Before we begin, this is meant to be a short guideline on how to start and not a hold-your-hand type of post. As someone starting a business, you cannot rely on someone helping you every step of the way as you will need to be able to solve small to big problems that will come up on your journey and every journey is unique. Having said that, there are certain problems that every first-time entrepreneur face irrespective of the nature of the business chosen. Though the following tips have been prepared by me keeping in mind local businesses and based on my experience as a local business owner, they can be applied to other businesses as well.
Start Lean
There’s plenty of local businesses you can start that don’t need much capital or years of studying. The key is to look for some that don’t require a license to start as that could take time and money to get. The second thing you want is one that everyone can do and practice. Here are some examples: house cleaning, carpet cleaning, dog walking, lawn mowing, laundry services, etc.
These are great for a beginner to start as it fits the criteria I mentioned above. Let’s use house cleaning as an example. You don’t need to go to school and get a degree to learn how to clean so you can save time and money. Most people have a place to live that they can use to practice on and if you don’t, you’ll likely find a friend who would be happy to let you clean their place for free. You will need to practice a bit before you’re ready to take on actual clients.
Marketing is Key. Even if you are tight on budget!
Once you pick your business to start and are ready to work, its time to start marketing yourself. A cheap way to do so is to print flyers and hand them around the nicer neighborhoods in your city as those families will likely pay for these kinds of services. Make sure to take good photos of before and after pictures of your work to show you’re the real deal.
Right Pricing
For pricing, you will need to do some research and see what the market price is and do not drastically undersell yourself as a way to get clients. Potential customers sometimes equate cheap prices to low quality work. Instead, you want to give a really good deal like half off for the first couple times to build a good relationship. Wear clean clothing, be professional and offer your clients a great customer experience and they will end up being repeat buyers. Turning customers into repeat clients is a very effective way to do business as you don’t have to spend money on advertising online, radio, billboards, flyers, etc.
It will suck having to work for so cheap or for free in the beginning but remember that becoming an entrepreneur is not a sprint but a marathon. As you get more customers and create a good cash flow you can begin to hire and train employees to work for you. Once you become comfortable and established in your city you can move on to another city and repeat the process.
This post has been written for Times of Startups by Daniel. Apart from writing as a guest author for various publications, he also owns the business of carpet cleaning in Battle Creek MI.
Disclaimer: The Views expressed in this post by the Guest Author does not necessarily reflect the views of the content creators of Times of Startups.
