The road to startup success is not always a predictable one, as only a few seeded startups manage to grow their finances within the first few months or years. Nevertheless, building a business from scratch can be an incredibly rewarding and enriching experience, and there are easier and cheaper resources that business owners can take advantage of now. Startup essentials such as website design, staffing, product development, and marketing are more accessible to everyone at a much lower cost than in previous years. The challenge now is how to launch and run a startup with minimal hiccups and potential for sustainable growth.
If you’re looking to launch your business, you need to build a good team. To achieve this, you need to get from a pool of talented people that can get the job done. However, you also want them to believe in your business’ mission and values.
When you first start out, you might not have adequate funds to bring on a whole team of employees, which is why it’s sensible to build a network of freelancers on a per-need basis to help you build your business from the ground up. Freelancers and contractors are also a good way to test the waters for new employees should you need a more permanent staff.
If you’ve been mulling over some ideas to get your ideas to materialize, and want to avoid rookie mistakes, here are six startup secrets to take off and keep your business growing:
1. Simplify your mission – Focus on what your business is, what it does, and what it represents. If you start drafting grand plans from the beginning, you might tend to shift gears and work on things that aren’t really part of your original plan.
2. Ditch your safety net – Having a backup plan is good, but it could also be a hindrance to the growth of your business. If you know you have a safety net, it might prevent you from aiming higher.
3. Do more with less – As a startup with limited resources, you can squeeze your core team’s creative juices and focus more on what needs to be done.
4. Build a great team – As mentioned above, hiring freelancers could be a great way to test the waters for a new staff. It should be stressed though that you shouldn’t just hire the “right” people, but get the people who have your required level of commitment—an important characteristic of a team working on a startup.
5. Be nimble – The landscape no longer changes every two to three years, but every so often. If you’re not quick on your toes, you might miss opportunities or fail to react to external threats that could bring your business to an early halt.
6. Be prepared and have fun – Educate yourself on whatever you’re getting into. If you keep guessing your next move, people might take advantage of you. While you’re busy planning the next steps to get your business rolling, don’t forget to have fun. Stay positive and find ways to maintain your passion and enthusiasm for what you're doing.
