Starting a new business is an exciting but stressful undertaking. The startup process is often filled with pitfalls for the unwary, and there are many crucial aspects of starting a business that inexperienced entrepreneurs may overlook.
As an experienced entrepreneur, Daniel Doyle Pleasantville shares eight tips that startup business should follow in order to achieve success.
1. Create a Solid Business Plan
Before you start your business, you will need to sit down and plan it. You need to know where your revenues are going to come from, how you will spend money, who you will hire, and for how much. You will need to know how you will cover all of the expenses required for a business, and how your company will fit into the overall marketplace and face up to its competition. You will also need to know how your business will be structured.
Building a successful business plan will help your company receive funding and will give you a realistic idea of how long it may take for your company to become profitable.
2. Understand Your Niche
Wading into a market where there are dozens of companies with the same objectives is not a good idea. This will mean that you are competing for an increasingly small number of customers and that your prospects will be reduced. You need to define a strong niche market in order to succeed. By focusing your efforts on a specific niche, you will not waste time on futile attempts.
You need to know what the customer’s pain points are and how you can help them overcome a problem or fulfill a need. If you do not have a working knowledge of why your service or product is useful, you will have a difficult time bringing it to market successfully.
3. Research the Market and the Competition
Make sure that there is a clear need in the market for your product or service. You will need to know exactly how your new business fits into the marketplace and which demographic you are trying to target.
One of the best ways to do this is to undertake a close study of the competition. If you can figure out how your closest competitors operate and how they have differentiated themselves within the market, this may show you the way toward creating a unique offering.
4. Be Passionate
If you are not passionate about your area of business, it is likely that you will fail. You need to have a strong internal drive to succeed, or you may find that the many challenges of running a startup business are too much for you. It helps to select a business area where your interests truly lie instead of simply choosing a segment that you feel will be profitable. You will also need to encourage your employees to be passionate about your business as well. It is harder to motivate rank and file employees in this way, but by projecting a positive example, your enthusiasm will be contagious.
5. Have a Clear Vision
Inspiring leaders have a clear vision for their businesses. They know how they want to operate and they have the basic values of the organization internalized. They should be able to help their employees understand this vision and to let it guide every decision they make.
6. Network for Success
Many business advisors will recommend networking. Networking is a huge part of success for all companies, not just startups. Traditional networking face-to-face is the most effective, though today, virtual events are largely taking its place.
Do not overlook social media as a valuable avenue of networking. LinkedIn is a great place to connect with other businesses in your area and to line up service providers and prospective employees.
7. Take Advantage of Digital Marketing
Today, most people do their product and company research online. You need to put your company’s information out there where it is easily accessible. Search engine optimization or SEO, content marketing, social media, paid advertisements, and other techniques can all be valuable parts of your digital marketing strategy. You may want to hire a professional to help with your marketing.
8. Be Persistent
If your usual response to a problem is avoiding it or giving up, owning a startup is not for you. You need to have a strong ability to persist in the face of adversity. There will be many times during your startup’s early years when your business is in trouble. You will need to draw on all of your reserves to pull through these problems with a positive attitude.
Creating a Successful Startup
Daniel Doyle Pleasantville presents these eight tips in hopes that they will help you find your own success in the field of business. Keep these tips in mind when you are creating your business, and you will have an easier time meeting the many challenges that may come your way.
