So you are considering starting a new business. You are not alone, the SBA (small business administration) estimates that there are over 600,000 new businesses started each year. Sadly, many of those new businesses do not make it for the first five years.
Also according to the SBA, being prepared is one of the best ways to help your business to thrive. Many entrepreneurs are not in fact prepared for starting a new business. There are many things to consider when starting a new business that goes beyond the expected. As they say, the devil is in the details. Planning for success is only half the battle, you have to plan for all the day to day details to succeed.
To offset some of the anxiety of starting a new business plan every detail out. Even the small details like business garbage pickup should be on your list of expenses, and of course the big things like financing, legal assistance, marketing funding, and even cyber security consulting all have to plan for. Other details like will you need to be looking into safes for business, also has to be considered.
Are you going to a brick and mortar business? If you plan on opening a brick and mortar shop, you can use the model that a lot of people are using today. Instead of jumping feet first into starting a business and investing money in space and all the other things that a brick and mortar business requires, start out online.
Even the new businesses that are in the service industry can tap into the power of online marketing to test the waters and see if there is a market for their business. It can be a great safety net and research vehicle.
There is some real value in testing the waters for our new business online first. A custom website combined with professional digital marketing services can be the soft launch you need for starting a new business.
There are some key benefits to starting a new business online first including:
- Lower start-up costs
- Get to know your demographics
- Build a following
You can soft-launch your business with a minimal investment for a great custom website. There are so many statistics available that point to the idea that consumers are turning to the web to find businesses like 78% of smartphone users use their smartphones to find local businesses, and 97% of consumers have ordered something online in the last year.
It can be the perfect vehicle to get the word out about your business so that you can start earning and putting money away to open that brick and mortar business you are planning. Of course, starting your business online also gives you a front-row seat to meet your demographics.
A professional digital marketing agency can provide you with the data you need to fine-tune your business to the audience that is visiting your website. The amount of data that can be collected about your demographic can be tremendous, and it can be a tremendous help during your starting a new business development phase.
The information that you can gather from digital marketing your business can help to form and shape a business that is built to thrive. Once you know your audience you can better plan, predict and design a business that will succeed.
We briefly touched on the fact that more and more consumers are searching for local businesses right online using their mobile device. The internet has become the go to space to find businesses for an entire generation of users. Millennials have no idea what the “yellow pages” were or how they were used to find local businesses.
Most every consumer in the US is turning to the internet to find products and services and to do it quickly. SEO, search engine optimization, is how consumers find your business. Search engine optimization gets search engines like Google to recognize your business as a possible search result for local consumers.
The most obvious benefit of a good SEO campaign is that your business is found by consumers that are ready to make a purchase, but it is a little more complicated than that. SERP is another acronym to get familiar with. SERP ranking is very important. It is not enough for the search engines to recognize your business, your business has to rank high on the search engine results page, and here is why 94% of users never go past the first page of results.
That means if your business is returned on page two of the search results, the consumer will likely not ever find your business. Even more daunting is the fact that 96% of users will click on one of the three top results on the first page.
Getting ranked well really starts with a strong SEO campaign that is designed specifically for your business. Digital marketing services are how you are going to build your business. Benefits of SEO local business include:
- Getting your business noticed
- Establishing a positive reputation
- Establishing your business as a trusted local expert
Local SEO that targets your specific audience can be one of the best ways to get your business noticed. You will not have to find customers they will find you. Starting a new business can be as easy as having a great SEO team behind you.
Your Reputation
One of the best ways to find success when starting a new business is to build a positive reputation. The right SEO and reputation management can do that for your business. A turn-key approach to digital marketing means that you do not have to do anything to build your online presence or your online reputation, it can all be done for you.
In today’s market reputation is everything. Word of mouth travels quickly online. The right digital marketing service knows how to make sure what is being said about your business is positive and reaching the right ears.
A well laid out SEO strategy will get the work out about your business and more importantly establish your business as a trusted source. You can focus on your core business responsibilities while your business is building the right reputation online.
Building a positive reputation is vital to your business and there is no better way to do than to do it online. There is a wide range of benefits that you can realize from the support of a digital marketing company.
You Can Be the Local Trusted Expert
With a strong SEO strategy your business can be established as a local trusted expert. One of the best ways to start a new business is to start off as an expert in your particular industry. It can be difficult to convey your expertise unless you use engaging content that does the talking for you.
Establishing your business as a trusted local expert will have the customers beating down the door to get to your business. This can be the easiest way to get consumers to value your expertise.
Starting a new business online is one of the least expensive ways to start a new business. Getting started online is one of the least expensive ways to start a business and it is one of the most effective ways to start a new business. The lower expense can help ease some of the anxiety that comes with starting this new journey.
Hiring a digital marketing agency can help you to get started for a fraction of what it would cost for you to open a brick and mortar business. As a matter of fact, many people that are starting a new business find that an online business is all they ever need.
Many businesses never move beyond the online market place because they find exactly what they need. Starting a new business can be easily done online. Why would you not take the easy way out to start a new business?
The beauty of starting a new business online is that you get to forgo the expensive overhead costs that you would incur with a brick and mortar business, expenses like business garbage pickup. Of course, you are probably thinking, what about restaurants how can an online sector help them?
Even with a restaurant starting out online can be a great option. Instead of investing in space right away, what if you offered a to-go menu, with delivery of course right online? You get to start a following before you take the plunge and invest in a brick and mortar restaurant. You get to test the waters and see if people are interested in what you have to offer.
Starting a new business does not have to mean waiting for the lease to be signed and getting the keys in hand. It can mean building a great business long before you find the space with a little help from the internet.
Whether it is a product that you have to offer or service, you can find your first customers right online with a custom-built website, SEO, and digital marketing experts that can help.
Fail Safes
One of the reasons a new business fails is because fail-safes are not taken seriously and put in place to protect the business, like keeping personal funds and business funds separate. If you are going to use personal funds for your business, make it a loan to the business, and make sure it gets paid back. This is not only important to ensure that you do not ensnare too much of your personal funds in your business but it is important for tax purposes.
Whether you decide that online is the way to go or you stand by the idea that you want a brick and mortar business, get a good accountant on your side. Improperly filed taxes have been the undoing of many a business. A good tax firm that offers financing advice as well can help to steer you clear of poor financial mistakes.
Starting a new business is not really a do it yourself project. Of course, you will do most of the leg work and more on your own, but you do need a team of experts on your side to give you advice, legal assistance, and provide direction.
Seek out advice from other small business owners, talk to entrepreneurs to learn how they do things, and learn to ask for help when you need it. Surrounding yourself with people that have already realized success can help you find the success that you want out of your new business.
Another way to make sure that your business starts off on the right foot is to get friends and family involved. Whether it is fulfilling orders or answering phones asking friends and family to help out a bit can save you money and give you time to grow your business.
Many successful business owners found success by tapping into talent right in their own family. Getting everyone involved in the dream and asking for their help is a cheap way to get your initial bunch of labor. Offer to buy dinner, lunch, or whatever to anyone that can give up a bit of their time. Another place to find pretty inexpensive help with your business is at your local college. Hire interns for cyber security consulting, that is what a lot of wealthy business owners do. They get credit for helping out, you get free labor.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Keep your eye on the prize. Get the help you need, and be flexible in your vision. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to starting a new business. Tap into the power of the internet and watch as your dream becomes a reality.