Every startup wants to hit the ground running and see their venture succeed. An idea could be worth $100,000 or a million dollars, but it won’t be worth anything if the strategy isn’t implemented correctly. Or if you can’t execute and build a product out of it.
With more than 90% of small businesses failing within the first 2 years, it’s crucial that you put yourself on the path to success as early as possible. We recommend implementing the following tips to ensure that your startup succeeds.
Success is a slow, methodical road, and you don’t need to spend a fortune, be a genius or win the lottery to get there — all you need is a purpose, a plan and a large helping of wisdom.
Ensure that you have a strategy where your business gets published
It’s a strategy that is under-utilised, but it is extremely important. Getting your business published in as many relevant publications will generate free PR and create further opportunities for mas-exposure in other publications.
These are some of the easiest way your business can start getting exposure.
- Publishing blogs or newsletters on your own website.
- Contributing articles or thought pieces to other relevant publications.
- Publishing YouTube videos.
- Publishing podcasts
It takes time to build up traction, but the exposure opportunities that’s generated in the long-term make it worthwhile.
Invest in the perfect office environment
Many entrepreneurs are quick to opt for the cheapest office price-wise. They should be thinking about the office space that will benefit them in terms of productivity. For example, an office that is based in the Central Business District (CBD) can create opportunities for networking and referrals due to the business’s proximity to other businesses.
Additionally, businesses need to recruit the top talent that will allow the business to grow quickly. By locating the business within the Central Business District, it will be easier to recruit employment talent than in remote areas.
Secondly, the environment should allow employees to thrive. Provide the staff with an aesthetically appealing office design and allow them to indulge in comfort while they are working.
Ensure that employees have an adequate lighting setup as well. Studies have shown that employees are more productive when they are exposed to sunlight. There are cases where it isn’t possible to have sunlight in an office space, so investing in LED lights that are similar to sunlight are the next best option.
Focus on growth
The primary goal of any startup is to grow and scale their business. Typically, a small business will need to have an estimated marketplace of around 10,000 people in order to successfully generate $100,000 a year.
However, if your organisation has more ambitious revenue targets, you will need to identify how to find prospective buyers for your product or service, and develop a pricing strategy that will allow your startup to reach its revenue goals.
Invest in a productive remote workforce
Many business startups don’t see the value in hiring freelancers or remote workers due to the non-productivity risk. The thing is, an employer can have the same thing happen with an in-house employee, even if they show up to work everyday.
There are cases when the freelancer can seem more expensive, but they are actually much cheaper and productive over the long-term. This is because the freelancer doesn’t add any additional overheads to the business. Such as electricity, rent and infrastructure. The freelancer absorbs the costs and puts it into their fee.
You also have more control over your costs, as you aren’t committed to investing into an ongoing wage or salary every week or month. So if the work is lighter, you can scale back the work of the remote worker. Additionally, if the workload increases, you can scale up the work accordingly.
The early phases of a startup are challenging. But you can make things easier by implementing these recommendations.