Whatever your business startup idea, you’ll need a strategy to make it work. There are countless tips for startup success, but we think there are just a few that you need to really keep in mind.
You’ll also need the discipline to see it through and stick to your plan too. Remember, being an overnight success can take years, so prepare to work your butt off.
1. Have a business plan
This might seem obvious, but having a mission plan is key to long term success. It might change a few times before you get up and running, or even mid-way through your business adventure. But make sure to have it written down and refer to it often.
Ideally pin your plan up somewhere where you can see it every day. It might be post it notes, or one big sheet of paper. But map out your plan to get from startup to success and it will be so much easier to visualise the journey.
2. Start simple
We all want to start running a business that makes thousands or millions from the get-go. But sometimes to get up and running, we just need to take the leap of faith and work with what we’ve got.
Jeff Bezos started Amazon simply as a second hand online bookstore. From these simple foundations he built the biggest online shopping platform.
If you’re aiming to be Amazon, start with the basics and go from there.
3. Use milestones to keep focused
Whatever your business plans, having a set of milestones to aim for can help you feel like you’re making progress. This might be simple goals like make $1000 in one month, or get 200 followers on Instagram.
Also, choose milestones that mean the most to your business success, not just the revenue. Yes, you want to make money, but perhaps getting an investor or brand ambassador can also be defined as a successful step for your startup.
4. The power of networking
Every successful person has a huge network of friends, associates and colleagues to call on. Now, not everyone has to be an obvious ‘asset’ to you, so don’t turn your nose up at someone just because they’re not a potential investor.
Sites like Linkedin are great for online networking, but make sure to attend local business events, exhibitions and similar networking opportunities. You never know when that random person you chatted too could end up being your saviour.
5. Understand when to pay for ads and when to go organic
A successful online business means that you’ll need to leverage the power of content. This could mean your social media, your website or paid ads on Google Ads for example.
Paid ads can be a great boost to your web traffic and your sales, but they can quickly become expensive if not managed properly.
Organic content too is very useful, but can be time consuming and tricky to manage. Once you’re up and running, consider hiring a freelancer or content marketer to keep an eye on your ad strategy.
6. Setbacks happen – use them as opportunities
Let’s be honest here. Probably 99.9% of all business startups suffer setbacks that can potentially mean the end of the business journey. It might be an aggressive competitor, cashflow issues or simply poor planning.
Don’t be afraid to fail, but take the time to analyse what went wrong, how you can pick yourself up and how to prevent it happening again.
Good luck on your business journey. Is there anything else we’ve missed for geting from startup to success? Share your tips in the comments below.
