So you want to start a business? Do you feel like you have no idea what to do and where to begin?
If your answer is, “heck yeah”, I’m going to get straight to the point and give you some clarity on what you should be thinking about and working on from the very beginning.
Do you know why you want to start your business?
Anything can be your motivator in starting your business. Your desire can be influenced by your personal life and struggles, or can even be induced by desiring to meet an unmet need in the world. This is where you will decide the passion that lies within starting your business. This passion and desire will be what keeps you motivated and will allow you to keep going.
You may be someone that really desires money, lots of money! You may want your business to make at least $1,000,000 and that’s your reason for starting a business. But girl, to be completely honest, wanting money alone will not be enough to keep your business going. You’ve got to have a purpose for the money and that purpose lies in your overall desire for your life.
So, get to know exactly why you want to start your business so that you can move on to the next step…
What kind of business do you want?
At the very beginning, you must decide what kind of business you want. Do you want a big humongous biz like google, apple, walmart? Or do you see yourself running a small biz with about 100-200 employees? Or maybe a tinny tiny biz that you run solo, or with a handful of employees?
Knowing this right from the start will give you an idea on where you want your business to go and how it will eventually function. And just to clarity, it’s totally possible to make $1,000,000+ in a tinny tiny business, people are doing it! The choice is yours, you can create an empire that suits the lifestyle you want and the impact you want in the world.
Exercise: Take some time and imagine what you want your life to look like when you’re running your business. Take into account the amount of free time you want, the impact it will have on your family, how many people you want to work with, if you would like to be mobile, and how many people you would like to reach. Write it all down. Come back to this list every day and reflect on this vision for your business.
Do you know who you want to serve?
Knowing who you want to serve is super crucial and a must when starting out. In the business of coaching and service based entrepreneurship we call this, “knowing your ideal client”. I mean, really knowing everything you possibly can about them. This will give you an idea on how to tailor make your services to fit your ideal client’s needs and desires. It also allows you to know who you want to work with so that you don’t find yourself with clients that leave you drained and on the verge of quitting.
Exercise 1: Write down your ideal customers’ age and gender. Write down a list of qualities that you want your ideal client to have. Write down what struggles they’re going through that you are able to help them with.
Exercise 2: Create a questionnaire highlighting important areas in your ideal customers’ life (i.e. their daily struggles, what they like to do, where they hang out, what they need help with, and questions pertaining to your niche etc). You can deliver this questionnaire through a survey or in an interview format to at least 10 people.
So that’s quite a bit of stuff to start thinking about and working on for now don’t you think! This all sets the foundation for your business and brand, and will help align you with your potential customers.
I’ve got a Q for you, what’s been your biggest challenge when trying to get clear on your business idea?
Share in the comments below!
Always and Forever,
~Nozipho
Verse of the Week: “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3
