You’ve started, you’re in motion, you’re most likely extremely excited, maybe a little scared. You’re in motion, but want to make sure you’re going in the right direction, and that you haven’t missed any steps. You would probably love some recommendations to make things run even smoother.
Have you established your perfect customer avatar? Where do they live?, what are their hobbies?, are they single?, married?, children?, love dogs?, love cats?, travel?, income? What do you know about them? Remember it is better to be specific here.
You might be thinking, but wait…if I’m too specific, then I’m not talking to everyone! You’re right, however, if you talk to “everyone”, then nobody is going to think you’re talking to them…think of it like a dart board, in the center is your ideal client. If you're familiar with playing darts the bulls eye is in the middle. However, there is always a chance you are going to hit some of the outer circles. This is the same with your customers, you will design your ideal customer so you know how to message to them, but you aren’t going to turn someone away that may fall outside of your bullseye. The clearer you are on your perfect customer, the easier your branding becomes.
At this point you will also need to establish your brand identity. This includes your design choices, such as font, colors, logo, graphics and your written voice. With that, you will want to establish your values and how you would like to be perceived. Lastly, you will decide how you want to communicate your brand.
Ok, so now that you’ve spent a bit of time in creating your perfect customer and a logo, there will be some formalities; location, office, employees, establishing your business with your state, banking accounts, products, website, email, business cards, e-commerce platforms, clothing/unifrom, social media, launch events and more. This is going to take some time and research along with a business plan and budget.
As you are continuing to get situated, you will want to be very organized as you are making your decisions. You may want to utilize spread sheets such as Excel or Google Docs in order to expedite budgeting calculations. You’ll want to keep your files (paper or digital) well organized and be sure to establish a professional business email for your correspondences. That way if you need to reference a conversation you know exactly where to find it.
As all these moving pieces are coming together, you will need to continue to establish your internet presence, decide which social media platforms you would like to use and set up your email campaign provider. You will also want to create your landing pages and sales pages. Remember as you are doing this, you will want everything to be consistent with your brand feel, brand identity and your messaging to your Avatar (perfect customer).
At this point, this may all sound a bit overwhelming, no worries, I’m here to help! Myself and my team can execute these items quickly whether it is along side you helping, or if you would like us to take over projects. In either, case we consult with you, your partners and any other decision makers to create a guideline. We will then be in continuous communication as decisions are made.
All along the way, you will want to be building relationships with like minded people. Depending on your business, you may want to network locally, maybe through your local Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Association, or other complimentary business building groups or associations. There are also many online ways to meet other businesses and establish a working relationship. Remember, don’t get stuck behind the screen, unless of course you are virtually having coffee with your customers. Sometimes it is easy to “hide” in the background.
It takes courage to start your own business and I would like to say congratulations! If you’ve read this far, you may be wondering what you just got yourself into! I’m here to tell you, utilize your resources, reach out, as someone who has gone before you and helped others do the same. I promise you the expedited learning curve is the way to go. Please continue to utilize any and all tools you find valuable. If you would like, please sign up for our “Business Ownership: Real Topics” emails. We look forward to helping you in any way we can.
And again, congratulations!
-Jen Stevenson
Owner: Ready, Set, Jen!
"Consistency Will Always Win”
www.ReadySetJen.com