Nanny to Mommy

The vast majority of businesses fail. But what separates the winners from the losers? Believe it or not, it’s more than just dumb luck. Many companies fail because new business owners made critical mistakes during the first years. Let’s explore some of these mishaps to guarantee that you don’t make the same blunders.

It’s all too easy to set up a business without completing the right amount of research. There’s no structure in place which requires you to spend months looking at the market and your respected industry. However, you should do all the same. In doing so, you will be able to mitigate high levels of risk and ensure that your business model remains as stable as possible. You might be operating a company in the food sector. If that’s the case, you need to explore food industry data to ascertain where the demand is and whether there are any gaps in the current market for respected suppliers.

Without money, you won’t get very far in the world of business. You may have heard that you can create a new business and get it off the ground without much of a budget. It has been done, it is hard, and more often than not they have a helping hand. You need to work out how much of a budget you are going to need to get your business off the ground. Be aware that a lot of people underestimate how much they will actually need and it is a good idea to keep an eye on business loan rates. Your budget should include everything such as equipment, premises, products, and salaries for staff. Once you know how much you will need, it is time to apply for a business loan if you don’t have the money to hand. It’s important to understand that there are a lot of different funding options available, each with different pros and cons. Before making any final decisions you should do some research and be sure you have a firm grasp on the difference between a loan vs investment in your business by an individual. Depending on your financial needs, one may be a better choice than the other.

It’s important to ensure that regardless of the size of your company you do gain the right support. It doesn’t matter whether you are running a solo business or managing a ten-person team, you will always need the right support. To keep this cost-effective, you should explore freelancing solutions and outsourcing experts. For example, there is no need for you to be suffering through keeping on top of cyber security and network maintenance when you're not a tech whizz - simply outsource all your IT needs to a reputable cyber security service that can put into place a sustainable framework to protect your business and your data. When opting to outsource, your priority should be to ensure that the company you contract with can provide the right standard of support. Remember, any service you hire will impact the perception of your brand.

Finally, without goals you won’t have anything to aim for. Both you and your employees need to have an end goal in sight otherwise your work will be meaningless. This could be anything from gaining more of a positive reputation online or having a certain number of visitors to your store. There is one way to make sure your goals are not too out there or impossible to achieve, you could use the SMART acronym. This stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

We hope this helps you understand some of the common mistakes of new business owners and why it is in your best interest to avoid these pitfalls. In doing so, you can help preserve the longevity of your new company on the market.