Starting a new business can be tough, but there are lots of resources out there to help you on your way. Here are some tips to help you with your new business:
1. Find a mentor
Your mentor doesn’t need to be in exactly the same line of business as you, but it’s helpful to find someone who has experienced similar issues to you – for example, if you’re in retail you’ll want someone who has also run a successful business in retail. This way they will already know (and have overcome) your major pain points. They will also have experience of best practices, staffing and anything else that may come up for you. A mentor is someone who can hopefully help you to avoid common pitfalls of your particular line of business, as well as offering support and guidance.
2. Consider an incubator
Another option to consider is a startup incubator. These provide startups with the resources to help them grow. Similar to a mentor, an incubator has the added bonus of being more of a collective, with a range of different people and resources available to you. A company like DMZ can help you to feel more certain about your startup journey, providing you with the connections and environment you need to scale your business and really succeed.
3. Invest in a great website
These days it’s hard to imagine any business succeeding without an online presence. Your website is an extension of your business. Even if you’re not planning to sell via your site, people will still expect to be able to find you online. These days a business without a website can seem a little suspicious and unprofessional – as if you don’t intend to stick around. Your site doesn’t need to be boring either; you can do things like sharing your social media feeds, post blog posts with information and tips related to your brand, or even have drone footage of your premises and the surrounding area to really help you to stand out from your competition. Learn more here about drones and how you can use them in your business.
4. Stay connected with your customers
Staying in touch with your customers is about so much more than a montly or weekly email newsletter. Using a good CRM is a great way to not only stay in touch with your customers, but also to surprise and delight them with information, offers and even free downloads. Hero Technical Solutions is an example of a system you can use not only to send the standard email newsletter, but also keep track of who your customers are, what they’ve bought from you and when, what they might like to buy next. If you sell a physical product, you could set up an automatic email for a month after their first purchase to ask how they’re getting on and whether they need a refill/replacement yet. You could provide a free download, a discount code or other incentives to your customers to keep them engaged and interested in what you’re doing.
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