The fact is that many startup die in the first three years and some of them die by the wayside in the first six months. It is not because their idea was not good enough but there were things that were not considered beforehand. To give the best chance of surviving the incubation period we have compiled 10 things to research before you start your own startup.
Registering your company
The way you register your startup is very important as it will define the legal and financial status of your startup. In India there are 5 types of company that could be registered.
- Sole Partnership
- Partnership Company
- One Person Company
- Limited liability Partnership
- Private Limited Company
There are both pros and cons to in the registration of the company. Go what will suit your business in the long run.
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Size up the competition
Research the competition well in the market, study your competitors, how they are doing their business. The product you are planning to launch might already be in the market but you could always sell your product with a difference. Even a small change in the packaging could attract buyers. If your startup is service oriented then how your service is going to make a difference in the life of others. Entrepreneurship is not about winning but rather it’s about making a difference. Even though there will be big giants in your competition, however there will be people who are left out the service and that is your chance.
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Defining your target audience
If you know your customers then you know what to do. Appealing to everyone appeals to no one. When you funnel your target audience then you can design and style everything around it, from the packaging of your product to marketing campaigns, it will be easy to design everything. Connect with your audience, involve them in the business, send questionnaires, and reach out through social media. Involving clients will breed loyalty. There words for you to others will bring in more clients.
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Paying yourself
How will you survive during the incubation of your startup? This question has to be answered. You might have best intentions of putting profits straight back into the business, but the fact is, you have to going to eat, drink and put a roof over your head. Plan ahead to how much you are going to pay yourself, cut back on luxuries till there the business rises to certain level.
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Impact of business name
Brainstorm on your business name, the brand identity that you are going to develop, should also have an available web domain name. It is the first thing that your customers will see will know you by the name. Consider things like what your name need to say about your business.
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Marketing planning
Every successful business is based upon marketing planning. You are just starting off so no need to plan a big marketing campaign. Start with increasing a small network with social media like Facebook and Twitter. Start a blog, host guest meetings, and reach out to suppliers, fellow retailers, and local business organizations. Be as creative as possible but don’t be a loud mouth. Sometimes exaggerating about product could hamper its image.
Look for funding
In an ideal situation you would have enough money to self fund your startup, but for the majority of us that would not an option. First try and ask from family and friends before applying for bank loans. Bank loans charge hefty interests, so keep it as your last option. Another way to is to start with a small amount, grow your business into something and get back to others, showing them that your business works.
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Develop USP
Build upon the USP (Unique selling preposition) of your product and service. This could decide your fate as an entrepreneur. Without a USP you will not survive the market. Why people will come to you as they have other options available. Unless and until you are offering something others are not providing. Again remember how your service or product will make a difference in others life. The best USP takes a unique quality and explain how that quality will benefit your customer.
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Licensing and legal issues
There are host of legal obligations you need to consider and its best to get at least one session of legal advice. Pre check with local authorities if there is a need to procure a special license before you head with your venture. If your service requires a legal agreement with you and your client then prepare a document that protects the rights for both parties. Dealing with it later may end your business in a graveyard.
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When to start
Timing is everything, don’t rush into things and quit your day job. You could use that salary in the short term. Start piecing your business together after office hours and only make that leap when your business could sustain you and cooked enough that you could give it full-time attention.
Image credit: www.businessgrowthcentre.org