Starting a business with your own idea can be exciting and rewarding. With a plan and innovative ideas, professionals can effectively manage time and the amount of money they want to invest in their business. Financial, strategic and legal planning can be important factors for making a business successful from the beginning. It takes a lot of things to build a successful business like persistence, dedication and resourcefulness etc.
1. Good Business Idea
Starting a new self business can be a easier job than thought. It all starts with one big and the most important decision which is generating a good Business idea. You should always build a product or a service that solves a need for consumers. Before jumping on any conclusions, you should conduct a proper research. This can be a crucial step, because the stats have stated that 79.4% of companies survive their first year in operation.
Following are some of the best startup ideas:
1.Business consulting
2.Cleaning services
3.Tax preparation and bookkeeping
4.Event planning
5.Jewelry making
6.Copywriting services
7.Personal training
8.Music lessons
9.Computer training
10.Graphic design
11.Landscaping
12.Financial planning
13.Photography
2.Conduct Research About Your Business Idea
After setting up your business idea. Next step is to check and research if the your business idea is worth following. Conduct a proper research and analyze the market situation, consumer needs and demands:
- Understand the customers’ needs
- Identify possible problems that can occur in your product or service
- Try to find markets you may not have known about
- Set goals that can guide your business
For a successful research, you’ll need to:
Identify your target customers: You can do this by looking at who benefits from your product. You’ll also want to look at factors like age, location and even marital status.
Connect with your audience: Once you know who your target customers are, you can conduct surveys and talk to people directly to gain more feedback. Social media can be the perfect platform to interact with your audience.
Study your competitors: Examining the current competing products/services can give you an idea about what already exists in the market and it can also help you improve you business idea. It can also help you make improvements in your product or services before you use your time and money on the actual product creation process. Also, you should check the prices in the market; it will provide you a range of how much customers are currently spending on similar products.
3.Write down you Business plan
Writing down your goals or plans helps you get clear on what you want to achieve in life. It takes your goals out of your mind and makes them visible and real. When you write down your plans, you clarify your future. Writing a business plan is beneficial because it can help you make more efficient and strategic decisions. It also helps you focus on your goals and strategies.
You can include the following in your written business document:
Title page and contents: Investors use your business plan to get a feel for your company. That’s why keeping it organized and easy to navigate is helpful.
Statement of purpose: This summarizes your products, market and business operation. It also states if you’re looking for funding or not.
Product description: Explain each detail of your product or services and how they benefit your customers.
Market analysis: Outline your target demographic, selling trends and customer expectations.
Competitor analysis: This should highlight strengths and weaknesses of companies that have similar products or services.
Benefits of Writing down a business plan:
- Finding potential weaknesses
- Communicating your ideas to stakeholders
- Organizing important information about your business
- Hiring employees that are right for your company
4.Make Your New Business Official
Once you’ve worked hard researching your idea and know it has the potential to last in the market, it’s time to take your business to the next level by making it official.
To do this, you’ll want to:
Register your business with your state: This gives you legal grounds to move forward using your brand’s name.
Pick-up the right licenses and permits: Depending on your business, this can include food, liquor, health or business licenses.
Get a tax ID number: This allows the IRS to track your transactions. You’ll also need this to open a bank account.
Following these steps helps you create a brand name that no one else can use. And once you’re official, you can set up an office and create an online business presence.
5. Know Your Finances
Some tips for getting the funding includes:
- Asking your friends and family for money
- Getting a small business loan
- Looking for grants or local funding
- Encouraging angel investors to back your company
Here are some of the business ideas that you can do part time while gaining enough customers to take it full-time later on:
- Freelance writing
- Business consulting
- Graphic design
- Tutoring
- Web design
- Personal training
- Dog walking
- Child care
- Book keeping
- Interior design
6. Protect Your Business
It takes a lot of work, time and money for starting a small business, which means you’ll want to protect it with the right business insurance coverage, including:
General liability insurance to help protect your company from liability claims alleging bodily injury, property damage, libel or slander.
Business income insurance for help replacing lost income if you have to temporarily close your operation due to fire, theft or wind damage.
Data breach coverage which helps pay costs if your customers, patients or employees private data is lost or stolen.
Professional liability coverage for protection if you’re sued for negligence or errors in the services you provide.
Commercial property insurance which helps pay for damages to your building, equipment, inventory, furniture and fixtures.
7. Build Your Business
You can’t build a strong business without investing time and money into it. You’ll also need to promote your business and establish a strong marketing plan.
In today’s world, building a business also means you’ll need a strong website and social media presence. These can help you learn your customers better and grow your market more. With them, you can even request customers’ email addresses so you can reach them directly as you promote your business.
If you’re looking to add employees to your team right away, be sure to hire the best startup team who will support your operation and set it up for success.
