Starting a business can be scary! That's why Sage talked with their customers to find out some of their best tips and recommendations on starting a small business.
1. No experience? No problem!
Don’t let a lack of experience starting a business or running a team at a large company discourage you and prevent you from trying. Many people who are now running businesses successfully didn't have any experience before they started . . . like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
2. Don’t wing it; have a plan.
Some people say it's not necessary, but a formal business plan helps you set strategies and goals. It also helps secure financing. The SBA and banks all require some formal business plan. And even nontraditional funding, like crowdsourcing, requires some thought and ideas about what you're selling, to whom, pricing, and how.
3. Do your research.
Conduct a thorough market analysis of target customers, competitors, and current trends. You might even be surprised by the market analysis, altering some of your initial business ideas.
4. Hire or consult with a trusted advisor.
Determine where you need advice and who can provide it to you. Your current professional background may not include some important items like marketing, customer service, etc. Also realize your current skills may not be where you want to focus your time. If you're a computer programmer, perhaps you want other programmers to help sell your software while you handle other matters.
5. Network.
Attend events and workshops to increase your knowledge, discuss new concepts and exchange ideas. Sage happens to have a great opportunity for networking called Sage Summit.
6. Break the rules.
Forge your own path, take the road less traveled, and do it your way. Sometimes you need to break the rules to grow and succeed.
Part of breaking the rules is understanding who you are and the unique products or services you're giving with your personal brand. Edison and Tesla both came out with ideas for a power grid, enabling electricity in houses and offices. And yet, only one founded GE (Edison).
By listening to your gut, you'll know the right path. And once you have your enterprise up and running be sure to check out which CRM and ERP solutions work best for your company!
We would love to speak with you about how Klear Systems can benefit your organization.
Give us a call at (949) 681-8135,
email us at info@klearsystems.com
or complete the form below and we’ll reach out to you.
