If you are in the process of getting your startup off the ground, then the chances are that all sorts of things are going through your head. Ask anyone who has been in that situation and they will tell you that it can be a strange time in one’s life.
However, you wouldn’t be doing it if it weren’t for a good reason. There is something – some great idea or a compulsion – which sparked you, and set you on this journey. The only thing you need to bear in mind at this stage is that you can’t look back.
One of the questions which are probably circling your head is what, exactly, makes a successful business. Sure, you’re confident in your idea, you think it has real potential. But how do you go about translating that potential into real-world success?
Fortunately for you, people have been where you are before you, and the answers are known. If you are wondering what it is that makes a successful business, you will probably get different answers from different people.
However, it is a fact that certain attributes link the most successful companies. Without further ado, let’s take a look at those now.
Enthusiastic people
The businesses which succeed tend to be those which are staffed by enthusiastic and talented individuals. These people have a genuine, unrelenting passion for the work that they do.
Businesses with these sorts of employees have a clear mission or goal – something that everyone can agree on and work towards.
A motivated workforce is the key to a business which sells itself well. You would do well to consider this your first big challenge. Hiring the right people can be a tough exercise. But get it right, and you will soon notice the effect.
Second-to-none customer service
The customer is at the heart of everything you do – or at least, they should be. All the most successful businesses in history have taken a firm stand with their approach towards the customer. Yours should be no different.
Treat the customer with the respect they deserve – that is the absolute basic first step in customer approval. But go far beyond that – deliver above expectations every time. Always be available – if a customer wants to contact your company, never make them wait.
Use a decent online communication tool so that there is always a member of staff ready and waiting to delight the customer. Give away the occasional freebie. In short: make every step of the process a joyous delight for the people who provide your business with a reason to remain.
A brand made To last
If you want your startup to still be going in time for your (hopefully early) retirement, then you cannot forgo this final point. For a business to boom in this culture, you need to build a brand which is designed to last.
While it is always a possibility to rebrand, and re-structure, a company, you should plan around this where possible. Rebranding should be a last-ditch attempt to salvage the pieces of a broken business.
If you build a strong brand, it will remain a strong brand. Look at all the most successful companies in history – they all have strong brands which have changed very little over time. Work on this, and you will likely have a business which succeeds for a long time to come.