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FROM SQUARE ONE TO FREELANCE SUCCESS: HOW TO MAKE IT AS A FREELANCER

by with No Comment Business & Finance

When it comes to making the leap into freelance work, there are several things to consider. It’s important to decide what kind of freelance work you’d like to do first.

In addition, you’ll need to decide which services or products you can offer that other people don’t already offer or know about. After that, you’ll have to decide how to approach potential customers and convince them that you can provide the best service at the most reasonable price.

How to make it as a freelancer

WHO ARE FREELANCERS?

The term freelancer refers to someone who offers their services as a freelancer, such as writing, design, or development. What does that mean? The freedom and flexibility to choose the projects you want and turn down those that don’t fit into your schedule.

You can take time off when you need it, pursue your own interests and build your portfolio without compromising the quality of work. The only downside? You don’t get paid for vacation time!

THE STEPS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE FREELANCE SUCCESS

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Many qualities make one a successful freelancer, but the most important is believing in yourself. You have to be confident in your abilities and not afraid of what people might say or think of you. The best way to find out if you should pursue freelance work is by asking yourself three questions.

  1. Do I enjoy the type of work I’m currently doing?
  2. Am I good at my job?
  3. Am I interested in pursuing freelance work?

If the answer to all three questions is yes, then you’re on the right track!

GET ORGANIZED

Get organised - freelancer

Getting organized can make all the difference in how successful you are as a freelancer. It’s important to create good work habits and develop systems that work for you so that you’re not wasting time on mundane tasks. These simple steps will help get you started on your journey from square one to freelance success.

  1. Decide what works best for you.
  2. Establish your boundaries.
  3. Keep up with your invoices.
  4. Set clear goals and timelines for projects.
  5. Find mentors and ask for feedback when needed.
  6. Utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and more! They’re all great ways to network with other professionals in your field or find potential clients and customers.

KNOW YOUR WORTH

Freelancers are often seen as expendable and easily replaceable. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. As a freelancer, you should know your worth and charge what you deserve for your work. Here’s how to figure out your worth and get paid accordingly.

  1. Determine your hourly rate.
  2. Decide on a ballpark estimate of the number of hours you’ll spend on an average project.
  3. Calculate the total cost by multiplying your hourly rate by the estimated number of hours it will take to complete the project. For example, if you’re charging $150 per hour and expect a project to take 20 hours, the total cost would be $3,000.
  4. Use that amount as a starting point when submitting quotes or proposals. If someone is offering less than your calculated quote or proposal price, respectfully decline their offer because they don’t appreciate your value.
  5. Consider setting up an email signature that includes your rates so that potential clients can quickly see them before deciding whether or not to reach out with questions about pricing or availability.

MARKET YOURSELF

Market yourself as a freelancer

Another step for successful freelance work is to market yourself. Your personal brand is the key that will open many doors. To have a successful career, you need people to know who you are and what you do. For this reason, social media is an essential part of your marketing plan. Using tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+, spend time developing your own personal brand strategy.

This means coming up with some ideas about the type of person you want to be, what message you want people to see when they look at your profile or read your posts or tweets, and figuring out which platforms will work best for this type of person.

STAY FOCUSED

It can be easy for freelance writers, designers, programmers, and other creative professionals to lose focus. When you’re not working on the project or client that’s paying your bills, it’s all too easy to feel distracted or unproductive. But finding ways to stay focused is crucial if you want your freelance business to succeed. Never take on more than one major project at a time.

This will allow you-or whoever is helping you manage your time-to-prioritize your work and do a better job at everything else in your life while also ensuring quality control on every project.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL AS A FREELANCER

It’s true that some people are afraid of failure and giving up, but taking risks and learning from your mistakes is key to success. In the long run, it will help you avoid making the same mistakes next time.

Many times we are unable to see what’s around the corner, or how much time we need for things like follow-up emails. When things go wrong and failure happens, know that we’ll be better prepared for the future. Freelancers must learn from failures and grow as individuals.

PERSEVERE

You’ve got the skills and the knowledge, but where does all of it lead? Don’t be discouraged if you’re at the start of your career. It can take a long time to get a job your first one. That doesn’t mean that you need to stop. Continue to apply for jobs or to send in proposals and you never know when your time will come.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LIKEMINDED PEOPLE

Surround yourself with likeminded freelancers

There is no better way to be successful in your freelance career than by surrounding yourself with like-minded people. Seek out groups of freelancers and network with them, or make an effort to connect with other freelancers online.

You may not be able to see their face, but you can feel their support. It’s also important that you make time for yourself outside of work – this will help keep your sanity intact!

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY

One of the best ways for freelancers to stay organized and on top of their work is by using social media. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin are not only great for staying in touch with potential clients but also provide an easy way to grow your business and find new opportunities.

I would recommend that you take a few minutes each day to update all of these sites. Not only will you be able to keep yourself accountable for keeping up with social media, but you will also have access to information about freelance jobs before anyone else does.

You might even be able to post about freelance jobs that you have open and fill them without ever posting them anywhere else!

Another great thing about social media is that you can use it to share what projects or jobs you’re currently working on without feeling too vulnerable or exposed.

It’s not uncommon for people looking for freelance help to do quick searches on Facebook or LinkedIn and see if there’s someone who looks like they might be available and who they might contact right away!

NEVER STOP LEARNING

Always learn as a freelance expert

It’s important to never stop learning. No matter how skilled you are, there is always more to know, always learn. This is because you never know when your skills will change or when something new and game-changing will happen in the industry that requires you to re-evaluate your strategy.

Plus, learning will help you maintain and grow your self-confidence. You’ll feel more confident in the work you produce and more confident in yourself, which can lead to higher self-esteem and better performance at work.

IS FREELANCING FOR ME?

Freelancing is an increasingly popular career path, but you should be prepared for the challenges that come with it. With these few steps in mind, you should be able to attain freelance success.

Some popular freelance platforms you can leverage on are upwork, guru, peopleperhour and much more.

Don’t forget to visit our blog page for more interesting articles.

FROM SQUARE ONE TO FREELANCE SUCCESS: HOW TO MAKE IT AS A FREELANCER FAQ

How do I start myself as a freelancer?

It’s simple. First, you need to learn a skill if you don’t already have one, create a portfolio, define your target client and develop a strategy for finding clients.

What makes beginner freelancers fail?

The majority of the time, people struggle because they lack the discipline or business sense necessary to succeed as a freelancer.

What is the easiest freelance job?

Writing job, proofreading, translator jobs, data entry, virtual assisting, copywriting jobs, social media manager are some of the easiest jobs.

Do you need guidance on freelancing or need our other services. You can reach us now via our Live chat or message our team via our CONTACT US PAGE.

Digital marketing featured image

DIGITAL MARKETING 101 – A GUIDE TO MODERN MARKETING IN THE DIGITAL AGE

by with No Comment Business & Finance

In the fields of business development and branding, digitalization is one of the most important factors. How can we use digital marketing to grow our businesses and what precisely is it?

Digital marketing system

Digital marketing is the use of digital media channels for company and brand promotion. Today, non-digital media including billboards and transit signs are included in the concept of digital media along with websites, social media, radio, television, mobile, and even social media.

Digital marketing is broadly defined as any marketing medium delivered electronically. It allows you to reach a much larger audience — and make them care — than any other marketing channel available. It can lead to more conversions, leads, and sales with less effort than other channels.

The only remaining forms of marketing outside the purview of digital marketing are direct marketing, print advertising, and person-to-person (P2P) marketing. Still yet, Print directories, billboards, posters, billboard ads, direct mail, and adverts are all starting to connect with their digital equivalents. Conventional marketing and advertising are almost always connected to digital marketing through elements like URL landing pages, QR codes, web banner advertising, online directories, and text codes.

WHY IS DIGITAL MARKETING A TOP PRIORITY?

Entrepreneurs, marketing firms, and consumers all work to hasten the shift to digital media. A digital marketing agency’s ambition, moving digital is made possible by the constant need to deliver quantifiable results. Most forms of digital advertising, including those on websites, social media, and mobile devices, are simpler to track than more traditional marketing avenues like print ads.

Numerous kinds of digital advertising are quite affordable for company owners. Low-cost alternatives to print advertising and direct mail include having an online presence, engaging clients in social media dialogues, and e-mail marketing. These digital channels are accessible to companies of all sizes and help level the playing field for startups, small enterprises, and independent consultants seeking new clients.

The rapid speed of life necessitates digital advertising for customers. When customers seek products and services, they no longer need to flip through a phonebook to locate them. Now, we pull out our mobile devices or go to our laptops to obtain answers, and we do it quickly.

DEVELOPING YOUR BUSINESS AND BRAND USING DIGITAL MEDIA

Using low-cost digital platforms, you may effectively sell your business regardless of the size of your company—big or small to medium-sized business (SMB or SME). Your marketing strategies will be built around your website. Invest judiciously in your website and ensure that it meets the following requirements:

  1. Represents your company and brand accurately (look and feel, messaging).
  2. Effectively addresses your target audience.
  3. Is current and simple to navigate.
  4. Can be found with leading search engines.
  5. Offers a variety of avenues for consumer communication.
  6. Linked to other marketing initiatives.

It is essential that you engage with a professional web design company that has expertise in site development and SEO. Your website should be one of your top corporate expenses since it serves as the center from which all other digital channels branch out.

SEO/SEM (Search Engine Marketing)

Seo for digital marketing

SEO is the practice of raising a website’s natural search engine ranks by creating content that is suited to their demands.

The position of your site in the search results is determined by algorithms used by search engines that consider a number of variables, including popularity, authority, trustworthiness, and relevancy. Your website will rank higher for keywords associated with the more pertinent sites you have indexed and linked back to with your site.

The term “SEM” (Search Engine Marketing) refers to a marketing strategy that uses paid adverts on popular search engines like Google or Yahoo to boost traffic from users who are actively looking for goods or services by using keywords pertinent to their requirements.

THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEO AND SEM ARE;

SEM: Sem costs more than SEO since it entails purchasing ad space on search engines like Google and Bing to improve your chances of appearing higher on the results page when a user searches for a keyword associated with your company or product.

SEO: Since SEO focuses on improving organic ranks through specific tasks like producing high-quality content and ensuring that your site is mobile-friendly so that all users can access it, SEO does not require any upfront investments.

There are several approaches to execute a SEM campaign:

  • Using an integrated marketing strategy is the best way to manage a seo and search engine marketing campaign. In order to effectively convey your message, it’s crucial to employ the correct keywords and phrases.
  • To broaden the audience for your message, you can also use online platforms like Google Adwords, Bing Ads, and Facebook Ads.
  • When you use paid search, you can buy advertisements to appear on Google or Yahoo! Each click or each impression earns you money. You place ads in search results, and individuals who click on them are brought to your site where they can make purchases or sign up for services like lead generation programs or email marketing, among other things.

EMAIL MARKETING

Email marketing - digital marketing

Communication with potential clients can be done quite effectively through email marketing. It is one of the most traditional and successful strategies for digital marketing. Additionally, it’s among the simplest and most affordable ways to reach potential clients. This can be done in a few ways.

  1. Lead generation email marketing: This is the most common type of email marketing. The goal is to pique people’s interest enough for them to visit the company’s website and sign up for additional information or products.Email marketing for customer acquisition:
  2. Email marketing for client retention: Businesses who want to keep their customers coming back and spending money with them utilize this kind of email marketing.
  3. Email marketing for customer acquisition: Companies who want to use their emails to reach out to new customers employ this sort of email marketing.

You can email prospects or customers in the following categories; A discount or coupon, To publicize an impending event, Email customer service.

Initiate monthly or bimonthly e-mail marketing when your website is finished, and engage with customers on social media. These are things that can be done internally (by a qualified person) or for a reasonable fee by an outside digital marketing company if you are really working with a tight budget.

Make sure that all of your efforts are directed toward getting customers back to your website, where they can interact fully with your business, products, and services and select their preferred contact channels.

You may use a wide range of extra digital marketing methods in addition to email marketing, social media marketing, and search engine marketing. Mobile advertising, radio, television, electronic billboards, and a number of other forms of marketing are examples.

Regardless of the digital activities you choose, they should all be related to and built upon your company website as the foundation.

If you want to be aggressive with your search marketing, set aside a chunk of your digital marketing budget for pay-per-click and search engine optimization. Many businesses today rely heavily on their online presence to attract new clients.

A common misconception among business owners is that having a website automatically draws customers. Not so. For your website to rank highly in search engines, it must be built with exact keywords and phrases, meta data, page content, and linking strategies.

Hiring a digital marketing agency to assist with your marketing initiatives might be a wise investment if you have the funds.

Many digital businesses provide a range of service tiers to accommodate enterprises of all sizes. One of the most recommended platform as well for email marketing is HUBSPOT CRM.

TECHNIQUES FOR PROSPECT GENERATION

Successful digital marketing requires careful attention to a wide range of nuanced aspects. This is why working with a firm that specializes in lead generation strategy planning is essential. Lead generation is a crucial part of digital marketing and requires proper strategy and execution.

A good lead generation approach provides value to both the service provider and the customer. For the supplier to see a profit, the customer must generate as many qualified leads or purchases as they expect.

The customer requires access to enough information to make educated choices about the campaign.

The techniques/steps for lead generation are as follows;

1ST STEP: Find out who your clients are:

Consumers in today’s interconnected digital environment want more than a monologue. They want a say in the direction of your company. You must know who your clients are and what they need from you as a business in order to provide for them.

It all starts with a firm grasp of your target demographic and their specific requirements. After that, engage people in conversation by meeting their needs and wants from your business.

If you accomplish this, the client is more likely to feel like an integral part of your business, increasing the likelihood that they will remain a loyal patron over the long haul.

2ND STEP: Set a spending limit:

Budget for digital marketing

The budget you have available is a crucial factor to think about when selecting a marketing firm to work with. The price of marketing services may vary widely, from as little as $20 per hour or more.

The amount of time spent on a work, the nature of the deliverables, and the availability of the company’s resources are the three most important determinants of cost. In order to obtain an accurate picture of what is feasible within your budget, you need to compare like services and the number of assets utilized by each company.

3RD STEP: Find the appropriate medium:

If you’re a company owner, you know how important it is to choose the best channel for generating leads. Any digital marketing services you use need to be tailor-made to your own business’s requirements.

Potential customers may be gotten through several mediums which includes but not limited to social media, email marketing, and search engine optimization. You should weigh the pros and cons of each option before settling on a strategy.

4TH STEP: Offer fast and efficient customer support:

Freebies are an excellent way for businesses to get clients and eventually generate money from them. These freebies might range from a trial period or a discounted price on a subscription service, or a voucher.

THE EXECELLENT WAY TO PUSH YOUR BUSINESS

Online marketing has brought success to lots of business, freelancers and as the world becomes more digitalized, it will be something that businesses and individuals will rely on for a long time.

Are you a business owner looking to attract more customers and make more sales or maybe you have a start up in mind but don’t know how to promote it. Fear me, for our team is here to assist you every step of the way. REACH OUT TO US NOW

Home Day care

HOME!! – WANT TO KNOW HOW??

by with No Comment Business & Finance

Do you know you can start a business right from your home and earn $5000 monthly or even more??

Financial constraints are one of the most significant impediments to launching a business. A lot of people have fantastic business ideas. However, only a small percentage of people succeed in turning their outstanding company ideas into viable businesses. Many would-be entrepreneurs are stymied by the high prices of office space, land, raw materials, labor, and other necessities.

However, now that you’re reading this post, you shouldn’t have any excuses! You will agree with me that nothing can keep you from achieving your goal of starting a business! Especially because there are simple companies that may be started just in your backyard.

There are a variety of simple home businesses to start. And as long as you have a roof over your head, you may conduct business. The globe is more connected than it has ever been in human history, as it swiftly transforms into a global village.

You can reach a million or more people right in your living room. You can expand your customer base and expand your company. There are numerous, simple-to-do small enterprises waiting for you if you are ready to start small. Take out your jotter and pen and make a list of the enterprises you plan to start soon.

1. Home Daycare Business

Home Day care

A daycare business is one of the easiest businesses to start from home. It’s very easy to grow from scratch. You must have heard of notable schools/investments that started just as creche or daycare centers. You can also form a part of the statistics. All you need to start with is to make a portion of your home welcoming to children.

With a signboard arrow pointing towards your house and just one child for a few hours a week, you already have a business running smoothly. If you are passionate and consistent, you’d be amazed how much you can make out of the daycare business. You can even grow it into a giant investment as Bright Horizons grew to a Billion Dollars enterprise with more than 700 locations.

Daycare is a massive industry on its own. There are about 77,000 daycare centers in the United States alone, generating over $40 billion in annual income. It’s that large! So if you are passionate about grooming children, it’s time to follow your passion and still grow your business.

2. Professional Photography

Although what you need to start up professional photography is more than a fine camera and computer laptop. For a beginner, professional photography can be a little bit unthinkable. Despite the lots of tricky operations and equipment required starting a photography business as a side gig isn’t a bad idea at all. The beautiful thing about it is that you can start small. And it can still be rewarding.

There is a belief flying around that smartphones have taken over the photography business. Whoever told you so didn’t research extensively. Moreover, photography has gone beyond just your neighbors. About a few days ago, I read of a Nigerian man who took Photos of an Old Man and sold them for over N1million naira as NFTs.

There are websites (such as Shutterstock) to even sell your photos as far as they are original. The demand for professional photography is on the increase every other day. Perhaps it should be reiterated that photography can take many forms such as photojournalism, fashion photography, landscape, and many more. Find your niche, start small, and grow big.

3. Catering Services / Baking

Catering services from home

Most times, many people take the idea of working or doing business from home to mean having classic, twenty-first-century digital skills to offer clients. Well, that’s not all it means. You can also render catering services from the comfort of your house.

It’s not compulsory for you to be a sensational chef or own five-star kitchen space to start. You could start by serving simple foods to friends and neighbors. Back then in my university days, I knew a friend who started serving simple food to fellow students from his off-campus, single-bed apartment. You too can start from your house, offering only a few foods you can cook well, then expand your offering and customer base later on.

Baking is another simple-to-start home-based company. You can establish a modest home bakery or even a restaurant with the little you have and adequate information. If it’s a pancake, potato chips, or hotdogs, that’s a good place to start. All you need is a safe area to cook at home, then follow commercial foodservice safety rules and practices.

4. Freelance Writing Business

Writing has always been a necessary talent. Did the scribes come to mind? Even now, there is a growing demand for professional writers. Some people have an urgent need to write but lack the necessary abilities or technical knowledge.

Others are simply too busy to keep up with their daily writing obligations since they have so much on their plates. Furthermore, many companies would pay you a lot more if you helped them write their commercials, sales pages, landing sites, blog posts, and other materials.

If you’re a good writer who hasn’t yet begun to profit from your abilities, now is the time. Begin with your mobile phone at home. Writing is a valuable ability that may be monetized. Don’t worry if you’re not very skilled at writing; all you need is a willingness to learn. Freewriting classes can be found all over the place.

You’ll be OK if you can polish your talents in copywriting, content writing, or creative writing. You might join other dedicated writers making thousands of dollars monthly if you have a good profile on Upwork or LinkedIn.

5. Book (eBooks) Publishing

E book publishing

Book publishing might sound similar to freelance writing. They both require you to write. And they both could fetch you money. But they are also largely different. Freelance writing is writing for others. Writing solely on the instructions of clients. Meanwhile, you can publish books for others and yourself. Interestingly, you don’t have to have a degree in creative writing to be a good writer. There are free online courses that would be of help in honing your writing skills.

The common questions on the lips of many would then be: ‘what do I have to write about?’ Well, no matter who you are, you have a story to tell. We all have stories to share. You have an experience or a wonderful idea that someone somewhere is waiting to hear about. Some of us are good at preaching sermons, explaining a task, simplifying concepts, teaching, cooking, gardening, and more.

You can pen down those pursuits and your thoughts into a book — an ebook especially. Just with your smartphone, or your computer laptop, you can write a book. Even as a student you can do this. And thanks to technology that has made self-publishing possible. You can also self-publish your book and sell it online to the whole world audience.

6. Amazon Store

You may not be financially buoyant to own a physical store. You don’t have to worry, you can own one online. Amazon store is right there for you. Right from your home, you can set up an Amazon store and make sales.

According to a publication on businesstown.com, more than 200,000 entrepreneurs are achieving revenue of over $100,000 annually on Amazon. What else are you waiting for? Getting started on Amazon is fairly easy. You can even start with a single product. Make sure to create your storefront that has your unique look and touch.

7. Start a Blog

Start a blog from home

Yes, you can start a blog. And you can monetize your blog later on. Last night, I read about Ariana Huffington. She ran and failed the race for the governorship of California in 2003. Ariana Huffington started a blog with her friend Ken Lerer. They refreshed their blog by collecting several news stories and sometimes providing political commentary.

It would interest you to know that The Huffington Post, the blog, was sold for $315 million eight years later. There are many more people who have sold their blogs for a whopping sum. And they were just blogs that started as a joke. You too can start your own. To start a successful blog you have to;

  • Write a list of all your skills and expertise.
  • Find a niche for yourself. A niche related to your skills.
  • Find the right audience.
  • Build a blog.
  • Create contents.
  • Promote your blog.
  • Monetize it.

Although it cost some dollars to get professional web hosting, there are also free web hosting platforms like WordPress.com. So nothing holds you back from running your blog at home. Do you need a blog. Feel free to Contact Us to get yours for free. However, terms and conditions apply.

8. Jewelry Making

You can start your jewelry business right from your home. It is a good business to start right at home. Although you need to master the nitty-gritty to sustain the operation, with time you will do just fine. The best place to sell jewelry is online. You can sell it on your website.

If you can not set up your website, you can sell with others such as eBay. You can even take them to neighbors or local jewelry stores for patronage. You may have to read more about how to start a jewelry business, but be rest assured it’s what you can start right from home.

9. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing may just be the perfect setup you have been waiting for. First, it’s simply put as mentioning a few products and services and waiting for buyers to click and buy from the links you included on the products or services.

Then you get a cut from each buy — thereby making some passive income online. Like other businesses, affiliate marketing has its numerous challenges too. So, be rest assured it’s not like a get-rich-quick scheme.

You need to be consistent with a brilliant strategy to earn in some of its overly saturated niches. Meanwhile, it’s simple enough to follow through on. It’s what you can easily do to earn from home. You don’t even have to have a product to sell, or a service to render. It’s about selling products, courses, and services of others and earning a cut from each sale. Recently, the industry is projected to soon reach 8.2 billion by 2022.

10. Craft Making Business

Crafting from home

As a beginner entrepreneur, this is quite appealing to you. Making crafts can be that easy to do at home. You can build a thriving craft business if you are willing to. And the good thing about it is that you can sell locally and also online on your private website. If you don’t have a website, you can also sell with other websites as well.

OTHER EASY BUSINESSES TO START AT HOME

  1. Dropshipping.
  2. Selling on ebay.
  3. Landscaping business.
  4. Home tutoring.
  5. Social media services.
  6. Yoga classes and exercise coaching.
  7. Exportation/Importation business.

TAKE A STEP TODAY

Now you have a list of home businesses to choose from. Simply decide on one or two which tallies with your interest and skills. Unlike other businesses that are capital intensive, the above businesses are simple enough for you to start at home. You have enough capacity to start any of those. You don’t even need an office space to be a boss. Take a step today!

Do you need a website or blog. CONTACT US now to get it for free. However, terms and conditions apply.

Starting a business

GETTING STARTED: THE FIRST STEPS IN STARTING A BUSINESS

by with No Comment Business & Finance

There are three main things that you need before you can start a business. These are skill, knowledge and ready cash. But even before these three things, you must have the entrepreneurial spirit: a desire to own your own business, be your own boss and make your own working hours.

While other people will take longer than you to start a business of their own owing to their laziness or lack of self-confidence, you could go ahead and kick-start that business idea of yours immediately. Here are some steps you should follow for success.

STEP 1: GET STARTED

Get started

The first step is figuring out if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur, or deciding whether you should start your own business at all. Are You Ready To Be an Entrepreneur? You have come up with an idea, so what are the next steps? Build your business baby — also known as a business plan.

It will help you take your idea and write it out so that you can lay out exactly how and when you want to start your business. It’s the first step in terms of starting any business and is absolutely essential if you want to launch quickly and successfully. Even if you have a plan, update it if it’s not recent or thorough enough.

STEP 2: FIND YOUR NICHE

Find your niche for your business

There are billions of business, small and large, operating in the world, and that number grows every year. The sheer volume of potential customers is enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed when they think about starting their own business, but there’s no need to be intimidated.

At least not yet—you still have plenty of time to find your niche. It doesn’t matter if you want to start an independent consulting firm or a neighborhood barbershop; there’s something out there for you.

Start by looking at what people around you already like doing. Do they love watching sports? Are they constantly talking about their favorite TV shows? Chances are good that if people love one thing, there’s probably room for another business doing it better or differently somewhere nearby. If you can identify a gap in existing services, then go after it! Remember: success starts with finding a solution to a problem.

To help get started on identifying your unique selling proposition (USP), here are some questions to ask yourself: Why should someone hire me instead of someone else? What am I really good at? What do I enjoy doing most? How can I use my strengths and interests to create value for others? When will I start my business?

STEP 3: CREATE AN MVP

Create Your MVP

(Minimum Viable Product) – In order to start your business, you need to have something that can be sold. For example, if you’re starting a business that will have t-shirts for sale, then you’ll need at least one physical prototype of your shirt design. Or if you’re creating an app, then you’ll need an app that works on paper with real pictures or wireframes rather than simply in PowerPoint.

These prototypes (which is not necessarily what they look like — it could just be an explanation of how things would work) are called Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). An MVP helps validate your idea: if people are willing to pay money for it and use it, then chances are that it’s something worth working on further.

STEP 4: BUILD YOUR PRODUCT

Build your product

As you research your idea and validate that it is viable, move towards deciding what it will be and how you’ll produce it. Identify: core features, competitors, market size and addressable audience (demographics). Build an MVP (minimum viable product) to test out your assumptions and then build out your team.

Hire salespeople first. Choose co-founders who are better than you at some critical aspect of starting a business or managing people. For example, if you don’t have someone on board who can keep up with all of customer support, you could very well destroy your own company before it even gets off the ground.

STEP 5: LAUNCH IT

Once you have a great idea, you’re ready to go public with it. Launching your business is exciting — but if you’re not prepared, it can also be stressful.Consider these tips before you open your doors:

Get a business license. Don’t wait until after you’ve opened for business to learn about licenses, permits and insurance requirements. You need to know what’s required for your type of business and location. Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Create a secure website. If you want to get paid online, you’ll need to accept credit card payments through a payment processing service such as PayPal or Square. These services are safe and generally inexpensive.

Choose a name for your business and do a trademark search. A great business name is the beginning of a great brand. Don’t limit yourself to something that describes what you do — think in terms of how your brand will grow. Check whether the name is available as a web address and make sure that no one else is already using it on social media sites (Twitter, Facebook and so on).

Even if you don’t plan on selling what you’re creating, there are plenty of other ways to release something publically: publishing ebooks, writing guest posts, sharing videos on YouTube. When you launch something publically and build up some buzz around your brand or idea people are going to start talking about it and they’re going to remember who started it all—that person is going to be you.

STEP 6: REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS

Register Your Business

Choosing a business name is important, but it isn’t enough. Your customers won’t trust you or come back if you just have an idea; they need proof that you are capable of following through. That means being registered as a business. If you start your business as an LLC or a Corp, your customers will take you more seriously because they know it takes more than just good ideas to run an effective company.

Customers want to do business with people and companies they can trust, so having some legal backing is key when starting any kind of new business. It makes sure that everyone knows what’s going on and it helps ward off potential problems in business deals and relationships down the road. And, let’s be honest—it’s also just good for branding purposes!

STEP 7: GROW YOUR CUSTOMER BASE

Branding, marketing and public relations are key components of starting any business. When you’re first getting started, it’s important to focus on quality over quantity. You want people who will buy your product or service and make repeat purchases — not just one-time users. But with each new client comes brand awareness and word-of-mouth advertising that spreads to other potential customers.

While there’s no magic formula for boosting your customer base, here are some pointers:* Choose a niche market: A small audience is much easier to reach than a large one. Determine where your customers spend time online — say in Reddit forums or Instagram — then join those communities with targeted content.

Starting a business is a powerful step towards building something you care about that can support you financially. These are just a few steps to begin with. In another article, we will talk about some of these steps in details such as registering your business or funding. When you work for someone else, there’s only so much you can do. As an employee, you can’t change the way the company is run. You can’t hire who you want and fire who you don’t. You can’t set your own hours or wages.

But when you start your own business, all of that changes. You’re in charge. Your success depends on your actions: how hard you work, how well you strategize, and how much money you make for the company. In a business of your own, your value to the company is directly correlated to its success—success that is dependent on YOUR actions and YOUR decisions rather than someone else’s.

ARE YOU READY TO START YOUR BUSINESS?

If you have an idea, today is the day to start working on it. Most of the great stories that we know from successful entrepreneurs involve them getting started early.

The sooner that you begin, the sooner that you can finish, which will lead to something great becoming reality. And whether you want to eventually open a store front, or just sell through an ecommerce channel, don’t let your dream stop at a dream. Get up and take action, and turn your dream into reality.

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