As successful small business owners know, starting your own company requires more than perfect products, passion and patience. In order to make it in the world of entrepreneurship, it’s important to have all of your small business ducks in a row. To succeed in the small business world, it’s important to avoid these four common mistakes:
Not having a business plan
You might have the best ideas, enough capital and all of the time in the world to devote to your new small business. But as Fox Business notes, you have to go one step beyond and create a well-written and organized business plan. Opening a small business without a plan is the equivalent of driving aimlessly for miles and wasting time and gas. A professional business plan will act as a roadmap and list things like your target demographics, what sets your company apart, your goals, information about the current marketplace, and more.
Letting your days get away from you
One of the greatest things about owning your own small business is that you don’t have to punch a clock and answer to a boss about when and where you should be someplace. Unfortunately, Forbes notes, this flexibility can be a double-edged sword that causes entrepreneurs to waste time and procrastinate. In order to stay on top of important details like ordering inventory, updating your website, keeping tabs on taxes and other crucial tasks, start each day by writing down two key business-related tasks that you need to accomplish, and do them before you start answering emails, going on Facebook or making phone calls.
Ignoring the importance of SEO
Although Huffington Post notes that search engine optimization, or SEO, is not as vital as it once was when designing a business website, it is still important to learn about SEO and how it can benefit your company. While customers want to visit sites that are user-friendly and filled with great information about the products that entice them to buy, if they cannot find your small business during an Internet search, all of your hard work will be for naught. Learn which keywords are typically used when searching for your type of business, and integrate them into your site. One company that does this quite well is Quote Wizard; while the website is inviting, organized and easy-to-navigate, it also contains enough industry-related keywords that help it pop up during a search for insurance company quotes.
Not taking marketing seriously
While you might bake the best cupcakes in the world, be adept at preparing tax returns or know all there is to know about interior decorating, you have to go one step beyond your services and products and focus on marketing. Because social media is so popular these days, take the time to create eye-catching pages on the major sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and use them to maximize your online presence.
If you are not sure what a press release is, let alone how to write one, consider hiring a company that can help you get the word out about your new small business and what you do. Yes, your friends and family will probably tell people they know about your skills as a photographer or baker, but it’s also important to take the marketing bull by the horns and do everything you can to promote your small business.
