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We’re living through some pretty unprecedented times. Just a couple of months ago, few people were aware that we’d end up engulfed by a worldwide pandemic, the kids would be off school, we’d be home from work and that we wouldn’t know when things will return to normal. But along with all the terrible things that are happening at the hands of coronavirus and Covid-19 at the moment, there are small positives that have got many of us rethinking the way we live our lives. Some of us are finally having time to reflect on our usual lifestyles. We don’t want to go back to rising at the crack of dawn, rushing the kids out of the house, commuting and spending the whole day behind our desks at work. We want more freedom. We want more flexibility. We want more of this time we’re getting with our little ones. Following this scenario, there’s a good chance that many of us are going to depart from the nine to five lifestyle and seek something else. Now, this can be daunting. You need to make money to support your family. But why not start a business of your own? This could be a great new lifestyle for you and your family!
The Perks
Let’s start by looking at the perks. To begin with, you become your own boss. You don’t have to answer to anybody else. You choose your own work schedule. If one of your little ones is unwell, you don’t have to grovel to take time off to care for them. If you want to book a holiday, you don’t have to request annual leave months in advance. You make your work life work for you and your kids. Then there are other benefits. You get to choose what area you specialise in. You can focus on products or services that matter to you or interest you. All in all, there’s a lot more potential for happiness and a good work-life balance here.
Getting Started
Here are just a few pieces of advice that can help you to get your business started off on the right foot.
Brand Yourself
You need a brand if you want to succeed. So, come up with a good company name and trademark it. Come up with a tagline. Trademark it. Come up with an aesthetic – colours, fonts, a general feel and attitude. This needs to appeal to your audience and tie in with what you’re selling.
Opt for Ecommerce
You can open a traditional brick and mortar store, sure. But all in all, Ecommerce is generally better for start ups. There are less costs involved. You don’t get tied into contracts on commercial premises. You can have a wider reach. Your business can operate around the clock. E Commerce is the way to go.
Know the Right Professionals to Collaborate With
You won’t be able to do absolutely everything yourself. So know the right professionals to collaborate with. Web designers and web developers will help to get your website set up properly. A graphic designer can come up with a logo for you. A product photographer can show your products in their best light. By utilising copywriting services they will create the written content for your web pages and blog. An IT agency can come up with a seamless IT strategy for business growth.
Know Your Market
You can have a great product idea. But you need to make sure that it has potential to sell before bringing it to life and investing a lot of money into it. This is where market research comes into play. Get to know who you’re targeting with your product. Talk to them. Conduct surveys. Hold group chats. Do a little product research with them. This will give you a good idea in regards to whether there’s demand there, how much people will pay for your product and whether there’s room for a profit margin.
Sure, this is a lot to think about and take on board. But when have we ever found ourselves with more time on our hands? Get started with your planning now and by the time this whole situation passes, you could be ready to get started on your new career path. You could be ready and raring to go to break onto the market and generate sales and profit soon enough. You’ll improve your own life and your family’s lives before you know it!
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