For all but a handful of us, it’s not every day that we embark on a new business venture – particularly when the first few steps of that journey are steps that we must take, for the most part, on our own. At some point in our life, we feel comfortable enough to start something fresh and new, and of course, we have the needed skills to do that. As with any stage in life, however, the sagest advice will always be about learning to walk before you run. In this particular instance, it means creating a number of both practical and personal cornerstones on which to build a long-lasting and successful business.
Opening a new company, registering it, buying all the supplies you need for the office, stock up the goods, having a unique idea or a different approach to something – it all can make you stand out from your competition. You need to work all the things out, to make your start-up worth the idea, and of course, profitable to you. Hiring professionals is also a tricky part because your friends or family members can make you feel like you must hire them, but they might not be professional enough to handle the volume of jobs you will have at the beginning.
But, most of the things you will have to do alone before you launch your start-up, and here are some of them:
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1. Register Your Domain
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More so than ever before, there are few things more valuable to a business than their website. Whether you sell products through it, or simply use it as a way of advertising your services and skills, this digital platform will come to represent one of the most direct ways for customers to reach you – and vice versa. As such, registering a domain name that represents your new brand – and, of course, gradually beginning to build a stellar website – is something that should be done as soon as you have picked a name. Click here to learn more about getting a domain name for your business.
Having a nice and transparent website is an important part of creating your brand’s identity. Your site should contain all the important contact information, and basic instructions on how to find you, what you do, and what’s your mission and purpose too – which leads us to the next one.
2. Write Your Mission Statement
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Even if you think you have your business’s purpose, philosophy, and goals clear in your mind, trying to put it all into words when the time comes to communicate your vision to others. Writing it down will take time – and plenty of drafts – but, once on paper, those sentiments and intentions will always be there to support you through times of self-doubt or indecision. You can do that the best, but if you don’t feel comfortable writing long statements, you can hire a talented content writer, and explain the basics of your mission. These professionals know how to work with words, and you will have an exceptional piece of deep explanation of your mission, written in the most natural and understandable language, so everyone can get interested in what you do, and become your client later.
3. Reach Out to an Experienced Business Accountant…
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They say, ‘behind every great business is an even better accountant’ – and for good reason. While sorting through our personal finances may be little more than a yearly source of frustration, accounting for a growing business – and all the short- and long-term expenses that come with it – is an entirely different kettle of fish. Working with an accountant from the get-go means starting off on the right foot – something that can only prove valuable going forward.
4. …And a Cybersecurity Expert
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While we’re on the topic of turning to professionals, there are few things as essential as knowing when to work with a reputable local company offering its expert cybersecurity services. While you’re still at the living-room stage of running a business, then some antivirus and a good VPN may prove sufficient – but, as soon as you begin working with a team and developing a company-wide network, developing a framework of strong cybersecurity cannot be forgotten.
It can easily happen – something goes wrong, or you have an attack on the website. The security expert will help you resolve these issues immediately, and estimate the potential damage. After that, all the issues can be somehow resolved, and your company will be safe and secure again.
5. Reach Out to a Mentor
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The world of business is unfamiliar to all of us in the first instance – and, of course, the only way to familiarize ourselves with it is to devote years of trial and error, risk and caution, practice and accomplishment into it. There are no shortcuts, and the best way to navigate it on your feet (as you must do to succeed as an entrepreneur) is to reach out to a potential mentor whom you admire. They could be a family friend, an ex-colleague – even your college professor – provided they have relevant experience and wisdom to impart.
Maybe you didn’t expect this one, but we can say that even if you have all the needed skills and a professional profile, your mentor will help you get through the rough things faster, and make you feel comfortable with every decision you make. That can be some colleague from the previous work, or our former boss, as long as their intentions are honest.
6. Focus on a Core Range
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Successful business growth is sustainable – otherwise, it isn’t really successful at all. If you expand too much, too quickly, beyond your original scope – and without a proper bedrock on which to base that growth – you will be making yourself, and your entire business, vulnerable to a short, sharp stop. Whether you offer services or goods, focus on limiting your offerings until you and your business are capable of sustaining more.
7. Dedicate a Physical Space to Work
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As a budding entrepreneur or small business owner, you have likely already received some well-intentioned advice from friends or family: to take care of yourself, create space between your personal and business life, and remain mindful of your home and family life throughout this complex period. While it may seem like a platitude – particularly when you’re filled with optimism for the future of your new business – the message will represent a key to your success. Even the biggest names in the business need a mind clear from stress more than once in a blue moon, and you are no exception.
Probably working from home or remotely is becoming a thing these days, but without an office to represent you, no one will take the company seriously.
8. Research, Research, Research
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Whether it’s product research, market research, or any other autodidactic concern posed to the modern day entrepreneur, you will soon realize quite how much of life must revolve around learning – and, when you’re not learning, working out what pieces of knowledge you are still missing. You need to upgrade your knowledge and skills, but also to track everything new in this area, so you can implement those things nicely to your work.
It can be a humbling experience, particularly if you are coming from a successful career – one in which you would have been considered an expert. But, remember that learning is the spice of life – and, of course, one of the many secrets to entrepreneurial success. And of course, be patient and limit your big expectations at the beginning. Keep the things simple. You will have a lot of chances to make all the things right soon, so be patient and wait for the great things that come.
