Starting a business is not for the faint of heart, and can sometimes even cause you to rethink your whole life goals. It helps to get advice from entrepreneurs who have already been at the beginning stages of building a brand which is what we did.
We spoke to business owners, CEOs and other professionals about what they feel are the best tips to make starting a business just a little easier.
1) Don’t let something bother you to the point that it becomes a problem
“If you feel that there is an issue, no matter what it is, then you should fix it before it becomes something that can’t be fixed. When you let something get bigger and worse off, you can end up with a problem that could become too big to reverse. And if you feel like you are thinking about it all of the time, then you can induce a lot of unwanted stress and anxiety.” Says Motti Peer, the Co-CEO of ReBlonde.
He continues to say, “when you push things off to fix at a later date, you risk a lot. It is much better for you to deal with a problem right then and there, and to also be okay with admitting when something is wrong, or even your fault. This allows you to be a more responsible entrepreneur and you tend to foster a healthier team when doing so. You also increase the chances of people helping you because you are truthful and don’t keep people in the dark.”
This approach is particularly relevant in roles like executive assistant to CEO jobs, where timely problem-solving is essential for smooth operations.
Honesty is always the best policy when it comes to building a solid foundation for your business. Your team is who provides you the most support during tough times, so keeping them in the loop makes it easier for them to know how they can help.
2) Don’t look for perfection, especially at the start
“Even if we have a 1 in 100 idea, there is no guarantee that your business plan will work well until you put it into action. You can’t expect perfection, especially at the start. There will always be tweaks and changes that need to be made and sometimes an idea you had just simply doesn’t work the way you had envisioned”, says Alexander Burgemeester the founder of Ireland Wide.
Instead of striving for perfection, Burgemeester says that you are much better off to simply be content with reaching both short term and long term goals as well as breaking even when it comes to your finances. “Starting a business is messy, stressful and time consuming but is worth it in the end when everything comes together. It’s much better to strive for the bare minimum because when something does work out like you planned (or even better), there is no better feeling.”
3) Listen to feedback before making a decision
Mia Cloud the founder of Cloud Law Firm mentions that “when you are in the beginning phases of a startup, it’s really important that you consider the feedback from your customers and team before making major decisions. It can be easy to see your own vision of a product, or your business, but a customer’s POV or a team member can help you see something you might be missing.
It helps to have people test out your product or service before starting a hard launch to get helpful suggestions on how you can make it even better. Listening to others who have first hand experience with your brand can offer invaluable insight that will help to make your business much more successful.”
A soft launch is something that you should consider, which allows you to showcase your business idea and allow consumers to understand it better. This in turn can also help when it comes to spreading the word about your business when it comes time, which amps up the excitement.
4) Build up a customer base early on with social media
Building up the hype around your brand is a must says, Stan Caramalac, CEO and founder of Move Central. “You need to build up some anticipation surrounding your startup early on if you want to increase your chances of creating a customer base. Social media is a really important part of this, as you can market your brand using engaging content. Spread the word and focus on unique and trending hashtags to increase the chances of your brand being noticed.
Something else to consider is building up your email list early. Give customers who sign up for emails exclusive details and insights in regards to your brand. This will help you to easily build up customers and increase brand awareness.”
5) Don’t sit around and wait for success to come to you, you need to work for it
“Starting a business isn’t just about having an idea and waiting for it to gain traction. You need to continuously work for success and take risks often. This is what helps to open more doors and brings in more opportunities for you and your team to expand and diversify.” James Parsons, founder & CEO of Content Powered declares.
“Networking is a big part of this as it helps to bring in new customers, and brings strong connections to your business. Other business professionals can help you by investing in your business, spreading the word or connecting you with other people who can help or might be interested in becoming a client. You have to work for these relationships though, so always find opportunities to talk about your business by going to networking events both in-person and online.”
