small business articles business management businesses Marketing sales Technology Business finance Lean Manufacturing small business Investing articles employee health

Starting a small business 101

finances19158945.jpg

Once you have an idea of the type of business you want to run, you need to figure out how you are going to get started with your small business. This article will briefly explain how to get started with your small business:

Step # 1 - Define your business goals

It is important to understand your business goals. What do you want to accomplish by starting your own small business. Do you want to become known worldwide or do you just want to get known locally? It is important to discuss the types of products you intend to make and how you plan to market them. What makes your products unique? How do you plan to get started with your business? How quickly can you re-pay the money you borrow to start your business? Do you plan to expand your business in the future or is it just going to be opened during the course of your career?


Step # 2 - Identify your target market

Another important part of getting started with your small business is to spend time researching and identifying who your target market is. Why would they be compelled to buy your products over your competitors? What are the buying patterns of your target market? How big is your target market? Can you afford to make money off a niche market for several years? Finding the answers to these types of questions will help you easily understand who your target market is and how you can build a relationship with them.

Step # 3 - Managing your business

In order to get your small business off the ground, you need to figure out how to manage your business. Do you have employees with credibility that will help the business get started? Can you afford to hire some of these individuals that can significantly help your business? What is your business structure going to be? Create a plan on how you are going to run your business on a day-to-day basis. Will you be there each day or will you have managers cover some of your duties when you are out? It is also important to consider some of the things you need to attract employees like retirement programs, health insurance, etc.

Many small business owners cannot always afford the best health insurance, so you may want to look into other options like health savings accounts (HSA) or high-deductible health insurance plans. Finally, always make sure you get liability insurance for your business. This insurance will protect you from any legal implications that are charged against your small business.

Step # 4 - Marketing

Every small business must have a solid marketing plan to get started. How else will customers know you exist? A marketing plan must goo off the information you gathered about your target audience and expand upon it. Do an analysis of the market trends, gender, geographic location, and the size of your market to figure out how you can create a marketing strategy that actually targets them. The marketing plan must also define how you plan to reach your target audience. Will you use print or online marketing methods or both? How much money will you spend on large marketing campaigns? Look for some free marketing promotions you can use that will get your name out there while you are getting started.

Step # 5 - Take Action

Finally, have a plan on how you expect to get started with your small business. How will you integrate steps 1-4 and make them cohesive? A great way to take action on your plans is to develop a calendar for your small business that has specific starting dates and deadlines for your small business. This way, you can stay on target with all the different things you need to participate in to get your business up and running.

FREE: Get More Leads!
How To Get More LeadsSubscribe to our free newsletter and get our "How To Get More Leads" course free via email. Just enter your first name and email address below to subscribe.
First Name *
Email *


Get More Business Info
Sponsored Links
Recent Articles

Categories

Copyright 2003-2020 by BusinessKnowledgeSource.com - All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy, Terms of Use