by Teddy Hunt
Many view starting a business as complete madness. While venturing out on the road to entrepreneurship does present a high risk level, there are enough success stories to prove it’s not complete mania.
In fact, some of the youngest entrepreneurs actually hold the most impressive legacies, such as Mark Zuckerberg and Mark Masters, and these fresh faces are quickly taking over start-up world. Here are a few tips, tricks, and guidelines to get you on the road to successful entrepreneurship.
Promote Yourself.
A product won’t sell itself, no matter how ingenious the idea. While self-promotion may at first feel uncomfortable, it’s a necessary and important marketing tool for any entrepreneur. Audiences require a personal touch, a face, and a story tied to a product. They need to understand a product, its benefits, and the inventor of this problem-solver.
Embrace the social media universe. Create and closely maintain a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest account as well as a personal product page. Managing all those accounts can take up much of your time, so streamline things by sticking to a schedule for updating your social media and responding to comments. Make sure you always portray a personable, professional, and positive image.
Join the Business Circuit.
There’s nothing more essential to success than education. Staying up-to-date on the market’s trends and learning from fellow business professionals ensures a well-rounded approach to a business model.
Purchase and peruse books, magazines, newspapers, professional and academic reports, and industry-specific publications–every resource you can get your hands on. The U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA.gov, is a good place to start, since it provides resources to young entrepreneurs and new businesses.
Well-read or degree-holding young start-up heads also join clubs and business associations to start thorough networking and continue the aforementioned self-promotion. Many Master’s of Business (MBA) graduates actually pursue entrepreneurship instead of traditional business routes, so you will have plenty of company as you chase after your business dream.
Also take advantage of business seminars, workshops, and training sessions that allow attendees to hone skills, spark creativity, and make wise business decisions. Plus, trunk shows and conventions allow registrants to display their products or ideas and get a feel for the market’s direction.
Make Money From Mobile.
Online purchasing does not apply solely to desktop or laptop browsing anymore. In fact, about thirty-two percent of all online purchases take place over mobile devices. Make sure to create a separate mobile interface for easier online purchasing and website viewing on smartphones and tablets. WordPress works especially well for home or small businesses.
Likewise, stay connected via a separate business mobile line. This evokes an expert persona, since answering customer’s inquiries with phone calls and responses in email or social media comments shows not only care, but knowledge.
Businessmobiles.co.uk helps businesses stay connected via various business mobile plans, and they point out that a reliable connection ensures that you keep abreast of any competition’s activity, your email and customer feedback, and page upkeep, so a good mobile plann is worth the investment. Constant follow-up is critical for new businesses.
Build a Supportive Team.
Too many entrepreneurs’ businesses crumble because they refuse to delegate tasks to others. Wearing too many hats or failing to find experienced, skilled workers to take a role in your business creates a major pitfall.
Don’t refuse good employees because they challenge you. That’s exactly what you need. Picking the right team of employees, partners, and legal support means looking for individuals who possess a passion for and understanding of what you’re selling that matches your own.
A business team extends to family members and friends, suppliers, local government, your community, and business and industry associates. They must all come into consideration when determining how a business runs.
Remember, the customer needs to be just as much a part of your team as those on your payroll. The customer pays you and your employees. When you acknowledge and consider their feedback, they become more invested, and more problems reach a positive and profitable solution.
With these tips, ‘smart risks’ is no longer an oxymoron. Take the steps to growing your small business, idea, or business plan and watch your profit expand.
Teddy Hunt writes about technology and business. His passion to assist nonprofits has led him to work for Goodwill and a Feeding America Food Bank as a social media strategist and web content manager. Teddy is a regular contributor to socialbrite.org where he offers business and marketing strategies for the nonprofit sector.
