Starting a business in Sussex
It’s now June 2011 and the cuts are starting to bite, or are they. Certainly the high street is suffering with a good number of firms that were there are no longer.
Yesterday it was the turn of TJ Hughes and the day before it was Jane Norman. Not the right time to be thinking about self-employment surely.
But that is not the case, just for your information starting a business has never been easier and more appropriate for many, you just need to be aware of the risks.
For those of you that are thinking about starting a business, thinking about joining the ranks of the mass self-employed these are the key areas I would focus on before anything else.
1. What is it you want to do and how will stand out in the market place?
This means have you really thought about your offer to the market, is it needed, can you make it profitable, can you really make yourself UNIQUE. Far too many business start ups forget that it really is a competitive world out there.
2. Pricing and Research
How much time have you spent looking at your competition, I mean really. If you are offering Plumbing Services at £20 per hour, do you know you can make a profit at this price? How many other firms are there at this price? Are you going to do anything different in order to charge more?
3. Marketing
Have you put in place a marketing plan? Do you know what a marketing plan is? Do you need help putting one together? Look 98% of small businesses fail very quickly. By my reckoning (and experience) those with a workable plan last longer, get up and running faster than those without a plan. Why? Simple, those without a well thought out marketing plan know what to do next, no need to think, just refer to the plan. Even if it’s a poor one remember you can alter it as you move through it.
4. Mindset
Far too many start-up businesses start with the wrong attitude, having a can do mindset is the best place to start, really. Positive thinking never made anything happen, but positive thinking makes everything happen easier.
My hope is that you do take the plunge, do take the step to free yourself from employment. Of course being self-employed – having your own business is not always easy, but then again just staying alive is difficult for us humans, once you stop to think about all the things the body needs to do just to keep breathing, actually don’t, spend the thought time marketing instead.
For those of you interested in a Working From Home Business (Completely Free of Charge) please feel to contact me through this site, or leave a comment below.