We are going to look at the necessary steps to take when starting a new business. The first lockdown of 2020 brought us plenty of new businesses and people chasing their long-cherished ideas. So why not more of the same?
Where to start? 🤔
Let’s be honest, we could write a long-winded, round-the-houses version of setting up a business. There are countless books on the market telling you how to make millions, build an empire and dominate the world. But, that’s not what this blog is. Instead, we’re going to take a much more open-minded approach. Assuming you already know most of the boring, pencil-pushing things, which are of course important but don’t make good reading.
We’re going to look at the fun stuff, naming, branding, marketing and anything that might give you that little leg-up when it comes to the competition. So, let’s get into it.
Knowing you 👈
Let’s not do that thing, where someone says, ‘do you know yourself?’ and you sit thinking about all the little details you may have overlooked. Because not only is that wasting valuable time, it’s not the place to start. Don’t get us wrong, being objective is an incredible trait when it comes to business. You need to know what your strengths and weaknesses are, rather than your political views.
This may sound like common sense, but when passion is involved common sense does occasionally go missing. So, if you’re a great graphic designer, starting a design agency would make perfect sense. Are you going to use your design skills to run a football coaching business? Probably not.
One of the most important reflective traits is knowing how you work best. This will largely dictate the style of work you will be able to take on as a business. If you are brilliant with deadlines you may be able to overload yourself and still produce high-quality work.
You should also be totally clear about why you are starting your business. A lot of businesses are passion-driven and this guides people to make certain decisions once they’re up-and-running. Others are in it to access a lucrative sector, which is fine but be honest with yourself, work often overspills into day-to-day life and when it does, you need to remember your reasons behind the business. Be clear, be honest and remain driven.
Knowing your business 🧳
Essentially, your business will have an identity of its own. Yes, it may have factors that mirror your personality, but that won’t always be the case. The sector your business operates in and the way your company conducts itself will largely form the brand you put together. As a business person, you should never be too hasty with those early decisions of business branding; it can be difficult to shrug off a dark cloud once it’s formed.
Building a business plan 📋
We would imagine if you’re reading this, you will have some form of a business plan formulated. So let us offer a creative perspective, and some extra details to think about. The business plan you build will be perfect for you, especially if you think long term and outside the box as much as possible.
Marketing 🖥️
Include a marketing strategy within your business plan. Think about how you are going to access your demographic no matter how remote or seemingly inaccessible they might be. So, your products are ideal for teachers, who listen to punk rock and like to eat sweets, well guess what, there’s always a way. Setting up a stall outside a punk rock concert might be a start. Anyway, no matter how far away your clients may seem, let’s assume they exist, because if they don’t, you will need to rethink the whole thing.
Branding 💫
So you have your business, we are hoping you have a name, you’ve incorporated and you’ve got hold of that valuable domain name. You have all the pieces of the puzzle, but, what’s it going to look like when you put it together? This is where you should be planning your branding within your business plan.
Branding is what makes your business recognisable. A brilliant brand has far more earning potential than a business that’s nondescript and fails to scream ‘pick me’. We understand you’ve probably heard the term branding so much in recent months that it scares you a little. But, if you hire an agency to work as your graphics team, you needn’t worry whatsoever. In fact, take a look at some of our previous work, we might just be the answer to all of those worries.
This little business went to market 🐷
Our guide is coming to an end, and now it’s time to take your business to market and sell, sell, sell. Understandably this is a process that won’t happen overnight and truth be told to access most market places you will need to build up following and brand recognition for some time prior.
The key things you need to think about are: Where you are going to be selling? Who you are selling to? Will they recognise your brand from the off?
To answer these questions in reverse order. We would suggest building up your social media following so that your potential clients have seen your brand prior to launching products. As humans, we want to buy something we trust and believe in, so make sure you get your business out there. You will start to understand your demographic more from running your social media channels. You will see and learn who interacts with your content and what they like and don’t like.
Finally, where are you going to be selling? If you are an eCommerce based business we would advise using a reputable web design agency. The design work and coding of an eCommerce website are incredibly technical and you want it to be absolutely perfect for when you launch. Faults and bugs can cost you time and money as a business. So don’t make the mistakes.
As a web design, marketing and branding agency we are pretty much the perfect company to help bring your business plan to life. We love a challenge and use the skills of every member of our team to provide you with the best outcomes from your business venture. If anything you have read above is of interest get in touch with us today and we will do the rest.
Take a look at some more of our blogs for helpful tips, tricks and advice:
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