Nowadays, it is common for people to come up with great business ideas but not know how to get a business afloat. Truth is that a great small business has to have only one fundamental thing.. A great idea that is then transformed into action. Many people out of fear of failure or doubt as to where to begin give up on real opportunities just because it seems overwhelming and often impossible. But it is during these types of situations that it is better to take back an elementary approach to a problem and instead of seeing a big giant monster, you begin to see it as a goal that is approachable once you break it into smaller tasks. This way tackling that goal becomes more of a process and not an impossibility.
Create a business plan
- Even if this is a small one page business plan. This is a major key because especially in the startup phase, one that can determine whether the idea can take off or crash and burn. This will create a blueprint of what your idea will actually entail and keep the vision in plain focus. If you plan to seek the help of investments or financing from a bank then an elaborate and robust business plan is necessary but for a small business idea I recommend you plan out how much cost you will need to invest. Both monetary costs but also in time and assess whether it is readily achievable.
- Some things you might want to include might be visions, mission, strategies, objective and an action plan.
Set a budget
- Once you determine how much money you’ll have to work with, figure out how much it will take to develop your product or service and create a marketing plan. You’re doing this to have a clear view of the costs you plan to expect in the future. If you are going to be looking for long-term investing you will need to have both your business plan and budget completely established for a lender to even give you a second thought so the utmost organization in this is always advised. When you are planning your budget, you may want to determine things such as whether you will outsource non-essential tasks to external third parties (for instance, you could outsource your cleaning to a company well-versed in commercial cleaning in Hampton Roads, VA, or wherever it is you are based) or handle these in-house, how much you expect to spend on employees if you require them, and how much you will spend on equipment and premises. Always keep in mind that you will need your costs to be as low as possible, especially if you plan to be self-funding, so be realistic about the numbers you anticipate to see in the future.
Get your Website up and running
- Once you have determined how much money you’ll have to work with, figure out how much it will take to develop your products or service and create a marketing plan. In the past, nothing use to beat some good old fashioned word of mouth marketing. Letting friends know about your goals and ambitions and spreading some sort of word about what your products or service stand for. But in the modern 21st century we know that with proper marketing techniques you can reach a whole virtual audience that will allow you to reach thousands of more potential clients.
Don’t forget to also setup your social media sites. You might even want to consider taking Facebook ads courses to help you get started.
Following these steps will lead you into a good enough foundation where you can establish your business successfully and you can begin to start testing sales. Of course effort and innovation always go hand in hand when it comes to trying to get a business afloat. Ifyou have a service business make sure to get involved with your local charities, churches and/or small businesses (who would most likely be more than happy to promote you) and ask to speak or present in order to get your business known.
Drive traffic to your website by Facebook ads and link a Twitter and Instagram to create a whole rounded social media presence. Test these three easy steps if you have found yourself taunting with that one idea you think will take you from an employee to an entrepreneur.
