Ahh, the air always smells sweeter and fresher on January 1. The first month of the new year always brings optimism, new perspectives and new goals. It's also a catalyst for people starting their own businesses, and with the tools available online, starting a business has never been easier.
I started my design firm in the first months of 2008. I started it in the midst of the worst recession in a generation. I found that you should never use any force you cannot control, as an excuse. (For anything!) I remember at the time, I was driving by the only new house construction in my neighborhood, and the owner had a huge vinyl banner attached to the scaffolding saying "I refuse to take part in the recession". Extreme? Maybe. A little nutty? Sure. But it showed resilience and chutzpah. And that's what you need when you start a business. No time will ever be the right time. As every entrepreneur, I was hopeful, optimistic and had goals of growing my company to the point where I could live comfortably and provide a decent living for my family.
I also love what I do and that always helps.
Step 1 - Naming and making it official
First thing is first. Naming your baby. Make sure it is unique enough and does not compete with other brand names in your industry. Do a Google search, see what's out there. Choose something meaningful and distinctive. Practice answering the phone, that will dissuade you from many options, I guarantee it.
I picked Flat 6 Concepts - "Flat 6" being the penthouse apartment (flat) #6 I grew up in. That was the space where at the age of 10, I started designing my own magazine of "classifieds," complete with fictitious company names, bearing their own logos and taglines. I would have loved to share them with you, but I am pretty sure they are located deep in a landfill somewhere.
I looked up flat6concepts online and I was lucky enough to get a .com address. I know it's difficult nowadays but try to stick with a .com. Do not be swayed by other suffixes such as .info, .us, as those tend to come across as 'spammy' and untrustworthy.
Go Daddy is a reliable and affordable one stop shop for searching, registering and hosting your new website. I recommend it to all my clients since their customer service is superb, is based in the United States and can have you up and running in no time. (In full disclosure, I do not receive any compensation from any of the companies I mention here. You can scroll down to the bottom of this post to get the links to all the companies)
I have to admit, it's amazing how once you are settled on a name and you grab that domain, how excited and anxious you become. I already could envision my new office, my new clients and employees. Next thing in order was obviously opening a bank account under my new business name and registering my firm with the state, in my case, California. I found Legal Zoom to be an excellent and affordable service in dealing with all the legal paperwork needed.
Step 2 - Strategy
Before you launch to the world you must
carefully think about your target client or customer. When starting a
business you have to carve a niche. You simply cannot be everything to
everyone. Be brave in this respect and you will have better chances at
success. Narrow your focus. Competition is alive and well in all industries. What makes you
different? Why would your clients care? What do you offer that others
don't? Why should they care? How can you provide value to your clients?
When I first started my company I knew I had to specialize in something. In my previous
business I had been the founding partner and head of marketing and branding for an interior
design and furniture company based in Beverly Hills. For over 10 years
that's all I did. From photography to marketing to advertising and
eventually setting up a website back in 2002, I did it all. I loved that
niche and so I decided I will focus on the interior design / furniture
industries. I created marketing collateral and approached all the people
I had dealt with over the years and let them know about my new company.
I was an expert in their field and I could provide value to them, since
I knew, and still work with, all the big players in the industry, from
editors of national shelter magazines, to PR agencies, journalists,
authors and photographers. Start off with what you know best and all the rest will follow.
Step 3 - Brand identity and online presence - social media
Next item of business was creating a brand identity for my firm. I can never stress enough how important a proper brand identity is for a company, especially a start up. You need to do your research and see what your competitors are doing and create something that will be different, simple and appropriate for your industry. Invest in the best brand identity agency or graphic designer you can afford. Look at their past work and decide if they are the right fit, for the image you want to convey. Look at their client list and diversity in work. Your due diligence will pay tenfold down the line.
Come up with a tagline. A tagline is basically a short phrase that conveys a company's essence, personality and positioning. Not necessary, but it could play a vital role down the road depending on what industry you are in. Finalize and print business cards. Moo offers affordable well printed cards and short runs - ideal for people starting out.
Next order of business was creating a simple, informative website that will be user friendly easy to navigate, mobile friendly and inform your prospective clients what it is you are offering. Make sure ALL spelling is correct, ALL pages load properly and if you are using images, make sure they are crisp and sharp. You see, the good thing about the internet, it evens the playing field. Give the big guys in your industry something to sweat about.
Create a Facebook page. Create a Google+ page. Create a Linked-In page. Share your inspirations on Pinterest. Get a Twitter account. Get an Instagram account. Yes you have to. The more present you are online the more visible you become when people search for you or your company.
Curate the content you share. Create original quality, don't just share ubiquitous stuff. Make it interesting and personal. Be confident. Develop your own voice and be consistent.
Step 4 - The Company you keep
You have your new logo, business cards and website. All the tools you need to start. The world is your oyster! Go out there and do it. Tell all your friends, send them an email with a link to your brand new website, announce it on your facebook page and shout it from the top of the twitter mountain. Look for networking opportunities within your industry. Look for websites or blogs where you can submit your own personal expert opinion in your field. Seek out positive people who will help you, encourage you and become brand ambassadors of your business. Make time for pro bono work. Giving back is the right thing to do, and your company name will be thrust into a positive light. Learn to say no and use your intuition. If you are in the service industry and you think a client will not respect your work, or does not respect your time, they are not the right client. They will end up costing you much more than just time. (Sanity anyone?) If you are into selling products make sure the funds are in your bank account before shipping out anything. Be positive, be focused, be enthusiastic and always be ethical.
And don't forget - people care more about what you do, not what you say you will do.
Step 5 - Stay curious. Travel. Adapt. Have fun!
Resources
Website, domain registration, hosting - www.godaddy.com
Legal Paperwork filing - www.legalzoom.com
Printing - www.moo.com
Social networks - Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram
2 comments:
nicely put!
Thank you Christian!
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