The COVID-19 pandemic changed society in many ways. The divide over belief in authority is more pronounced than ever as people take sides over questions regarding masks and vaccines. The educational system has discovered online learning opportunities and many schools are blending on-site learning and online learning. Sports fans have discovered that they can cheer for and bet on their favorite athletes and teams online and the number of people getting involved in esports, video gaming and virtual Sloto Cash casino gaming has shot up.
One of the most surprising changes to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic involves the way that many people view employment. Fewer and fewer people are prepared to take low-paying jobs in favor of finding work-at-home opportunities. For many people, this involves venturing out to start a new business – either offering their services on a self-employed basis or supplying goods and services from a third-party source.
The economy is strong so if you market your service or product properly, there’s a good chance that you can make sales. Some new businesses require a considerable investment of time and/or money and others need little preparation. But regardless of your business idea, there are some basic things that you need to cover before you move into the marketplace.
Some tips for starting a new business include:
Plan
Spend time creating a business plan. Your business plan should take into account your vision, a mission statement, the opportunities that you have identified, the product/service that you intend to offer, your target audience, stages of preparation and deadlines for reaching those milestones, needs for employees, funding needs, operational guidelines and measurable goals.
A business plan gives you guidance and a roadmap that helps you stay focused on your goals. If you’re planning on taking out a loan, the bank will want to review your business plan before a small business loan can be approved and a landlord might also want to see such a plan before signing a lease as will any potential investors or partners.
These bodies will want to see that you’ve assessed the risks and challenges involved in your new venture and can prove the business’s viability. A well-developed business plan should include research on your competition as well as on the market in general.
Network
Thanks to social media networking is easier than it used to be but it still requires a lot of work, effort and consideration. If you are successful at creating contacts who might be good advisors,, marketers or even customers, you’ll be off to a good start.
Networking on social media involves finding people and groups who are doing things that are similar to what you’re doing and then connecting with them. Don’t over-post about your new business but don’t under-post either ……..you don’t want to be too forthright too often but at least once a week, mention something interesting that’s happening in your business – a new product, a good review, etc – and people will notice.
Join groups that are connected to your business and get active on those groups by offering suggestions and helping others out wherever you can. When someone is looking for your specific service or product, people will be more likely to think about you.
Attend trade shows and fairs to speak to people in your field. They can often connect you with others in your niche who can offer advice, mentor you, lead you to future business prospects and connect you with strategic partners who have the means to help you grow your business.
Marketing
Marketing should be a major consideration for you as you start and grow your business. The thing is that you don’t need to invest tons of money right at the beginning. Spend some time lurking on groups that might be potential customers. If you’re selling decorative cakes, consider joining some mom groups. If you are tutoring, find groups of tutors – many will pass on jobs that they need to turn down. If you’re offering services as a genealogy researcher, join genealogy research groups. Be creative as you start out.
Be sure to collect reviews from satisfied customers. Google allows you to set up your own Google Business Page where you can give information about your business and collect reviews. When you get a good review, take a screenshot and post it on your social media –nothing wrong with a little bit of boasting in the name of marketing!
As time goes on, you may want to start thinking about paid advertising. Most advertising takes place online these days and you can do quite a bit with a little bit of money. You can promote your Google Business Page on Google with pay-for-click advertising and the social media sites will also advance your business page on their sites for money.
Don’t forget to set up your own website. You can create a simple one to start out with but you should have something – a website is today’s storefront window and if you aren’t displaying your product or service in a place where potential customers are looking, you’re missing out on some major opportunities.
Starting a new business can be scary and feel overwhelming. If you cover the main bases the rest will come in time, giving you a foot in the door that will make it easier for you to move forward.
