Start Business The Right Way!

How to start a business without knowing anything about business.

If you have come here, it is because you would like to know how to start your company, but you have no idea what your first step should be.

Many people are encouraged to create a venture, even if it is small. And more today with the crisis that exists in which having a job - whatever the type - is no longer a safe option and salaries are getting worse.

The big problem is that there you are, determined or determined to open your own business, with all the illusion of the world and willing to work 12 hours a day if necessary.

But you don't know anything about business.

You don't know whether to start an online business or a physical one, or what to sell or what services to offer; You have no idea if you will need a lot or little capital to start it, or how to attract customers and promote yourself to increase your profits.

You are in luck: next, I will show you the eight (8) steps you must take to start a business, from what type of venture is best for you, how to get financing, how to register your business and create a marketing plan to have a good customer base.

1. Think about your business
This step is clear: if you want to start a business, you must have an idea of ​​what it will be. However, there are many people who, although they are clear that they want to start an activity of this type, do not know well what to do.

I can't tell you what the ideal business is for you, even if you tell me what things you are passionate about or what you have good knowledge about. That is a decision exclusively yours.

But what I can do is give you some tips to clarify your ideas.

To create a successful venture, you must combine three (3) important factors: something you like, something you know, or about what you already have skills, and something interesting to others.

You can decide to create a craft business because you like that activity, and it is a sector that is fashionable; But if you don't know how to make crafts, your project will fail.

Or you can think about selling templates for blogs and web designs because you know how to do it, and it is a business that now leaves a lot of money. But if you don't like it enough, or have little interest in it, it will be noticed, and you will end up having to close your company.

So think well about those three (3) factors and make a list to decide on one venture or another.

With our article 6 steps that will help you know what business to put, you can discover what your interests and skills are.

And with the post How to know if your business idea will be profitable, you will find out if there is a demand that is willing to buy what you sell.

2. Make your business plan
Do you already know what business you are going to put? If so, before starting to go crazy looking for how to attract customers or where to get the money you need, you must make your business plan.

A business plan is a kind of "guide" where you will see the essential ideas of your project embodied to guide you throughout the process. 

Although the name may seem somewhat complicated to elaborate, do not worry, it is not as difficult as you think, and it will be very useful both to take the first step to start your business, and to solve future problems once you have opened your doors to your customers.

Your business plan doesn't need to be (between 10 and 15 pages is enough), and in it, you must answer the following fundamental questions:

What will your business be
What will you sell in your market (products, services, etc.)
Who will your clients be (men, women, how old are they, what interests, how much do they earn?)
How are you going to get to them (social networks, magazine advertising, brochures in their mailboxes)
Who are your rivals, and how can you differentiate yourself from them?
Where are you going to put your business (Internet, a physical store)
What equipment, materials, and expenses will you have (to create a necessary capital budget)
How will you get to finance your project if you need capital (investors, your savings, your family)
What risks exist?

3. Seek financing if you need it
The next step is to find the money necessary to start your business if you need it.

For example: if you want to build an online store where you sell your crafts or offer services as advice, you may only need very little savings for a website that will cost you very little each month, and just under $ 50 for materials.

However, if your dream is to open a restaurant, a gym, or even a virtual clothing store, the investment will be more significant, and you probably don't have enough money.

Read the following article to find out what options you have to raise capital: How to get money to start your own business.

4. Create the profile of your ideal client
Admittedly, for you, your ideal client is anyone who comes to your business and spends $ 500; But when we talk about the perfect customer profile, we mean the people who are going to buy what you offer.

If you are going to sell clothes for women that cost $ 150, it is most likely that a man is not your ideal client, and that a woman with a meager salary is not either because he will not be able to pay it.

As if you offer online guitar courses, not all men, women, and children will be interested in that, only those who like and want to learn to play these instruments.

That is why it is imperative to identify your ideal client making his profile.

Ask yourself if it is a man, a woman or children, how old are you, what are your tastes, what things you buy and where you buy them (online or in physical stores), what are your needs and what problems you have and how your product or service You can solve it.

5. Choose the location of your business
Once you know who your customer is, where you buy, and have obtained the necessary financing, you must choose the place of your business.

If you have verified that your customers usually buy more through the Internet, this step will be straightforward for you because you only have to obtain a domain and a hosting to make your website and open your business online.

But if your buyers are more traditional - they like to go to a physical store to buy your products or services - or your company needs a physical place like a warehouse or a building, you will have to choose a location and a place.

In case you are going to set up a store, make sure that it is located in a right place where people interested in what you sell pass, that it is accessible (public transport arrives, there is parking for cars) and that it has a right Size for what you need.

6. Look for suppliers if you offer products
If you provide services in your business or you create your products yourself, you can jump this step and go to the next point.

However if you are going to sell products not manufactured by you, you must look for suitable suppliers that serve the goods.

The fundamental thing is to think about what you need from your supplier: do you want your articles to be useful, but somewhat more expensive? Or do you prefer lower class but with a lesser cost.

Once you have thought about this, look for several distributors with the characteristics you have. You can begin your search on the Internet, talking with other entrepreneurs in the same sector, going to merchant associations to see if they have lists of suppliers.

When you have located some suppliers, talk to ALL of them and select the ones that interest you most and then try to negotiate prices to see which one provides you with a better service at a lower price.

Recognize that it is essential that you try their services by making a small first order and, if you like their way of working with you, continue with it.

7. Register your business
At this point, before starting to exercise your business, you will need to register it and request the necessary licenses and permits.

I cannot tell you exactly what procedures you should do because this is different for each type of company and each country.

For example, if you want to start a bar, apart from registering your shop, you will also need licenses and concessions to sell alcohol, while if you're going to set up a cell phone shop, this will not be necessary. Still, you may have to process other documentation.

So it is best to go to your town hall or the body that corresponds to you , and request all the necessary information there.

8. Create your marketing strategy to attract consumers
This is the very last step to start your company: create a marketing plan to know what message to convey and by which channel to attract customers to your company.

This will also be very useful for the client profile you made in point 4 because with it; you will know where your customers move and what interests them most.

Your marketing plan must include:

What goals do you want to achieve (attract customers, build loyalty, get X percentage more sales, etc.)
What strategies are you going to use (advertising, social media publications, discounts, event organization, contests.)
What means will you use to put your plan into action (traditional advertising, digital marketing)

With this information, you must put your marketing plan into action to start making your business known and build your client portfolio.

For example: if you trade sportswear and your clients are men and women between 18 and 26 years old, who use Facebook and Twitter on a daily basis, the logical thing would be to promote yourself in this social network by publishing ads about sports, with images related to this sector, etc.

Starting a business may seem complex, but if you go little by little, and step by step, thinking well what you should do, it is simpler than you believe.

And best of all: once your strategy starts working, if you have done everything right, the benefits it will bring you will be an outstanding reward for all your efforts.

Hey you, what kind of business would you like to start this year (2020)?