|
![]() ![]() ![]()
Expert Answers to Biz Questions Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz.
4 Steps to Start a Small Business
Starting a business is no small feat and entrepreneurship isn’t for the fainthearted. It takes a lot of planning and budgeting, and even when the business plan has been completed, you need to register your business and find ways to land your first few clients. Before you open your doors – whether they are physical or digital – you have a lot to map out and consider, from financing options to market research, to deciding on a company name and logo. Here are 4 steps to help you start a small business.
1. Google Your IdeaIf you are ready to launch a business, you more than likely already have an idea in mind. However, before you move ahead too quickly, you need to research your idea and see whether it is already a popular product/service, whether it has a lot of competition, and how you can do it better. A Unique Selling Point (USP) is essential if your business is going to stand out and entice the customers and clients of competitors. Without one, they are less likely to take the gamble and try out your product/services when they can stick to a reliable seller. Take note of the top competitors and see what they offer and how they convey themselves. Perhaps they all have a corporate face and through research you are seeing room for a more personal brand to enter the market. If this is the case, you can consider a more consumer-friendly brand name and image that’ll attract consumers who do not enjoy buying from faceless corporations. 2. Write a Business PlanA good business plan will keep you on track and help you manage the beginning stages of your business. It is a roadmap so that you know the direction you are heading and how you are going to get there. Furthermore, a detailed business plan can help you secure funding as lenders they will be more confident and see potential in them getting a return on their investment. The format of a traditional business plan is as follows:
|
Small Business Tax Center • Idea Cafe Home • Sign Up • Biz Grant Center • CyberSchmooz •Coffee Talk with Experts • People in Biz Profiles • Starting Your Biz • Biz Planning • Running Your Biz • FREE Trade Publications • Marketing • Financing Your Biz • Human Resources • Legal & Biz Forms • Managing Your Biz • eCommerce • You and Your Biz • Gen X • Work@Home • The Fridge • De-Stress • Send an Award • Send an eGreeting • Yoga @ Your Desk • Web Guide • Idea Cafe in the News • About Idea Cafe • Advertise on Idea Cafe • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Site Map • Small Biz News
Copyright 1995-2023, Idea Cafe Inc. Downloads are for personal use only, not for resale to others, and may not be reprinted in any form without written permission from Idea Cafe Inc.
DISCLAIMER: We hope whatever you find on this site is helpful, but be cautioned that it may not apply to your own situation, or be totally current at any given time. Idea Cafe Inc. and all of its current and past experts, sponsors, advertisers, agents, contractors and advisors disclaim all warranties with regard to anything found anywhere on this family of websites, quoted from, or sent from Idea Cafe. and its related sites, publications and companies. We also take no responsibility for comments published by others on these pages. TRADEMARKS: The following are Registered Trademarks or Servicemarks of DevStart, Inc.: Idea Cafe®, Online Coffee Break®, The Small Business Gathering Place®, Take out Info®, Biz Bar & Grill®, Complaint-O-Meter®, A Fun Approach to Serious Business, CyberSchmooz, and BizCafe.
|