Starting your own business can be very exciting. It takes gumption and commitment to nurture an idea from the ground up and turn it into a profitable business.
If you’ve secured funding or financial support, don’t think you have it made just yet. Start-ups face many common challenges before they even get off the ground. Continue reading to learn about seven ways your startup could fail this year and what business mistakes to avoid.
Table of Contents
1. Hiring the Wrong People
When you start your business, you’re sure to be running at hyperspeed. Work moves quickly, and you’re anxious to get your team in place to shoulder the workload. But don’t choose someone that’s only good enough for the job. Look for that A-player to place on your team, and don’t settle for less.
2. Not Paying for Expertise
Entrepreneurs are passionate and full of ideas. Your passion drives you and helps you get things done. But sometimes, there’s a downside to that passion. Business owners stretch themselves too thin, and they try to tackle important business tasks that only an expert should handle. Leave things such as legal matters and taxes to the specialists while you focus on your business.
3. Spending on the Wrong Things
Resist the temptation to build a flashy, spectacular website before you know who your customers are and how to best serve them.
Instead, launch your online presence with a basic website so people searching the internet can find your product or service and contact you. You don’t need to spend tons of money to impress and capture your customers early on -after all, you may not even know the extent of your audience yet. Once your customer strategy is more established, partner with the best internet provider and deliver a website that wows.
4. Forgetting about the Customer
Your customers came to your business for one thing: you have what they want. As your business grows, you will undoubtedly enhance your sales strategies. But don’t make the mistake of forgetting who got you where you are while you’re heads-down working. Customer care should always be a high priority, and putting your clients first helps you succeed as a business.
5. Not Telling Your Story
One of the fantastic things about starting your own company is that you know every chapter in its story. You’ve been there from day one, and you know every hill climbed, every shortfall experienced, and every victory won. Sharing your story is about sharing your passion, and it can help people see why they need your company in the first place.
6. Scaling Too Quickly
It can be easy to get swept up in the momentum that’s created when you’re selling a hot product or service. Sales may continue to rise while your resource pool gets spread too thin. Company culture can be affected, morale may dip, and customer service issues may arise due to employee burnout. In this scenario, your business may start to struggle. Carefully analyze your company’s growth to ensure you avoid growing too quickly.
7. Fearing Failure
Planning your next steps can help you make important decisions and avoid pitfalls. But if you’re stuck in the planning phase and not making progress, your stall is likely more about fearing failure than acting. Continue moving forward to push through the discomfort and make a difference for your business.
Now is a great time to start your own company. And by working hard, staying focused on your goals, and avoiding these common mistakes, you can keep your start-up soaring in 2018 and beyond.
