There are a number of essential aspects to consider when starting a business, to ensure it is strong in all areas and ready to sustain growth as and when the time comes.
Build your own brand
Although this will cost precious money in the early stage of your business, building your company brand and image can be a very profitable move as a business start-up. A memorable logo, website design and business card can create a professional corporate identity that is sure to build a solid reputation for your business.
Start selling your services
It doesn’t matter how small or profitable your first clients may be, it is very important to get your business out there by selling your services from the first available opportunity. Start-ups should look upon their first customers as a stepping stone to greater things and a proving ground for testing their products and the way they do business.
Develop an online presence
Unfortunately it is a fact of life that many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need an online presence to survive in the cut-throat business environment. An intuitive, easy-to-navigate website is recommended, as well as an active social media presence. With Twitter and Facebook businesses can reach out to customers quickly and efficiently, providing up-to-the-minute customer service.
Adopt bold marketing strategies
Every business has ambitions of spending hour-upon-hour promoting their business left, right and centre, but it can also be very difficult to develop your own niche in the marketplace. Be bold with your marketing strategies if you see a particular unique selling point to your business. Anything that can give you a competitive edge will ultimately prove worthwhile, be it local networking events, media promotion or telesales.
Seek testimonials and feedback
Nothing gives credence to your products and services better than a positive testimonial or welcome feedback. Ask your first batch of customers to provide you with a testimonial and feedback on what you did well and what could be improved upon in the future. You’ll soon see an increase in sales as you get more publicity.
SMEs that put in the hard yards at the beginning are more likely to succeed – you never know, it may be the start of something extraordinary!
About the Author
Lewis Mitchel is a journalism graduate from De Montfort University with a background in regional press, digital media and specialises in providing business guidance to SME’s. Lewis Mitchell is a contributing writer for Workspace Group and anyspacedirect.co.uk.