The Ultimate Guide To Kick-Start Your Business

Image Courtesy of Quill.com

Article Contributed by Taylor Tomita

If you find yourself reading this article – odds are that you are interested in starting a business. Thankfully, this era we are living in provides seemingly endless opportunities for businesses of all varieties to rise from the shadows and be launched into the world of success. With today’s technology blended with knowledge and determination you can start a successful business from just about anywhere you desire. Hewlett-Packard founded their business in a garage – why can’t you?

Although this great time we reside in provides a plethora of tool and resources that are necessary to guide us down the path to success, it is important you are just as committed to the business world as it is to you. This guide should create a path of inspiration and knowledge of how to succeed in the business world of today.

Technology

Technology is an industry that will always be changing and it is important for a business owner to be aware of these changes. Taking advantage of technological advancements can be a surefire way to maximize a business’s success. New technologies are opening up opportunities for businesses to automate their necessary work orders, manage meetings from a smartphone internationally, or simply share documents over a cloud service. Whatever your industry is, it is important to analyze that industry and ensure you are utilizing the most efficient technologies to streamline the efficiency of your business to provide convenience to both you, and most importantly, your customers.

A large part of technology’s role in the business world is granting a business the ability to engage with their community over the internet. That being said, many businesses are doing the exact opposite. Though it is often overlooked, community engagement through social media is a fantastic opportunity for you to brand your business as an authority in the industry and paint a positive image behind your business.

Tools To Use

Quora – Quora is an online tool that allows businesses of any variety to answer community-generated questions. This can show you what your community wants, and will provide an inlet into the industry where you can ensure your services are the answer to these questions.

MosaicHub – As the name suggests, MosaicHub is a diverse online networking hub that allows industry experts to share their knowledge and insight within the industries they serve.  MosaicHub also allows an expert directory where the community can browse specific industries and request advice from you.

Education

Of course being knowledgeable of your industry is a necessity to starting a business, but learning every detail in and around your business will be a deciding factor in whether or not your business makes it out of a start-up phase. There is a vast sea of tactics that will assist you in educating yourself within the realm of business. However, one of the most valuable tactics available is obtaining a business degree.

A growing percentage of employers are hiring employees based on their college education. Why shouldn’t you – a future employer – be held to the same standards? Acquiring a business degree will grant you and your business an enormous leg-up in the business world; doing so will grant you the ability to operate every aspect of your business successfully with confidence and credibility.  Thankfully, there are a number of accredited universities throughout the nation who are currently offering opportunities to receive a business degree.  Here are a few universities that stood out to me when I was searching for online business degree programs:

United States University

830 Bay Blvd.

Chula Vista, CA 91911

Program: Masters of Business Administration (MBA)

College of Westchester

325 Central Avenue

White Plains, NY 10606

Program:  Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

Excelsior College

2000 M Street NW, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20036

Program: Masters of Business Administration (MBA)

Pepperdine University

24255 Pacific Coast Highway

Malibu, CA 90263

Program:  Masters of Business Administration (MBA)

Funding

A question that is commonly asked among the start-up world is “How will I get the money for this?” Unfortunately (in most cases) there is not going to be a line of investors at your door waiting to pour money into your idea.  If you are serious about trying to acquire funding, the first step is to design an elevator pitch that will leave funders wanting to hear more. However, the problem in today’s business world is a new business’s ability to gain an approval of a standard business loan from a bank. Regardless of how great your pitch is, most lenders require a loan recipient to sign personal guarantees that can tie the loan to specific assets within the business; covering the loan provider if the business does not succeed. While this can be a great option to a large business with many assets, it will more than likely not be available to a small business that is just starting out. Fortunately, there are a number of alternate funding options available now – due to these lending restrictions.

Alternate lending is a fairly new option that has arisen within the business world over the last few years. This type of funding is made available in a variety of different forms, but two of the more common forms are through unsecured loans from private lenders and/or utilizing crowdfunding sources to fund a business’s start-up journey. Either way, alternative lending is a great (for lack of a better word) “alternative” to the traditional business loans of the past.

Tools To Use 

SBA’s Loan and Grant Search Tool: SBA offers this tool to small businesses. This tool enables you to search government financing programs available to help you start and expand your business.

Marketing

Marketing is essential to the life and well-being of a small business – especially in the time we live in. Marketing is ultimately a way your business can expand the reach of its brand and ensure you that anyone who should be aware of your businesses is aware of your business. Thanks to the internet, you are granted a large amount of online guides to assist your marketing ploys, but you must ensure you are utilizing them to their full potential.

In the world of marketing there are many tactics a business can use, and it is important that you verify who you are trying to market to. After you have established a group of individuals to target, your next step is to analyze that demographic to come up with the best tactic to deploy a successful marketing campaign to them.

–          Who do my services cater to?

–          Where are these individuals looking for services?

–          How can I show these individuals that my services are the best option?

These are all questions you should be asking yourself when constructing a marketing campaign, however, a great starting point in the marketing world is to make sure you are readily available on social media. Chances are a majority of your targeted community will be active on social media and this will allow you to engage with your community on a personal level and spread awareness of your existence throughout the industry. However, before you dive into a social media campaign, it is important to be sure you are using social media in a way that will benefit your business. Be sure that you are providing useful information within the community, participate in twitter chats, and ensure you will be able to provide any answers your community may have for you.  Once you have this under your belt, you can explore further marketing techniques.

Tools To Use 

Followerwonk: Followerwonk is an app provided by Moz.com. Followerwonk allows a user to search for specific keywords included in Twitter bios. This can allow you to find influencers in social media and put your services in front of them.

Buzzsumo: Buzzsumo is a great content marketing tool. Buzzsumo allows you to search for niche-specific keywords and will bring up the top pieces of content in that niche. This will allow you to analyze your target niche and create content that they will want to read and share.

About the Author

Taylor Tomita is a creative writer residing in Boise, Idaho. With his large range of interests, he often is writing with the hopes of informing readers on news and updates throughout the business world. When not writing (or trying to survive the frigid Idaho winters) you can usually find Taylor creating music or talking about his giant cat.