What skills do you need to start a business?
There are millions of websites that will give you an in-depth checklist of everything you need to know…
What they don’t tell you is how to incorporate those steps to create a successful business.
Starting a business isn’t as easy as completing a bunch of tasks and crossing your fingers.
Here are a few tips for starting a business and how to make it succeed.
13 Things To Do To Help Your New Business Succeed
1. Know your limits
You become your own boss because you want to have financial and social freedom but…
- How many hours of work does that really take?
- Are you willing to put in 100+ hour work weeks?
- How far from your comfort zone are you willing to go?
- Are you financially ready for all the implications that come with running a business?
You need to be ready for all these things in order to keep your business plans in line with your family and personal objectives.
2. Find a niche
There’s no point in creating a product or service that no one needs.
Do your market research and find a niche that your consumers need filling.
Once you have done that, you’ll be on your way to building a profitable business with longevity.
3. Do market research
One of the worst mistakes you can make as a startup is to assume that your product is one of a kind and that people will want to buy it.
Just because you as the business owner are passionate about your idea or know a few people who would be interested in your product or service, it doesn’t mean that this is a secure business model.
To minimize your capacity for loss, never idealize your product and assume that there is a market.
Do plenty of research and talk to people in the same industry as you before you launch.
4. Write a business plan
Starting with an actionable business plan is one of the, if not the most important steps to creating a profitable business.
- If you’re choosing to go the investor or financing route to inject a huge lump of cash into your business then you will need to have an in-depth plan for lenders to refer to come to their decisions.
- If you’re choosing to finance yourself independently, then you’ll need the plan to refer to on your journey to see that you’re taking the correct steps.
It’s a great way to stay focused and headed in the right direction.
5. Don’t wait
As the saying goes, “Fortune favors the brave”.
Don’t wait around until the perfect time to start your business as the perfect time may never arrive.
Of course, investing time in researching and getting to know your business inside out will take time, but it can often be an excuse for procrastination.
The sooner you start, the sooner you can start to learn as you go.
6. Start small
It might be tempting to go into your new venture with all guns blazing but sometimes that’s not the best way.
By taking smaller, more controlled risks, you’re protecting yourself if anything goes wrong.
Test small strategies and see what goes well and build on them from there.
7. Learn from your mistakes
The pivotal difference between successful entrepreneurs and everyone else is that the most successful entrepreneurs learn for their mistakes and use them in their strategy going forward.
Although it is difficult, try not to dwell on your failures, because there inevitably will be some.
Instead, look for an alternative path, course correct your goals and find another way to reach your goals.
8. Learn from others
Reach out to people in your industry to see if they would be willing to mentor you.
Attend networking events and conferences to meet people who are like-indeed and may be able to help you on your path towards success.
9. Limit your expenses
Keep a keen eye on income and expenditure especially in the early days of setting up your venture.
Learn how to cut certain tasks and jobs out by spending wisely and only on things that are necessary.
10. Know when to delegate
Once you have your business systems in place, know where your money is coming in and out, and are pretty steady, it may be time to delegate if you want to scale your business.
By delegating tasks such as using a CRM software like kunversion, you’re optimizing the way your business is run and freeing up precious social time and freedom.
11. Get to know investors
Before you go looking for investors, know what your investors are looking for!
If you’re on the lookout for the perfect investor, make sure you’re up to date with who would be the right individual to invest in you.
Local angel investors and venture capital groups are a good place to start – attend meetings they are attending or drop into meetings that your potential investors are speaking at.
12. Put yourself out there
You won’t get if you don’t ask.
Reach out to others and ask for help and guidance.
Talk about your business in the right settings to garner word-of-mouth marketing.
13. Learn digital marketing
No matter how great you think your business is, you need a digital presence including at least these 3 items:
- Professional-looking website
- Social media handles
- Professional email address
Always keep learning and developing.
Remember when cupcakes were the hot food craze?
Like anything consumer habitats and trends change over time.
What might be the ultimate product or service now, may be a distant memory in five years.
To keep your product fresh, keep learning and exploring more avenues for your business.
Be open-minded and be curious to try new things, because it’ll show you better ways to market your products and services which can lead to more success and more money.
Good luck!
Tom Koderey says
Hey there, this is really good. You explained everything really well. I really appreciate your writing skills. Keep the good work up 🙂