Running your own business and being your own boss is the ultimate goal for many working people. However, it is not something that comes easily or inexpensively. If you are starting your business completely from scratch, you will need to be prepared for some initial pitfalls. You may even need to continue working at another job to pay the bills whilst your business gets off the ground. This period is the most crucial to the long-term success of your business. You might suffer financially during these initial stages, and you might face some teething problems with how your business actually works. The important thing is to to be prepared for these eventualities, and also be determined enough to not throw in the towel. However, there are certain things you can do in those first few months of running a business to make your success more likely.
Cut your overheads
As any small business owner will know, your overheads can absolutely cripple your business in those first few months. It is a vicious circle, in that we need to spend in order to make money. But there are ways you can slash the costs of your overheads whilst running your startup, so you can spend more on the things that really matter. The number one tip would be to look around your office and see what you actually need and use. If you find yourself spending a lot of money on paper and ink cartridges, go paperless. It’s unlikely to have too much of an impact on how your business runs, especially if you backup all your data. If you’ve rented an office space to use, ask yourself whether you actually need in. Could you work from home instead? Read up on ways to create the perfect home office and save on extortionate office rental.
Make yourself appear more lucrative
In Great Britain, the central hub of all things ‘business’ is our capital city, London. Of course, other cities such as Birmingham and Manchester are creeping up in competition, but generally London is still the place to be for business. You may find that unless you are based in London, that you will struggle to draw in clients. Many will, unfortunately, dismiss your company if they see it is based somewhere else, as London holds connotations of power. But, there is an easy way to get around this problem. Until you can move to London yourself, get a mail forwarding address in central London from a company such as www.yourcompanyformations.co.uk/. Your company’s address will then appear as a London one. If you need to go and meet a client there, don’t panic – they will provide an unbranded meeting room for you.
Ask your clients to become brand ambassadors
Marketing your brand is a time-consuming process. Plus, not all of us have the money to be hiring an external consultant to do it for us. If you are in this position, why not ask your previous clients to become brand ambassadors for you? You won’t need to pay them, as all it will take is for them to write a few testimonials.
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