Saturday, 5 March 2011

Five Things To Consider Before Starting A Small Business

By Chase Crawford


So you're thinking of starting a small business? You're on the right track actually because nothing beats business when it comes to securing your financial future. Be mindful though that there is a lot that you need to thresh out before making the dive. Here are some tips to mull over.

#1- Try to launch a non-traditional business if possible.

For the longest time, businesses usually took the form of stores, shops or service offices. If you wanted to generate a good income stream, you needed a physical presence. Times have changed because of the internet. Now, entire businesses can be based exclusively online.

You might want to take the same option when you start a small business of your own. Going online is a sensible choice because it is less expensive and does not restrict your customer reach. If you do decide to take this path though, you have to remind yourself to treat your web business in the same way you would a physical one.

#2- Promise to be serious about matters.

It is a given that you need to be serious about what you're doing. This however is really easier said than done. This is especially if you've started something based on a hobby. There is always the desire to want to enjoy what you're doing at the expense of forgetting to focus on factors that you don't quite enjoy. Always remember that a real venture will require you to pay a lot of attention to marketing, customer support, technical set-up and resource management to name a few.

#3- Start creating systems for everything in advance.

Before starting a small business it's important that you already have a plan for systems that you need to integrate into everything. Systems are necessary because they are the best means of automating processes so you don't have to rely on experts or specialists who come and go. Think of a system for every aspect such as a system for selling, processing orders and responding to customer feedback.

#4- Don't attempt to dip into things you know nothing about.

It's typical for start-up businesses to be run and operated by their owners at first. You might have to go through this stage yourself. This should not give you the impression though that you should meddle with things that are too difficult and critical for you to handle. One example of this is business registration. Before you get your ideas rolling, get a consultant or an accountant.

#5- Hire slow and hire only the best.

You cannot keep on doing business on your own. If you want to grow, you need to get people to help you run it. When you start the hiring process, condition yourself to get only the best of the best because getting any less will degrade the quality of your business output. This is the rationale behind the advice of hiring slow. When you take your time, you'll be better able to spot the real stars.

There is no doubt that starting a small business is a true key to gaining genuine financial stability. Do always bear in mind though that things aren't always going to be easy. To be very successful, you need a great set-up, attitude, procedures and personnel.




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