What do you need to do to start a business? There are dozens of websites, checklists, and books that will carefully guide you through the business startup process. In our experience, to succeed in business today, you need to be flexible and have good planning and organizational skills, just to name a few.

By taking your time and planning out all the necessary steps you need to achieve business startup success, you can avoid some of the common mishaps and missed steps. Whatever type of business you want to start, using the following four tips as an overall guideline can help you be successful in your venture.

4 Secrets to a Successful Business Startup

1. Get Organized

No brainer, right? In order to achieve business success, you need to be organized. Period. This will help you complete tasks and stay on top of the things you need to get accomplished. One of the simplest ways to stay organized is to create a to-do list each day. As you complete each task, check it off your list. Not only is this a good business startup ritual, but this will ensure that you’re not forgetting anything while completing all the tasks that are essential to the survival of your business.

2. Start Small

Don’t come in too hot. Yes, entrepreneurs are risk-takers, but that doesn’t mean you go all-in right from the start. For the most part, successful entrepreneurs don’t like walking blindfolded on a limb; they take calculated They test an idea on a small scale, then build on what works well, tweak what shows promise, and discard the disasters. Do this.

3. Embrace Digital Marketing

There’s just no way around it. Business startups today require a digital presence. At the very minimum, you need a professional-looking website, an email list that lets you communicate with customers and prospects on a regular basis, and a presence on the social media channels frequented by your customers. While you may find many of your customers by word of mouth, referrals, or networking, you still need a strong digital presence. The reason? Prospective customers are likely to look you up on the web before they decide whether or not to contact you. It validates your business. Coupons, special offers, and practical information sent to your email list can encourage customers and prospects to buy from you or make repeat purchases.

4. Trust Your Gut Instinct More Than Any Spreadsheet.

Listen, it’s not all about the checklist or an app in the business startup world. There is a lot of “feelings” work that goes into a business startup, too. There are too many variables in the real world that you simply can’t put into a spreadsheet. Spreadsheets spit out results from your assumptions and can sometimes give you a false sense of security. In most cases, your heart and gut are still your best guide. The human brain works as a binary computer and can analyze only the exact information-based zeros and ones (or black and white). Think of your heart as more like a chemical computer that uses fuzzy logic to analyze information that can’t be easily defined in zeros and ones. We’ve all had experiences in business where our heart told us something was wrong while our brain was still trying to use logic to figure it all out. Sometimes a faint voice based on instinct resonates far more strongly than overpowering logic.

Business Startup with Charley Grey

Starting a business can be one of the most thrilling things you will ever do. If you are willing to work hard and listen to your customers, you are setting yourself up for success. You don’t succeed in a business startup just by completing a list of tasks, and it’s important to have the right help in place. At Charley Grey, we design, build, and manage websites that are not only stunning but can be easily found on the web. We want our clients to succeed, and a big part of that success is having a strong presence on the web. Let us help you get started today!

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Photo credit: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay