Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one of our
readers. She just got her DBA and is all excited about starting up her business. Understandably, she wants to make sure she starts up right, and wants to know what the first steps are to starting up a business, and in what order she should go.
If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
Q: "What are the first steps to starting up a home-based business? Is there a certain sequence I should follow?"
A: First 10 Steps to Starting Up a Business
1. Get help. First things
first. Don’t try to go it alone. Hire a home business coach, contact
SCORE and partner with a mentor, or join a mastermind group focused on
starting up a business.
2. Gather your people.
A lot of fears may surface during this time. Make sure you have a group
of people around you who understand what you are doing and know how to
offer support without telling you what to do.
3. Decide what it is you want to do.
This is no small task. You must be absolutely sure about the focus of
your business and be passionate about it. It is this passion and
conviction that will sustain you through the dark moments of doubt and
confusion when no one believes in you but yourself.
4. Figure out who your niche market is.
One of the best ways to do this is by creating a persona of your
perfect client or customer. Figure out what they like, what keeps them
up at night, and where they turn for help. Then develop an action plan
for connecting with them.
5. Develop a viable product or service.
First, make sure that your passion in business is a perfect match to
the solutions you intend to provide to your niche market’s biggest
challenges. Then, create 2-3 products at different price points that
will entice website visitors to buy.
6. Put together a business plan. This
is one of the most frequently skipped steps. The most important reason
to have a business plan is to clarify where you are taking your
business, what you are focusing on, and how you plan to get there.
7. Hire a professional to design and implement your website.
Unless you have the design chops to put a website together, don’t try
to skimp on money here by doing it yourself. You want a website that
looks professional and is optimized with the actual keyword phrases
that your niche market is using to find solutions to their challenges.
8. Begin building your mailing list. Rarely do people buy, right off, when they come to your home page. So create a special report, PDF, audio CD, or video that you will give away for free when website visitors opt-in to your mailing list. Do not ask them to sign up for your free e-Zine. No one needs another free e-Zine.
9. Put up a business blog. Make it an extension of your business that further connects you to your niche market. Plan to post 4-5 times a week and put into place an editorial calendar that focuses on four main subjects each week.
10. Brand your business. Branding means increasing the public’s awareness of your business name and logo and creating an image that inspires loyalty and trust in your niche market.
That's it! Follow these ten steps to starting up a business and you will be well on your way to business success.
If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
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