What Is Needed To Start And Keep A Small Business

There is not one business person that at one point has not thought of “What is needed to start a small business” to go on his/her own, having the dream, being independent and having a business. Oh, boy! But are the odds against us. So much is written about the three year itch, period that experts say most business go kaboom. But it doesn’t stop at three years how about within five years? It’s still a big possibility that your business will not succeed. So what to do, do I plunge in to fulfill a dream, an idea and in some cases, a need?

Reality of What is needed to start a small business; well it depends who you are. Let me explain. There are certain traits that you need working at its maximum level “all of the time” and one of them is not, necessarily intelligence.

Which are those traits? Brace yourself emotionally and pay attention because if you do not embrace these elements of success you’re in for a rough ride and possibly for a depletion of bank moola. Are you ready, here we go with the twelve Apostles of business success:

1. Constant check of emotions – No place for pity, feeling sorry or crying. Even if you have a partner, you’re alone and no one, but yourself will get you out of the deep.

2. Persistent – You have to go, go, go, go, can’t give an inch of doubt. Yesterday was yesterday today is a new day! This is your mantra your core believe. Don’t look back, better days are in front of you.

3. Alert – You have to be in the know constantly, it is not just about the physical or intellectual demand of the business, it’s about being a journalist. Be inquisitive, curious, and studious of your trade or business field. Get to know as much as you can, on a daily basis, about your competition, association and networking.

4. Networker – Ah, not a choice! You either do it or risk failure.

5. Wise – Listen, listen and then, listen. Learn from other people and think how their experience can be applicable to your arsenal of risk avoidance and astute investment.

6. Stubborn (at times) – Now, this is tricky, too much of stubbornness is ill advise but an ounce of it, well, is needed. Mix with persistence, at times, stubbornness is needed to get your emotions in check. I am not advocating for you to be stubborn against reason, which might be serve by wise people or by logic, but rather for you to stay focus and in line with the plan.

7. Dream – Why not, isn’t dream what keeps all of us hopeful, visionaries, with energy to overcome the impossible. Dreams are define the following way:

A successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.

Folks, dream! It can become the oasis that we need throughout the journey.

8. Insecure – Don’t go into the venture feeling that you know it all, that you are better than anyone else in your field of choice because YOURE NOT! Go in with humbleness, with a student mind set and at the same time knowing that you have something to give, it is a balance act.

9. Who has your back? – Someone has to believe in you, support you, give you hope and strength, someone.

10. 24 hours and seven days of pure adrenaline – Starting a business or even keeping up with it is a perennial expedition and one that will never end, that is if you want to succeed and stay alive.

11. Do not, do not borrow!! – If you can avoided don’t get in dept., start small, and be realistic and never idealistic. When it comes to staying solvent you need adequate levels of funds to cover your personal and/or family expenses. Be responsible and evaluate what funds you’ll need to get the business going or keep the business in the black and at the same time keep your personal live in financial check.

12. You are on your own, do you understand! – It is a lonely universe been the owner, captain of your own business, it is definitely, without doubts, an emotional burden with ups and downs, peaks and valleys, so be warn and stay the course.

There is no doubts that to answer “What is needed to start a small business” you must be passionate, smart, knowledgeable of the field you have chosen, have enough funds to invest and keep yourself solvent; all “a given” if you are to survive. But the twelve Apostles of success are components of a person’s make-up that no one seems to mention or propose when addressing the tools needed to succeed in business. These Apostles you learn as you go. I wish someone would have mentioned them to me, I would have been better prepare, equipped to manage “self”. It would have given me a depth an insight of what anyone going into his/her own business MUST DO, IT IS NOT A CHOICE OR A “OH, WELL, I HAVE SOME BUT NOT ALL; GUYS, YOU EITHER HAVE  IT ALL OF THEM OR DON’T GO INTO BUSINESS!

OK, I GET IT!

Do you really get What is needed to start a small business As much as we all tend to think that we have great talent, knowledge and charismatic personality the fact is we all need a strong foundation that will allow us to reach success. So, where do I start? Well, like I said let’s stick to the facts.

Fact Number One:

We are in a digital world which allows you to reach media sources that can benefit your enterprising efforts in ways that 15 years ago you couldn’t.

Fact Number Two:

Gather a budget that will allow you to keep your present living standards (for you and your family) and will not stress you out for the first year. Don’t believe does that advocate to have enough funds for six or eight month, it just doesn’t work. If you have to wait another year or two to have the adequate funds, wait.

Fact Number Three:

Draw an outline of what business model you want to have for the business. Once you have the outline, draw a business plan and follow it like an architect follows his blue print.

Fact Number Four:

Seek the services of an SEO/Graphic Design Agency. Make them part of your team. Explain what you’re looking to do and they will provide a budget that is realistic to your needs. If the budget is too high then you might have to reconsider what you want to do.

Every business needs to be immunize from the word go and that means having an adequate funding for your internet/digital presence. As mentioned on Fact One we are in a digital world and old media (TV, Magazines, Billboards, Radio, and et al.) was not and is not necessarily affordable by a startup business or even a small successful business with five years of operation. Traditional media was, well, and still is, expensive. But today digital options are extremely affordable and ROI, for the dollar invested, extremely impacting. The following chart gives you actual comparisons for each of the communication medias.

 

As you can see the cost variance from the traditional media to the SEO/Digital option is vastly different and one option that, in today’s business environment, is not only achievable by any budget but necessary. Many businesses decide to go and create a free website but is the site “Working for your small business” is it a tool that you can use to “Grow” your business? These questions need to be answer as you create your business model/plan. Your competitors are as tough, smart and dedicated as you; but, they might have the marketing savvy and insight that you might opt to bypass. Don’t make the mistake of indulging into erratic marketing mistakes, the fact is that if you want to inject clients into your company then you must have an internet site that is dynamically position and that keeps up with the changes on the internet.

WHY THE NEED OF SEO TO START A SMALL BUSINESS

 TECHNOLOGY MARKETPLACE FOR SEO

One of the challenges of the term SEO is that relative to other communication Medias it’s new (18 years, by some count). It is one still fragmented and immature. It has been only in the last eight years that we have seen credible and professional metrics and some other sources that provide highly technical tools to manage the SEO process. In order to provide a clear view of this nascent industry let’s take a look at some numbers that will give us a better understanding of why so, so many people are still in the dark of how powerful and affordable this medium is. According to Forrester Research (one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world) SEO technology marketplace will be roughly $640M USD in 2016. However, I believe that he number will be surpass by the Social Management Technology which shows a sharper curve than just SEO Technology. According to the numbers the market was sized in 2012 at $389M US and is due to grow to $970M US by 2016.

 

 

What to extrapolate from this facts? It is obvious that these new emerging world of digital connection with a brand is the way to go now and from this point forward.

Start and keep a small business by marketing with SEO

 Risk takers, that is who we are when we start a small business or even when we stick to it for years to come. So now how can we leverage the power of this SEO medium (mobile, social and online website marketing) to make my brand recognized, my services known and provide an influx of clients that will ascertain my success.

SEO Marketing in a small business is rather important and business owners need to plan well before they take serious steps into the venture. If the conditions permits that a business owner begins a new entrepreneurial undertaking, he/she needs to include marketing concepts, in the business plan. The marketing concepts need to be affordable and in line with the forecasted budget. Of course the way to go is with a medium that will provide an effective ROI for each dollar spent. As shown there is no better medium than an SEO Marketing campaign.

What is needed to start and keep a small business brand relevant and competitive in the market is:

1. Professionally Design Website Wireframe – *1
2. Professionally written content
3. Social Media Websites
4. Video Content
5. Mobile Website Friendly
6. Photos of your work
7. Testimonials
8. Always remember the twelve Apostles

In the second part of my article “What is needed to start a small business“we will cover more insight into the SEO Marketing Tool and more statistical facts. These statistical facts will give you a good and comprehensive knowledge of the SEO Marketing Tool as a vehicle to initiate or increment a sound client base for your business.