10 first Steps for Starting a Business & succeeding
Your Guide to make something people “want” by verifying that “need”, then telling them about it.
Topics: What’s your Vision, Research your Market, Create something you can Sell, Get a Website, Set up an Email “opt in”, Start a Facebook page, Create valuable, Shareable content, Refine, tweak & improve as you go.
“Fake it till you make it,” in life and in business. However, you also hear about want-trepreneurs. So what’s the diff? The real difference to me is in the action. If you want to get started, but you don’t know how to begin from zero, here is a simple and effective approach. Follow these 10 step-by-step instructions to get started on your business today.
1. Write out your Vision.
You can’t get somewhere without knowing what the Vision for your biz & your life is. While the end result of your biz will probably look a little different than your initial vision, you have to have the end result in mind to start. What do you want to do with your biz? Try answering these three simple questions about your product or service and you’ll have your Vision nailed: 1) What is my Idea? 3) Who needs it? 3) How do I reach them?
2. Research your Market.
Why would someone want my product or service? Q. What do I get from you that I can’t get from someone else or something else? How am I getting it and how is that delivery method better, cheaper, faster or easier for me? These are all helpful questions to see where the market is for your biz and what challenges you’ll need to solve for your market with your offering.
3. Create something you can Sell.
If you can’t solve a problem for your market, you aren’t going to make any sales large enough to sustain it. It’s that simple. Make sure whatever you’re offering, solves a problem, because you can market and sell the solution to that problem for a viable biz.
4. Test the Market.
The best way to “test’ your product or service is to get it out to some people to get candid & authentic feedback. How? a) build a minimum “viable” Product, b) have your Advisor, Mentor, appropriate friends and most importantly (several potential Customers), c) now tweak your product to respond to the significant feedback, d) add info on your Website for more info or purchase, now.
5. Create a Marketing Plan . . .
to detail how you will reach Customers. Have your Advisor and/or Mentor Review it, then execute it. Review it periodically, to determine if you need to modify it.
6. Get a Website.
Now that you’ve figured out your market & product offering, you’ll need a Website. It doesn’t matter if you’re retail or online. You don’t have to spend a big bucks on a Website to start. There are plenty of low cost providers. If you a not comfortable DIY, out-source to a Web Master.
7. Set up an Email “opt in”.
Once you have your Email service, you’ll want to ensure there are plenty of places for people to opt-in to your Email list on your Website, on your landing pages from your sales funnel and anywhere else it’s appropriate. The key to a great, scalable biz is a robust Email app.
8. Start a Facebook page,
because it’s a great, free tool for spreading your brand awareness and linking to your landing pages & Website. If you create valuable content consistently, you’ll build up a following that can help drive your biz & brand.
9. Create valuable, shareable Content.
You can post your content on your Website, then post to your own Facebook page. However, if you want the word to really spread, make sure each piece you post is easily sharable, so you can build organic traffic and word-of-mouth.
10. Refine, tweak & improve as you go.
You’ll never be done, but follow the previous steps and you should be on your way to establishing your biz and your plan of action. As you implement each step, remember that you’ll need to continuously learn from each part of the process to tweak & improve as you go. The more you learn and make corrections, the better your biz will be positioned for success in the long term.
Startup Quotes
“When customers complain, you ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity to make your product better” – Bill Gates
“Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it”. – Debbie Fields (Cookies)
“Small business isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for the brave, patient & persistent. It’s for the over-comer. – Wiz4.biz
“We must learn what customers really want, not what they say they want or what we think they should want.” – Author, Lean Startup
“Make something people want, includes making a company that people want to work for.” – Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook
Comments: do you know any other important Steps for Starting a Business?
from Entrepreneur.com 21 April 15 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz
For more Info, click on Link for Starting a Business.