Most small businesses start simple: it involves one or two people who do everything. They create, promote, and ship or deliver products and services by themselves. Most of us don’t start with too much to invest or too many connections to rely on, so it’s understandable if you feel a little intimidated.
However, if you’ve been on Instagram or Twitter before, you would have seen a few small businesses popping up. These small businesses offer what a single—but skilled—individual might be able to produce. If you’re worried you can’t run a small business by yourself, you shouldn’t.
This article will look into some tips on how to get ready for your small business launch and why they’ll help.
Tips Before You Launch Your Small Business
Before you gear up to post that first promo on Instagram, consider laying the foundations for your small business. That way, it’s easier when orders start coming in. Consider the following suggestions:
1: Make it Easy to Contact You
Start with what most business owners of any size do: set up a business email. When you’re doing this on your own, don’t worry too much about creating a company email. A standard Gmail or Yahoo account will be fine for now, but consider upgrading once your business grows.
You don’t want to use an email address you made in high school. If possible, use your business name and make sure you’re using the same one when posting on different sites. Separating your business account from your personal ones is the best way to go—you don’t want business emails getting lost in your personal Facebook notifications.
If you have a shop location and business phone number, keep those consistent on your information pages, too. Adding too many contact numbers will not only be confusing to customers, but you might have a hard time managing multiple incoming phone calls by yourself.
2: Set Up Multiple Payment Methods
Most business owners will default to PayPal instead of bank transfers, and that’s because it minimizes the risks involved. However, some new mobile payment methods are beginning to take off, like Venmo. Some artists might also opt for tips through online channels, like Ko-Fi.
Depending on your products or services, giving your clients payment options is never a bad idea. Just make sure you’ll be able to keep track of them. Link them to your business email, and don’t mix them with oversaturated inboxes.
3: Interact on Your Social Media
You don’t have to constantly post funny or engaging content, but try replying to a few comments. Social media algorithms favor engagement, so the more people commenting, liking, or sharing your post, the more you’re going to get pushed to someone’s suggested page.
If someone asks a question you can respond to in a sentence or two, you should try replying to them. Remember that you don’t have to reply to every single one, but dropping a comment here and there helps with engagement.
4: Finalize Your Shipping and Delivery Methods
Consider the products and services you are offering, and list your delivery options. If it’s a physical product, look into whether you should go for USPS or a private shipping firm. Calculate the possible cost and see which one works best for you. Once you’ve decided, it will be easy to inform buying customers how much additional fees they have to pay.
If you’re offering services or digital products, you should also decide on the best way to deliver them. Do your clients have to come to your shop location? Do you send audio files through email? Efficiently delivering on what your offering is the best way to get good reviews.
About the Author: JC Serrano is a marketing expert, an entrepreneur, and a small business owner. He founded 1000Attorneys.com in 2005 and is one of the very few private enterprises with a certification from the California State Bar to process lawyer referrals in their state. His company holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is now the fastest-growing online lawyer referral platform.
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