Starting your own company can be a really exciting experience. You get to set the rules, do things your way, and have total control over everything. But before you start dreaming about what it will be like to quit your day job for good finally, take some time to consider the following five questions:
What are my goals?
Before starting your business, you’ll want to take some time to consider why you’re starting it in the first place. Are your main goals financial? Do you just want a career change and don’t care about how much money you make? Are there certain people that will be counting on the business succeeding, such as employees or investors? Your reasons for wanting to start a company should align with what you’re trying to accomplish.
What will my product or service be?
Simply knowing that you want to start a business isn’t enough; there needs to be a plan and an idea for how the company will make money. If your goal is simply financial, then it’s helpful to consider what products and services have large markets with opportunities for growth and those in high demand but short supply so they’ll have less competition from established businesses. In addition, look at ideas that can easily scale up as your company grows larger since this could enable faster revenue generation down the road if needed. What market do I need to target?
What is my customer data management strategy?
What platforms will I use for marketing my business? How do I plan on managing and tracking customer data?
There are many ways you can collect information about your customers, such as using a website for collecting email addresses, signing up users through social media profiles, or even running pay-per-click advertising campaigns. Identifying the best method(s) of doing this ahead of time is key because it enables you to start building out an extensive list that can be used in various marketing efforts down the road. In addition, it’s important to have a way for clients/customers to access their personal information whenever they need it, so there aren’t any issues with losing contact info if it needs updating. It should also enable them to download their data whenever they want so that it’s easier for them to switch over to a different platform. Why do I need a Customer 360 View? Through Profisee, you can easily keep track of all your data and create a customer 360 view that you can use to make smarter business decisions.
How will I handle customer service?
Even if you don’t plan on offering high levels of support, no company can avoid the occasional disgruntled client or question from an existing one. To quickly respond and resolve any issues as soon as possible, consider using software platforms such as Zendesk, which enables real-time communication with customers through a secure messaging system. This way, all questions, and complaints are logged into their ticketing systems, where they can be easily tracked by your team members, in addition to being able to work together on solutions more efficiently without having too much overlap between tasks.
How much money am I willing to invest upfront?
Starting your own company can be extremely rewarding, but it also takes a lot of time and money to get off the ground. Before you start putting in tons of hours on something that may never generate revenue or any profit at all, take some time to consider how much money you’re willing to invest upfront while still being able to afford necessities such as food and rent. If there are co-founders involved with starting the business, then sharing expenses equally between everyone is one way this can be split fairly so nobody feels like they didn’t contribute enough if, for whatever reason, things don’t turn out well financially down the road. Using free online tools/applications whenever possible will help keep costs low more funds are available for other business expenses.
So, now you know everything you need to start your company and be successful. Now go out there and create the best product or service that will meet your customer needs! You got this!
