinch too much.

#5. Speak to Subscribers

Give your PPC campaign the necessary time to work and then start looking at your results. If you are seeing good amounts of traffic and a decent amount of subscribers, then you could just be on to a winning business idea. Now is the time to get up close and personal with the visitors who have entered their email into your PPC landing page. Reach out to your potential customers with a personal email asking them a few questions about your product or service and what would most encourage them to purchase in the future. This allows you to fine tune your business idea to discover what specific features customers really want. Engaging with customers in this manner is a viable method used by many leading brands.

What Next?

If you have gone through all of the business validation steps and find that you have promising results, then congratulations, you may well have come up with a viable business idea. Notwithstanding the fact that numbers will decrease as you get further into the funnel, if you are seeing numbers in terms of hundreds of visitors and a decent conversion rate, it would probably be a good idea to pursue your business idea further. If not, don’t stress, you’ve spent maybe a few hundred dollars to save potentially thousands and that makes you a winner right there. Your next business idea? Rinse and repeat. You could just be onto a winner.

Author Bio: Frank Hayes is an entrepreneur and an educator. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his family. He writes for Degree Jungle, a resource for college students.

How did you finance your start up?

This was very tough. I started my business at the lowest point of my life, with no credit, little money or experience. I’d never had accounts or credit cards in my name as a married person, so I had no credit history. The banks wouldn’t consider me for a loan, so I had to pay cash ($19,000) for my first duplex. I put $7000 into it, and sold it a year later for more than twice the purchase price . . . and bought two more!

What were the obstacles to starting your business (educational requirements, certifications, licensing, insurance, etc.)?

Financing was a challenge, of course. But after I bought the second and third properties and rehabbed them, I was able to get mortgages on the finished products, and pulled cash out that way. And bought more! Another huge challenge was tenant management. This is what drives most people out of this business. Personally, I was too trusting, choosing to think the best in people, always. I – finally – had to tighten up, because I was losing money, waiting on tenants to pay me, hoping they would, trusting they would . . . they were living free, and I wasn’t making any income!

How did you find suppliers/services you needed to get started?

I joined my local real estate investors’ association and networked with other landlords to find good sub-contractors. I tried to do a lot of my own work, to save money. (Why pay someone to do something I can do myself?) But for those jobs I didn’t want to take on, networking was helpful. I also used Craig’s List.

What does your typical day look like?

I really don’t have a “typical” day, and this is what I love about my work. I may be working on rehabbing a place I’ve recently purchased, or cleaning and repainting a unit that has become empty, or showing a couple units that are vacant. Or, maybe I’m not working that day at all. This is the joy of owning my business and answering to no one but myself. If I need the day off, I take it.

What are you working on right now?

I’m expanding the property management segment of my business, and am working right now with a CA investor who wants to buy several middle-income single-family rentals here in Indianapolis. Prices here are excellent, and the rental market is strong.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read, and why?

There’s a new book recently released titled “Entrepreneur Intervention: Triumphs and Failures of Entrepreneurs.” It chronicles the lives of 28 people who created their own successes; the interviews are both compelling and inspirational. I wish the book had been around when I started.

What advise would you give others?

Before you start your entrepreneur journey, read everything you can about your particular industry. Talk to people in the industry. Clean up your credit. And be organized in your approach. In other words, prepare well, trust yourself, and GO for it!

How do you connect with your customers and how can people reach you?

Connect (how can people connect with you, a link to your site, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc). I’m not big on Twitter (@thelandlordIndy) but I’m active on Facebook (The Landlord Chronicles and Barb Getty) and I write a fun, informative blog at www.thelandlordchronicles.net. My personal email is barb@thelandlordchronicles.net and my book, The Landlord Chronicles: Investing in Low and Middle Income Rentals can be purchased through my blog or on line (Amazon).

Recently a mentor asked me “why don’t you feature this as a centerpiece on your blog.” Hmmm….that is a fantastic question, one that I should have asked myself long ago.

My story

I wasn’t always financially wise. In fact, I was pretty much a moron when it came to my finances. Floating checks to make it until payday was a regular practice. Pay my bills on time…come on, I’d rather spend my money on toys.

And so I bought a car I couldn’t afford. No, it wasn’t extravagant, but since I was about to be deployed to Hawaii (and wouldn’t be taking it with me), it was a massive mistake.

Unfortunately for me a solution appeared. It just so happened that my sister needed a car, and I needed to sell my car. She had bad credit and couldn’t get a loan, but since my parents agreed to back the loan, we made an agreement. I would keep the loan. She paid me (and I paid the bank) every month. At the end of the loan she would have owned the car.

What could go wrong?

Oh, those famous last words!

It went well for a few months. Payments came in on time. My sister had a good job so money wasn’t an issue.

Then it all came apart

After about 9 months the checks stopped coming. Why? Because my sister was in a minor car crash and couldn’t work any longer. Oh, she wasn’t hurt that badly, she just wanted the settlement and it looked more serious if she couldn’t work.

Hey, my parents are backing the loan, no worries….

One of the reasons I agreed to sell my car was that my parents backed the loan. The only problem was that they never paid. Seriously, over two years we received three payments, and a whole lot of excuses.

Let’s flesh out the story

What made matters worse was that we were broke. Seriously broke. I was a junior sailor in the navy and recently married. We made so little that we were almost eligible for food stamps. On top of this we were burdened with two car loans for cars we didn’t possess (long story).

In other words, we couldn’t afford to pay two car loans and still pay for the basic necessities.

On the other hand, my parents could. Don’t get me wrong, they weren’t rich, but my dad had a great job and made a lot of money. I knew he was packing away 25% + of his income.

While the $150 per month was a major issue for my wife and I, it was chump change to my parents.

Then the problems began

Month after month we called asking to be paid. Every month we got the same story: I sent you the check.

The calls got more and more contentious. Our relationship eroded. The end result was that we had to repossess the car. Talk about uncomfortable!

The experience permanently damaged my relationship with my family. Even after two decades it is broken, and it has come between myself and every member of my family.

On the flip side, it has given me a unique perspective and a world class education. It has pushed my wife and I to be truly independent.

The lesson

First, I learned to never loan money to family. Why? The downside was too great. Seriously, it tore apart our family. My kids never got to know their grandparents.

It cost us way too much.

There was minimal upside. It may have been a pain in the butt to ship my car, but it would have cost me nothing. I also would have had a car which would have made my life easier in Hawaii.

And it wasn’t a loan I could afford. Sure, as long as my sister was paying on time things were ok. The problem was that I couldn’t cover the downside. Put another way, it put a $5k strain on our marriage at a time we could not afford it.

In Izzy’s words…

“Then I discovered some unique ink cartridge products which cut ink costs by about 75%. My sales started going up and the sideline began to take all my spare time. I started to seriously consider giving up my job and doing the business full time. Massive layoffs at the company took the decision out of my hands. With more free time, I studied search engine optimization (SEO) and brought my site to the top of the search engines in a matter of weeks.

Today I am much happier and wishing I had done this sooner. I am also helping others build their own online businesses. Unemployment may not be a disaster but an opportunity.”

What were the obstacles to starting your business (educational requirements, certifications, licensing, insurance, etc.)?

Since it was a home-based sideline, I didn’t need anything other than time, money and knowledge. the only obstacle was that I started it when I still had a full-time job and there were occasions when it interfered with my family life.

How did you find suppliers/services you needed to get started?

I first Googled suppliers in the US. As I started to sell in large quantities, I went to Chinese boards. That’s how I discovered a unique product which no one else in the US has. Sales took off from there.

How did you finance your start up?

I spent less than $500 to start. I probably should have spent a little more – like $1000 – to have a professional website. An article I wrote brought thousands of visitors, some of whom emailed to say the article was professional but the site was disappointing. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

Is this a full time business or a supplemental income?

It started out part time but it is now full time

What advise would you give others?

To those sitting on the sidelines, particularly if they’re unemployed or underemployed: It is always a good time to start an online business. Stop whining about your situation and do something about it. To those thinking they can throw up a website (and some of those sites look like they were thrown up) and sales will come rolling in: if you want to make a serious income, you have to run a serious business.

What was your biggest mistake or failure?

My biggest failure was in trying to cut starting costs too much by throwing together an amateurish website. An article I wrote brought thousands of visitors to my site, many of whom emailed to say the professional article didn’t match the poor site. I learned that your website is the first impression you make and it had better be polished before it is released to the public.

What organizations do you belong to? organizations?

This is the Internet age and I’m a member of many LinkedIn and other groups.

How has your lifestyle changed from being an employee to becoming a business owner?

Absolutely. I work from home. No 3 hour commute. No incompetent VP making mistakes and blaming them on his underlings. No unplanned overtime. My family has commented on how much my disposition has improved.

Tell us about your company

I have lived all my live in the Pennsylvania Amish Country. A life-long passion of mine has been digging and collecting antique glass and bottles reclaimed from the beautiful wooded habitats and rural farmlands where I live. These old dump sites are simply what people did with their used and broken glass back then, and are now a treasure trove for collectors. I have always thrilled at finding a pretty treasure to put in my window and add to my collection. After I had children, I would take them and tell them about the old glass and the history behind the pieces.

One thing that has always bothered my is how as collectors we take away the pretty whole pieces but leave the broken behind for the environment and wildlife to deal with. After seeing a baby fawn laying among some broken pieces one day I set out on a new mission with this glass. Now reclaiming the broken remains, what followed was a huge amount of trial and error, patience, and old fashioned hard work, and emerged into a remarkable line of recycled antique glass jewelry, Bottled Up Designs. Realizing that people loved the history, I developed a system to include with every piece “The Story of the Glass”, detailing what the glass was originally and the approx. age.

Within one year I was making more that I was at my job of 15 years as an advertising manager for a magazine, and in my mid 40′s said goodbye to the world of ad deadlines, budgets to hit, and ad sales, and now work full time on my business. Wow, what I have learned about internet marketing, and what makes a successful entrepreneur in the last few years!

What were the obstacles to starting your business (educational requirements, certifications, licensing, insurance, etc.)?

I had no equipment, and no idea of what I needed. I had never worked with glass before, and am completely self taught. After purchasing a few hobby level pieces of glass working equipment, my husband and I decided what we really needed couldn’t be found. So, my husband, a machinist and a genius with working with his hands invented the machinery for me. We had in our garage several vintage World War II era pieces of machinery for wood and metal working. He took them apart, and re-designed into my own custom shop to do exactly what I needed them to do.

How did you find suppliers/services you needed to get started?

I did a huge amount of looking around on-line, and having started out with a shop on Etsy.com, got involved in the forums and gleaned a huge amount of information from other artists there.

Is this a full time business or a supplemental income?

When I started what I was doing, (and honestly I never was setting out to start a company, more of a hobby), I was an Adversiting Manager for a magazine. Within the first year of my business I made more off my “hobby” then my long time job of 15 years. So, I made the difficult decision at the height of a recession to walk away and devote 100% to my new business.

What advise would you give others?

OMG, where would I even start! You hear lots of things like “go for it”, “reach for your dreams” etc, and that’s all great, but probably my best advise would be, if your business is at all ecommerce based, take some time to study SEO before creating a website. Just having a site doesn’t mean sales or success, there’s a ton of work that has to go into making it valid and thriving.

What organizations do you belong to?

I am a member of Green America

How has your lifestyle changed from being an employee to becoming a business owner?

I have never worked harder, or longer hours, but have never been so satisfied with my work. There is something completely therapeutic to simply making something. Which, by the way, is a feeling that is being lost in this country.

Steve, tell us in your own words about Fatpacking and why you got started

Backpacking is my passion. For years, my vacations consisted of backpacking and hiking. Whenever I’d return to my corporate job, I noticed that my pants were looser, I felt fit, and was stress-free. After doing this long enough, I began thinking that others would like to reap the fitness benefits of backpacking, not to mention enjoy the incredible beauty of the wilderness backcountry that few ever get to see.

So about 5 years ago, I assembled a group and took them on a backpacking vacation. Metrics were taken to see if hiking really did affect weight and body composition. After a 2 week trip, it became clear that there was a causal relationship between backpacking and fat percentage. So I left my corporate position and started taking people Fatpacking (http://www.fatpacking.com) to get in shape and lose weight.

Like most businesses, there were struggles in the early years. Any time weight loss is involved, there is extreme competition for clients from leviathan weight loss companies. Even generating awareness and reaching potential clients is like hanging a small sign out in a sea of fog (analogies are not my long suit).

Business improved for the first few years, but the recession hit and almost closed the doors. Things began to improve again in 2010, but they’ve never quite turned the corner. However, Fitpacking is about to enter into an option situation with a production company for a reality show which will hopefully come to fruition and solve all the awareness problems we now suffer.

Fatpacking has provided me (and my guides) with an incredible quality of life, but is unfortunately no way to begin an invincible financial empire.

What were the obstacles to starting your business (educational requirements, certifications, licensing, insurance, etc.)?

The biggest obstacle was (and is) the naysayers. It’s just amazing how many unsupportive people you run into. I don’t think they all mean to be that way, but finding potential problems makes people think they’re helping out, when they’re actually being discouraging. I am a certified Wilderness First Responder, certified in CPR and Basic Life Support, certified Leave No Trace Trainer, and certified Food Handler. I also must obtain permits for each National Park or Forest in which we operate. I don’t find these to be big obstacles.

How did you find suppliers/services you needed to get started?

I’ve been backpacking for many years, so I already knew where to find suppliers and services. However, I have found a wealth of useful information from the fine people of the backpacker.com message boards.

How did you finance your start up?

Everything came out of my savings.

Is this a full time business or a supplemental income?

It’s full time in-season, March-October. During the other months, I supplement the business by software contracting, although I continue to work on the business during those times as well.

What advise would you give others?

Sell, sell, sell. Or find someone who can sell. It’s vital. You can figure out the rest.

How has your lifestyle changed from being an employee to becoming a business owner?

I have much less money now, which means I don’t go out as frequently or to the nicer places I used to go to. Plus, I’m traveling all the time so maintenance around my house suffers. Friendships are more difficult too. On the other hand, I’m in much better shape given that I’m always hiking. My quality of life is also much richer.

For the first few years, as far as he knew, he was the only person doing this. He utilized his strengths in sales & photography to create his business framework and had to teach himself the rest, usually learning through trial-and-error. Within a few years he had moved from his sales job to pursue his aerial photography business full-time and was making well over six figures annually.

When we asked him about his success he replied “not only have I been successful financially, surviving in the worst economy since the Great Depression, but I have gained international acclaim from my hobbies/job. In 2009, one of my images placed 2nd in the World Press Photo Annual Contest and received an honorable mention in Pictures of the Year International (two of the three biggest photojournalism contests in the world). My business is still small (I’m technically a MicroBusiness), but I have brought my son on board and he has been working for me, full-time, for the past few years. I am so fortunate and lucky that I have been able to make a living doing things I love to do.”

What was your main obstacle?

The main obstacle was me: having the guts to go out on my own. It’s not an easy to leave a secured job, even if it is a dead-end one. I was a pilot & had been into photography since I was little. My last job gave me experience in sales which was very important.

How did you find suppliers/services you needed to get started? How did you finance your start up?

I started with a camera I owned and I did own an airplane, which helped. However, finding clients did take some time, as I had no business model or was not even aware that this was a viable business.

Is this a full time business or a supplemental income?

This had been a full time job for me for about five years & for my son for over two years. I started this job while working with my former employer, shooting on the weekends & marketing at night. Slowly, this business began to grow & I became more proficient.

What advise would you give others?

The advice I would give is to follow you dreams and your passion. You can start slow but don’t give up. It is not easy starting your own business and it is scary. It is much easier to take your secure paycheck, but not anywhere near as rewarding.

What organizations do you belong to?

There are not a lot of aerial photography organizations but there are a lot of groups that use my services and that is where I put my time.

How has your lifestyle changed from being an employee to becoming a business owner?

My lifestyle has changed dramatically in that I work out of my house (and the airport) so there is no commute time. I put in a lot more hours now but can take breaks throughout the day as needed. I call my own shots, try my own marketing, make my own rules and hopefully every works out. So far it has been great and we have been able to move with the times. Things are great!!

He released a CD in 2006 which failed, but in hindsight that helped him learn about publishing, distribution.

What were the obstacles to starting your business (educational requirements, certifications, licensing, insurance, etc.)?

The only obstacle I had to overcome was understanding the licensing issues with all the pieces. When you get started it’s difficult to understand exactly what to do, and it’s too costly to consult with lawyers. So I had to pick up a few books, talk to a few people, ask my community for help along the way, and simply learn as I go. Overall, the music business is incredibly complex when it comes to licensing – most of this stuf is a big mystery to most people.

I made the decision to do it all myself – the production, marketing, distribution, and even the artwork. My thinking was that if I became dependent on others than that would lead to many problems – which I’ve seen in the music business very often. So I do al the arrangements, licensing, and production myself. The way I decided to do the distribution myself is by relying only on digital sales because I want to stay efficient and not worry about inventory. This has minimized the amount of suppliers I’m dependent upon, and was very cost efficient as a startup. When you’re on unemployment trying to get an idea started you don’t have the luxury of making big startup costs and investments – so that was actually a good thing for me.

My unemployment checks helped out a lot. I was also previously in the Youtube Partner Program – so there was a little bit of money still coming in from that, but nearly enough to survive. I also had some money saved up over the few years with the thought that I would give this idea a second shot if the opportunity ever came up again. My first attempt at this was back in 2006 when I released a CD of my original music, it was an expensive undertaking that failed miserably. I then thought about orchestrating the music of Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi, Aha, and more for orchestra – but I needed more money first. I never liked the idea of raising money via Venture Capital because that usually involves giving up part ownership – and when it comes to music licensing I knew that path would eventually lead to some serious licensing and publishing issues down the line.

Stop waiting for the ‘perfect moment’ to launch something or tackle an idea. The perfect time is right now – the only way you’ll learn what to do or how to perfect something is by getting your feet wet. Just get it out there and crowd source how to make it better, and pay attention.

• American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)
• American Composer’s Forum (ACF)
• Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP)
• College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA)
• League of American Orchestras (LOAO)
• Music Publishers Association (MPA)
• National Music Publisher’s Association (NMPA)
• Songwriter’s Guild of America (SGA)

I hated being an employee. I never liked the idea of someone having the power to end your career. Not only am I happier, but I’m tackling a dream of mine – and that’s much more fulfilling. I’m not getting paid as much, but that was never the desire – the passion is about changing the world.

What were the obstacles to starting your business (educational requirements, certifications, licensing, insurance, etc.)?

Since crowdfunding is a new arena, there aren’t any educational or certification requirements but it definitely required a certain leap of faith to get started. Probably the biggest obstacle to getting started was getting the courage to start. Creating a company in a new industry with very little experience and few resources can be daunting, but it can also be liberating, because you don’t yet know what you don’t know.

How did you find suppliers/services you needed to get started?

We were lucky enough to have access to a lot of great free/affordable tools. But now, there are so many resources both online and in person for entrepreneurs. From Google Apps to FeeFighters to multitude of tech and start-up blogs, there has never been a better time to start a company with just a little bit of capital.

How did you finance your start up?

We each brought some financing to the table. To fund the first wave of the web design, Desiree took out a $10K loan from Prosper.com and put the rest on her credit cards. Ethan’s father left him a little bit of money when he passed away from cancer that Ethan was able to invest in the company. That money lasted the first 6 months, so they bootstrapped GF for two years, waiting tables and doing freelance writing to make ends meet. In Feb 2011 GiveForward closed a $500k seed funding round led by Tim Krauskopf (founder of Spyglass) New World Ventures (Chicago venture capital firm run by JB Pritzker) Social Leverage (Venture Capital firm run by Howard Lindzon), and David Cohen (founder and CEO of TechStars) among others.

Is this a full time business or a supplemental income?

Full time.

What advice would you give others?

Don’t be scared of what you don’t know. Be excited about finding the answers. Don’t shy away from an idea because you don’t think you’re an expert in every aspect of the project. Instead, be open to learning.

What organizations do you belong to?

We belong to a number of professional organizations, but more than just joining an organization, we suggest you really make an effort to get out there and talk with people in the industry. Attend tweetups, go to benefits for nonprofit organizations, you name it – if you look hard enough, you’ll find there are lots of great ways to network & meet people, you just have to do a bit of research.

How has your lifestyle changed from being an employee to becoming a business owner?

We became a lot poorer :) In the beginning, you almost don’t notice everything you’re missing out on because you’re working so hard. But after two years of working towards your vision without a paycheck, there are certainly times when you look enviously at a friend’s new clothes or allow yourself a few moments of self-pity when you have to skip an expensive trip with friends. That is why it’s so important to find other metrics besides money to motivate you through those tough years. At GiveForward, we measured success in thank you emails and cards from users. Having these moments of success to reflect on made the sacrifices seem small compared to the good we were doing.

I have.

I’m tired of it taking a week to open a brokerage account because they need to make sure I’m not a security risk. Really? You have my money transferred from an account under my name to be traded in an account under my name. How is this a security risk?

I’m tired of the TSA. I have a choice: either get sexually assaulted or have them take naked pictures of me. Never mind the invasion of my privacy or violation of my constitutional rights against unlawful search and seizure.

I’m tired of the attempts to infringe on my 2nd amendment rights (right to bear arms). All the regulations in the world won’t keep the guns away from criminals. The laws don’t prevent domestic violence. They just make it harder for law abiding citizens to defend themselves.

How about all the regulations that they put in our way when trying to do business? Are you tired of hundreds (or thousands) of rules and laws that you need to follow? How can you make sure you are compliant unless you have a “compliance department?” How much time and cost does this add, all without adding any value to your customers?

In the end, none of these things add to our security. Criminals and terrorists know how to easily circumvent the security measures. They only make our lives harder, and bit by bit we give away our rights and freedoms.