Essential steps to take for your start-up business

While the growth of the internet and advancements in tech have made the process of starting and marketing your own business easier than ever, building your own start-up can be daunting to say the least, especially when you compare your small business to online juggernauts such as Tesla and Amazon. If you’re in the process of creating your own start-up, consider taking these essential steps to help get your business off the ground:

Create a concrete business plan – The first step in building any business is writing a business plan, which will clearly lay out all of the major details of your operation including an executive summary, a description of your business, offered services and target markets, as well as a thorough financial breakdown including projected incomings and outgoings. When writing your business plan, you should be able to identify any gaps or issues within the operation and better hone your business model. Before finalising the plan, consider making use of professional consulting service providers to ensure that your business model is airtight.

Secure funding for your business – Once your plan has been polished, you can use the document to approach potential private investors or even seek a business loan from the bank. If possible, consider self-funding your business using personal savings and the help of friends and family. Make sure that you check out any available government loans and grants, and don’t be afraid to try the crowdfunding route.

Surround yourself with the right people – Hiring the right staff is essential for start-up success. It’s important to remember that your team is likely to be compact until your business grows, so ensure that you choose creative, positive, talented and collaborative people. Interview candidates thoroughly and try to go with people with similar values to you and your brand.

Start to build an online presence – In an increasingly competitive online market, building a web presence is one of the most important steps to take when building a start-up. Start by building a functional and eye-catching website – this is where your newly-hired developers will come into play. Once you’ve got the website sorted, try to establish a visible presence on social media and ensure that links to all of your business’s accounts are readily available for prospective customers and investors to browse. When writing content for your site, socials or marketing campaigns, hire an experienced content writer or copywriter who specialises in SEO – this can go a long way in boosting visibility via major search engines.