Starting a Business in 5 Steps

You’ve got a fabulous idea, but you’re not too sure about what’s involved in starting a business. Well don’t worry, because today I’m going to guide you through the five essential steps to take to turn your idea into a profitable business.

 5 Key Steps in Starting a Business
Starting a business is a very exciting time. Whether you’re making it your full-time job or using it as a side business to complement your income, it’s important to get the basics sorted right from the start. To help you do this, I’m sharing these five key initial steps to help you get up and running.

1. Nail your business idea – whether you’re making products to sell or you can provide a service that others want to buy, identifying the specific niche for your business is important. This will involve you doing some research into what other businesses are doing that is similar to yours, if your product or service is something that customers will buy and identifying what sets your offerings apart from your competition. Talking with a business consultant such as AJ Pipe can help you with this.
2. Get your business name sorted – it is important to have a business name that is unique and memorable. Try out several ideas on friends and family and see what they think. Once you’ve got some possibilities, head over to ONECheck to make sure your name isn’t being used by someone else first. Then grab your domain name at Website World, as this will become a valuable asset for you moving forwards.
3. Organise your business logo and graphics – to make a positive first impression and demonstrate your business’ professionalism, you need to have a professionally designed business logo and associated graphic images. I can help you with this; check out my Design and Brand Packages, which include options for logo design, social media graphics, letterheads, website banner and branded videos. I also suggest you take a read of my article 5 Reasons to Invest in a Professional Logo Design.
4. Get your website and social media platforms sorted – identify which social media platforms your target audience are using, and set up accounts on them. If you are not sure about what to post, or would like help doing so, Spigot Digital can help you with this. There are a lot of website platforms you could use to build your website on, including WordPress, Wix, Shopify and the locally owned and operated Website World.
5. Create a marketing plan – your business is ready to start selling your products or services, but you will need to have a marketing plan in place to attract those customers. Within a marketing plan you’ll need to include details on how you will build your online presence, what you will post and frequency of posting on both your website and social media, plus any advertising you will pay for. There is a useful guide on these aspects on Business.govt.nz’s website which will walk you through doing this.

I’d love to know more about your business ideas. Let’s have a chat about how I can help you to present a positive and professional image to your customers. I look forward to hearing from you.