Always wanted to start your own business, but don’t know where to start and if it will be a success? Let us help you a bit. In our first blog you can read why we started our own business together (find it below). In this one we will tell you where to start and what you should not forget when you start your own business. First of all, every little step in life is a success, so don’t worry if you don’t get rich with your business. In the end that is not the purpose of life, is it?
Find out your strength and hobbies
The first step in this whole proces is finding out what your strength is. Don’t think you don’t have any, because that is nonsense. Everybody has strengths and (yes) also weaknesses. Some people are more practical where others are more theoretical. Just like our strengths and weaknesses, everyone has hobbies. It can be anything. From drinking coffee to reading. Find something you like doing or something that relates to that hobby and make it your business.
Service or product
If you want to start a business you also need to think about what you are going to offer. Will it be a service or product? Never fear that your service or product is already on the market because yours can still sell if you stand out.
Your business as a person
See your business as a person. Every person has hobbies, a story, life norms and values. These are things you need to keep in mind when you create your business. Do you as a person like to focus on being good for our planet? Then it might be a good idea to implement that in your business as well.
B2B or B2C
Do you want to focus on businesses (B2B: business to business), consumers (B2C: business to consumer) or maybe both? You can for example start your business in being the middleman for products from Asia to Europe. In this case you can focus on both. If you only want to focus on a certain part of (say) a vacuum cleaner, you are most likely targeting other companies (B2B). It is important to know your market and who you are going to target.
Target audience and tone of voice
That leads me to the next part: target audience. It might vary from young people to old, but you have to focus on a specified group. It can be based on interests, age, location or gender. You are loosing your strategy and consistency otherwise. Let’s explain it a bit. Do you know those people that change their voice when they talk to a dog or child? Yep, I’m one of those people. Or some of you change your voice when you have a formal presentation. All of a sudden it sounds like you are the Royal Queen giving a speech. This way of talking is a tone of voice and is only used for a certain “target audience”. When you know whom you are talking to, what their hobbies are and their age is, you know how to approach them and what language to use. I have to say it doesn't always mean that the audience you are targeting matches your actual audience. Don’t panic, that is okay, you can always change your strategy along the way.
Do research
So you know your audience and you know what you want to offer them. Now you have to do your research. When you want to sell a product you have to figure out where you get it from. Have a look at businesses that are already doing something you would like to do or talk to other entrepreneurs. When you, for example, decide to be environmentally conscious you have to find out how you can deliver your product or service as eco friendly as you can.
Don’t be afraid of doing things for free
People often think starting a business means getting a million dollar business. Well I’m sorry if I ruin your dreams now, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes you even have to do things for free (or not profitable) in the beginning to get some experience. Think of an internship. Even along the way. When you want to get more brand awareness it is smart to do a give-away. Which means giving your product or service away for free. This can eventually lead to more sales.
Invest and promote yourself
Just as you invest in yourself by doing fun things or buying new stuff, you should do that for your business too. Don’t see it as loosing money, because eventually you will get it back with sales. To get people to know your business you have to promote yourself. This can be free promotion through word-of-mouth or starting a social media account and engage with your target audience. But, in the end you won’t get out of not paying for any promotional material like a logo, website or business cards.
We hope these tips will help you when it comes to starting a business. There are way more tips and tricks, but we don’t want to write a whole book about this topic. We know they already exist. In the end we think it all starts with believing in yourself. Where is a will, there is a way. Surround yourself with people that lift you up and support your idea. Tell others your idea so it becomes reality. You know where to start, but need help with creating your brand corporate identity, website or professional product/service photos? We are happy to help you. Send an email to info@backusbranding.com for more information.