Starting your own business is an exciting venture, there’s plenty to learn, and lots to get organised. If you’re embarking on a new business opportunity this year, make a start with these 5 areas of focus.
By Team Savant
Image: Markus Winkler
1 . Apply For Funding Opportunities
When money is tight, it’s well worth applying for appropriate grants and funding. Here are two examples.
FedEx Small Business Grant: The FedEx Small Business grant runs every year, awarding businesses between $25,000 and $50,000 for the grand prize. To enter the contest your pitch needs to demonstrate how your company makes a difference to the environment or the community.
Fundera’s The Zach Grant: Fundera awards a grant of $2,500 every year. To enter, businesses must submit a video that explains they started the company. Fundera judges the videos on originality, quality, and creativity.
2. Try Out Free Tools
Your startup might not have a big budget, and so it’s a good idea to use as many free tools as you can find. To support your project management try ‘Click Up.’ With the help of this tool, you can access features such as agile dashboards, customized views, and simple workload management. To improve your SEO, tools such as MozCast or Keyword Hero. Looking for a way to better manage your customer relationships? Then check out Zoho CRM.
3. Consider Your CSR
Corporate Social Responsibility is about aligning your values and branding with the good of society. To create a good CSR strategy, businesses should seek to have a positive influence, whether that’s on the environment, the economy, or social issues. According to a survey by Smart Recruiters, ‘ 77% of consumers say they would be more willing to purchase a company’s products or services if the company demonstrates a commitment to addressing social, economic and environmental issues.’
4. Fantastic Content Marketing
To survive a competitive landscape, businesses need fantastic content marketing. To ensue your content is top notch, take on board the following ideas:
Decide your goals: First, you should figure out what you are looking to achieve with your content marketing? Are you looking to improve your brand awareness? Chase leads, or foster loyalty?
Establish your USP: With a sea of similar content out there, you’ve got to establish your unique selling point. What’s different about your brand? How can you make your content unique, fresh, and original?
Measure the performance: Use analytics tools to measure the performance of your content marketing. When you define your strengths and weaknesses, it’s easier to improve your campaign. When you’re starting a small business, it’s important to measure your performance consistently.
5. Thoroughly Research the Market
When you’re starting out, it’s vital to perform detailed research about your industry. Find out everything there is to know about your sector, your competitors, and market trends. Perhaps you’re still figuring out the nature of your startup? Starting your business in a niche field can help you to gain more of a market share. For a unique business venture in 2021, consider investing in the animal husbandry sector. To find out more take a look at Charnwood Forest Alpacas.