So You Want to Start A Business: Advice for Entrepreneurs and Dreamers
Do you feel drained while sitting at your corporate job eight hours per day (or longer)? If you ever dream of taking the leap and starting your own business, you’re not alone. Many ambitious, soulful people have big ideas that are being muffled by their traditional jobs in corporate environments. This article is for those who want to break free of the corporate world so they can finally live their dreams of becoming an entrepreneur.
Make a Business Plan
A business plan is a must-have when first starting a venture. Consider this your roadmap to launching your business and a potential path to success. Crafting a business plan forces you to determine what you are actually able to offer that no one has access to, or what makes your product or service special. Remember, you want your business to solve a problem, and this can help you define whether your product or service will provide a solution and turn a profit. Once you know your business angle, you can look into market research to determine who would want your product, speculate on potential income and determine both short-term and long-term goals. These are merely some of the basics involved in putting a business plan together, but they provide an example of what goes into preparing to start a business.
Professional Headshots
Your headshot is your prospective customer’s first impression of you as a business owner.There is something powerfully moving about seeing a professional photograph of yourself that goes above and beyond your expectations. It inspires intense hope among entrepreneurs who are just starting out in the small business world. That makes a professional headshot a great first step for any aspiring entrepreneur. After finding a skilled headshot photographer in your area, make sure you’ll have the rights to use the images for all your marketing materials. Ideally, your headshot could be included on your LinkedIn bio, on your website, and possibly even on print and web marketing materials such as business cards.
Make a Website
Your next step is to create and launch your website. For businesses, a website is like your online business card; it is how you connect with prospective clients and customers over the internet for the first time. Like a business card, any good business website will have a clean design with information about the services you offer, and some easily identifiable contact information. Regardless of whether you use a website builder or hire a professional web designer to create a website for you, having a website is one of the crucial first steps to launching your own business.
Market Yourself
Do you remember the old phrase “if you build it, they will come”? Well, that’s not really how things work on the web. Just having a website isn’t enough. You’ll also need to market your website so potential clients can find you. A few ideas for marketing yourself might include: creating your own social media pages for your business; investing in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services to help your website rank higher on Google; and running paid advertisements in local publications to help reach potential customers.
Turn to Financial Professionals
Initially, you’ll be able to handle much of the accounting and financials yourself. However, as your business grows, and when it comes to taxes, there will come a time when you start to feel overwhelmed. Plus, many business owners procrastinate on handling the financials because it's not something they want to think about. This can spell disaster if left unaddressed. Knowing this, plan ahead to work with a bookkeeping service like The Chalfont Bookkeeping Service Limited. By outsourcing with a reputable agency, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your business is on track and staying profitable while you’re able to devote your time to the bigger picture.
Plan for Productivity
Finally, having a proper workspace will enable you to remain comfortable and motivated. Whether you’re working from home or in a shop or office building, it’s ideal to have an appropriate space that matches up with your business. This includes having a large enough desk, an ergonomic chair, a filing system, the appropriate technology and a place to welcome guests. More than anything you want this to be an environment that’s conducive to getting things done!
Running your own business might be a way to escape corporate life and office politics, but it comes with its own list of responsibilities and stresses. Although entrepreneurship might not be right for everyone, it may be worth a try if you’re feeling passionate about a big idea you’ve been bouncing around in your head. By doing some research and dedicating some time to building your business, you can help set yourself up for continued success as an entrepreneur. Good luck!
"Article by Sarah Bull from Economymom.com"