Starting a business isn’t easy, but knowing exactly what type of business to start? Now that’s a tough one. Whether you’ve had a brilliant new idea and aren’t sure if you should run with it, or you were simply born with an entrepreneurial spirit, figuring out what to sell is half the battle, and maybe even the most important decision you’ll make in the battle. So how do you get it right? These four tips will help you with everything you need to know about how to start a business and what business you should be in so that you can beat the odds and see your business come to life (and stay there).

1. Do What You Love

They say if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. While there’s definitely some truth to that, starting a business is hard work that doesn’t let up for the first few years, so while you’ll absolutely be working, doing something you love will make putting in the long hours that much easier. You should also factor in your know-how; after all, it might not make sense to start a restaurant if you’ve never cooked professionally or managed a store before. But if you love interacting with people and have worked in sales your whole career, starting a business where you sell something makes a heck of a lot of sense!

2. Consider the Finances

As tough a pill as it might be to swallow, your finances should absolutely play a part in figuring out how to start a business. After all, when 8 out of 10 businesses fail within the first 18 months, you need to make sure you’ll still be standing if your new business starts to crumble. If you’re lacking on funds, loans, or start-up cash, opt for something that has little to no overhead to start so that you’re only investing your time (and not all of your life savings), like a virtual or mobile service.

3. Plan Your Lifestyle

When thinking about starting a business, you need to consider your current and future lifestyles. If you’re working a 9-5 gig, will you adjust well to 12-hour days, late nights and no sleep? Are you okay with having to miss important events because your new business needs your constant attention? If this in anyway scares you, you need to think about a business that requires less of a commitment from you, or else it might not make it.

4. Consider the Demand

Finally, you should think about whether or not there’s truly a demand for your new business. Whether a service or product, your new business needs to be something people actually want (and not just something you want). No matter how well you plan and execute your business, it won’t make it off its feet without customers that have a true need or desire for what you’re offering. Starting a business is hard, but all great businesses started out as a great idea, and so could yours with the right research ahead of time.

If you want to make sure your business gets off to the best start possible, get the help you need. Not only do we know how to start a business, and we know what resources you need to keep it running smoothly. Contact us today.

What can social media do for your business?

Last time we discussed The Importance of a Web Presence, now let’s take a look at having a social media presence. It is a highly valuable bonus to your business from a marketing standpoint. And almost all social media accounts are free! How is that for marketing dollars well spent?!

According to this blog from Clutch, only ten years ago 7% of the U.S. population used at least one social media channel. Guess what that number is today?! 65% and increasing! And a number of those users have more than one type of social media account.

Facebook still ranks as the most popularly used social media (86%), with Instagram in second by nearly half (48%).

Social media is a great way to interact more directly with your customers. You have instant access to them in a more personable way; you have the ability to answer their questions immediately; your account is also a place for your customers to post reviews and speak about your product in their own words. Which can be good when they are praising you, but it can also be valuable when they aren’t. It gives you an opportunity to fix the situation and show your customers that you care and it can also show you where you might need improvements to your product or service.

Being socially present and providing customer service via your social media, it allows your customers to have instant gratification (ohhh, there is that term again!) when they need to contact your business. That could result in a much faster purchase (personally, there have been occasions where I’ve changed my mind about purchasing something because I’ve had too long to think about it!). The more you interact with your customers, the more loyal they become. Especially when they’ve had a good experience, even if it may have stemmed from a bad experience that you managed to turn around!

Social media also allows you to get insights into your competition. Use that information to make decisions that could up your game and propel you ahead of your competition.

Social media platforms provide analytics that allows you to study the effects of your posts. You can see who you’re reaching; when that reach is at its highest; and when your customers are online.

It is true that social media is a valuable asset to your business, but it can be time-consuming for a small business that doesn’t have a lot of resources to dedicate to its social media platforms. That’s where a Virtual Assistant can come in really handy!

Hire a VA with a social media management background to create and post content. Or, if you already have a social media management guru and you just need someone to interact with your customers or provide customer service, a VA can do that too!

Let us know how social media has helped your business in the comments below.

If you want to discuss how I can help you with your social media needs, let’s chat!

Or, what do you mean they don’t have a website??!!

A few months ago, I was scheduling employment interviews on behalf of a longstanding client. He owns a couple of start-up companies, so currently there is no web presence to speak of.

During the time of scheduling these interviews, one of the candidates asked me where she could find the business’s website. I admit, I was not sure how to answer her question because the truth is, there was no website as of yet.

I did tell her that because the company was small, the website was a work in progress, but that she should pose her questions to the owner of the company during her phone interview. I felt it would be the perfect opportunity for her. And she wouldn’t be “stuck” for an answer when asked at the end of her interview “do you have any questions for me?” (I’m usually stuck for questions to ask if I haven’t prepared any in advance).

Which brings me to another point. How does one research a company to prepare for an interview if there is no presence on the web to research?

In my own personal experience, I have become somewhat hesitant about the legitimacy of a company if I am unable to locate them on the web. This is not something that occurred in people before the birth of the internet, we simply had trust. Not these days. If you don’t have a web presence, in some ways, your company may as well not exist. (Wow, that was harsh! But oh so true!)

This interview candidate even expressed a sense of nervousness about her upcoming interview because she could not find a company website. Her trust in the fact that this was a legitimate company was lost.

Now transfer that to a client’s perspective.

We rely on the internet for just about everything these days. If your business isn’t online in some way, even in the most minimal, your potential clients are going to seek out businesses that ARE online. We tend to look for information about a business online before we even set foot outside our door to make an in-person appearance.

Don’t lose potential clients simply because you don’t have an online presence. Simplistic web building sites are out there and some of them are free. Even if you build something basic, at least then your business has a presence on the world wide web!

If you need some assistance with building your web presence, drop me a line and let’s chat about your needs.

Stay tuned for the next blog where we’ll talk about the importance of a social media presence.

Please share any ideas, thoughts or comments below!

Or, the way to do business stress-free!

In our last blog, 10 Tips for the Traveling Entrepreneur, we gave you some tips and tricks to making travel less stressful and more comfortable. As promised, we’re going to discuss ways a Virtual Assistant can be an advantage to your business while you’re on the go.

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, a Virtual Assistant can ease your mind by taking care of your clients while you travel. Your business doesn’t have to come to a halt; the sales process can continue in your absence.

Let’s face it, we live in an instant gratification society and if you want to keep your clients engaged in your business, you have to provide them with that gratification.

A Virtual Assistant can benefit your business in the following ways:

Email Management

Imagine you’ve gone on vacation for a week and you’ve sworn to focus on relaxing with your family and stay away from your inbox. You return to find 400 emails waiting for you. Suddenly you wish you’d never taken a much-needed vacation!

Buuuut…imagine if you had a Virtual Assistant! Your VA could screen your emails as they come in, trash any junk mail, respond to anything urgent and keep your inbox at a manageable level. Even if your VA doesn’t have the proper answer to a client’s email, at least they can respond with something more personal than an “out of office” message.

Also, when a potential new client sends an inquiry, receiving an “out of office” notification could create some frustration (here is that instant gratification piece I mentioned), which could easily lead them to your competition for answers. And ultimately a loss of that potential client.

Customer Service

Your customers can still phone your business and receive assistance right away. When your clients call they’ll get a live person instead of voicemail. And your cell phone won’t be ringing off the hook when you’re trying to relax!

Setting up your VA as a Virtual Receptionist would be highly beneficial, not just as a temporary relief while you travel, but as a permanent part of your organization. Imagine the things you could accomplish if you weren’t constantly on the phone!

Create a list of common questions you receive, go over it with your VA and provide answers your VA can use to help your customers. That alone could cut your phone calls drastically.

Research

Are you an author? Do you need to research specific personal items that aren’t related to your business? And the reason you’ve been putting it off is that you know it’s going to take up more time than you have? Do you figure the only time you’ll have to do that kind of research is when you take time away from work?

Ohhh, the benefits of a VA that is a web research wiz are undeniable! Let your VA scour the web for that carpenter for your next reno project. Or that rare Mid Century Modern teak coffee table you’ve been dreaming of. If you find a VA who thinks outside the box, they’ll know how to dig deep on the internet and find exactly what you’re looking for.

Social Media Management

Clients will continue to see marketing posts via email, social media, blogs, etc. They may not even know you’re on vacation! Your VA can interact with clients via replies to comments on your social media posts (ahh, there is that pesky little need for instant gratification again!), keeping them engaged and interested.

Calendar Management

Appointments can continue to be booked, so you can look forward to a full schedule upon your return (without the stress of 400 emails to sift through first!). Your VA would also be available to reschedule or cancel any appointments on your behalf, if necessary. This way your client doesn’t have to wait for your return to reschedule.

I know some of these tasks may seem small, but in the bigger picture, your VA could save you a lot of time and energy. Not to mention, stress!

Vacations are meant to be relaxing, but how can you relax if your phone is ringing and binging with notification after notification? We all know that it’s difficult to ignore those sounds because sometimes even you, as the business owner, needs that instant gratification just like your clients.

With an experienced VA handling the ropes, you can feel at ease knowing your business is still flowing while you’re away.

If there is anything I can do to assist you in making your business successful, I have a plethora of skills and experience in my portfolio. Contact me today and let’s discuss what I can do for you!

If you can think of any other ways a VA might help you while you’re on the go, please share them in the comments below!