Know Where to Start

It is difficult to comprehend how to start a business if you have never done anything like that before. There always seems to be so much to think about and do that you just don’t know where to start, am I right? However, when you get an idea in your head, it can really consume you and you. The seed has been planted, and in your mind it is growing at an alarming rate. So how do you make that idea a reality? Where do you start? I thought I would share with you some of the things you can do to get your new business idea off the ground and turned into a thriving and successful business.

Think about the business in detail

You have the idea, that is a given, but have you really stopped and thought about the actual idea and how you can make it into a business? This isn’t about the functionality or the actionable steps you can take, this is the creative element of the business. The direction you want to take. The message you want to be heard. Thinking about your business in more detail as perhaps an outsider looking in can help you take the other steps that are involved to make it a reality. You need a clear vision in your mind. It all starts with an idea, but that idea has to grow and multiply many times over before you know how to take on the next steps.

Start with a business plan

The next thing to think about doing would be to get a business plan in place. This is a great way to ensure that you start to think about the smaller and finer details of your business. A business plan doesn’t need to be something so extravagant or long winded, and thankfully there are plenty of templates you can use online to help you put together your own. However, it can prove as a vital document for things lie funding or investment, and it can certainly be a real good point of interest for you to look back on years to come as you continue to navigate your business and take the direction and journey you planned on making.

Do you need to consider funding?

Perhaps you need funding to get you off the ground. This could prove useful for things like progression, manufacturing, creating and developing new and exciting products and services to add to your range. It can be a great way to move your business forward or to get started far quicker than you would raising your own capital. Investment can be done through investors, but they will want a percentage of the business moving forward. You could consider business loans, or even things like your own savings or family and friends if you don’t want to go down the formal route of an investor. A business plan will help in all aspects of obtaining funding.

How are you going to pursue your business?

Now that you have your idea, your business plan and your funding option, what next? Te simple question is to decide how you want pursue your business venture. Will you based solely online or would an store or shop front help on a high street. Maybe you need the best of both worlds so a physical base for storing stock but an online platform to sell it or spread the word. There will be benefits and negatives for both options but as you are just starting out, many people consider the digital route first as they create their brand and raise awareness. This means that you have less outgoings as you could work from home and don’t have the same commitments as a lease would be.

You need a decent website

You also need to consider a decent website, even if you do decide to go to down the shop route. In this case the best advice would be to consider how you go about your day. The internet is such a big part of our lives, we shop online, we email or share our live son social media. So a website for your business will be important to coincide with the natural way of life many people these days are accustomed to. If you don’t feel comfortable setting one up, you could enlist the help of a digital agency to get you started.

Can your website be seen online?

You do, however, need to ensure that your website can then be seen on search engines, and there are many ways you can do it, one particular placing a focus on search engine optimization. Agencies or online companies can do this for you and they will place focus on things like Random/Benign Anchor/URL that is non-keyword based/dont use same twice keyword elements to ensure that your website is working hard even when you are not sat at your desk plugging away at it.

How will you promote your business?

You also need to think about how you plan on promoting your business. In this day and age one of the easiest and most obvious choices would be through social media. You can promote your website and products easily, you can grow your following by putting in effort yourself, and you have a level of control about what you put out there. You do need to be consistent with uploads and engage with your audience in order to grow it. There are other methods of advertising such as creating an email list of customers, physical leaflet drops and focusing on your local community.

What are your plans for the future?

Finally, spend some time thinking about the future. Not just for your business plan but setting yourself your own goals in terms of growth and where you want to be. It is good to keep yourself personally motivated, especially on the days where you will feel tired and drained. The end results are beautiful!