Starting a business sounds hard, doesn’t it? All the investments to make, inventory to keep track of, etc. can be so intimidating! I mean, how is it even possible to start your own small business while trying to get your degree? Well, it’s not as bad as you think it is. So, let’s get started.
- Find your talents
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Start off by putting together a list of your biggest accomplishments. Don’t be shy, hype yourself up! If you can’t think of anything, ask friends or family to help you out. Find out what you’re passionate about and what you’re good at. Once you find that winning skill, you have your first step to getting your business started.
- Find your target buyer
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Who’s your ideal buyer? What are their struggles that you can help with? What are the goals and successes that you can help them achieve with your product or service? After you figure those two points out, figure out what it is that your buyer needs to get from that beginning point to the place of success.
- Do some research
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Now that you know what demand you want to fill, do competitor research. Find companies or small businesses that do the same thing you want to pursue, and check if they’re profitable! Check everywhere: YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, literally every corner of social media you can think of to find these pages. Gauging how well they’re doing with their business will give you a pretty good idea of how big of a demand there is for your potential product/service.
- Create content!
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You’ve found your focus, great! Now what? It’s time to hop on social media. Make an Instagram account, a Facebook page, whatever you’d like to document your journey with starting your business and building your personal brand. Just remember that you don’t have to have everything figured out before you start on socials. Here are some things I’ve personally learned from my side hustle: start creating content at least a month before you open shop/start selling. This way, people will know about your shop before opening and you bring in more potential customers for your opening day! And it’s okay to change your mind. My personal brand has changed its look multiple times now, and I know I’m still not done finalizing everything!
- Be active
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So now that you’ve made your socials, go find competitors and inspiration pages to follow! Then you’re going to want to follow some people from their Followers list. It sounds sneaky, but trust me, that’s how a lot of businesses get their name out! Engage in your comments sections, be active in liking and commenting on other business accounts, conduct research surveys, and maybe even join some Facebook groups that are relevant to your business. When you’re first starting, getting your name out there is your #1 priority.
- Believe in yourself
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Everyone’s got to start from somewhere, right? I mean, even Apple started in a garage. And look at where they are now. So, don’t get discouraged if things are looking slow in the beginning. It takes a lot of businesses weeks or even months to get their first sale. Just take a deep breath, have confidence in all the work you’ve put into your business, and do your best!
What are you waiting for? Get out there, start your business, and make some sweet moolah!