The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Business: Step-by-Step Instructions

When it comes to starting a business there is a lot to consider, from creating a website to promoting your brand. Although it may seem challenging, all you have to do is establish and follow a strategy that will help you meet challenges as they arise, and move smoothly towards your goals. For this reason, we have put together a complete guide with everything you need to know about starting a business, to help you get started on the road.

Before you launch your business, take a moment and make sure you have the confidence and preparation to start this process. Starting a business is something very attractive because it means achieving professional growth, pursuing long-awaited goals, developing new skills, and overcoming challenges.

While there are many benefits to starting a business, you also need to prepare for the pitfalls that may arise. Even great leaders go through difficult times, which later become valuable lessons. That is why we want you to feel safe before starting the path of entrepreneurship.

How to start a business?

Develop your business idea
Carry out a market study
Test your business idea
Choose a name for your business
Write a business plan
Build a pitch deck
Choose a type of business
Secures capital and cash flow
Make your business official
Create your business brand
Create your business marketing strategy

1. Develop your business idea

As someone considering starting a business, you most likely have an idea of what product or service you want to offer. Still, you should keep in mind that most ideas require money, and time, and may even carry potential risk. You will need to refine and test your idea to make sure it is a viable option. Below we propose some business ideas, if you are interested in exploring more, we recommend you read our list of ideas for work-from-home and profitable online businesses, which you can start immediately.

Dropshipping business: If you are looking to start a business on a limited budget, dropshipping can be a good option. Dropshipping is a type of retail that allows you to sell products without having to have your inventory. In other words, your main job will be to market the products and make sales. Your providers will take care of the rest. With dropshipping, the most important thing is knowing what to sell.

Print-on-demand business: Starting a print-on-demand business involves working with a vendor who will take your designs, print them on blank items like T-shirts and mugs, and ship the orders. It’s a great way to twist everyday products and sell them online. For freelance artists and designers, it’s a viable way to start making money online, and it can help reinforce your brand identity.

Professional services business: If you choose to start a service business instead of selling products, you will essentially be monetizing your talent and experience. Start by choosing a service, it can be a physical trainer, copywriter, or coach. Then create a services website to promote what you offer. You can even have customers book directly through your website, using online booking software.

2. Carry out a market study

Have these examples inspired you? We suggest you pause and consider identifying your target audience and testing your idea. Although it is important to choose an idea according to your passions, it is also crucial that there is a market demand for your product or service. For your business idea to thrive, you must think in terms of scalability and the long-term needs of your target market.

This starts with extensive market research, from potential customers to statistics and reports related to your industry. Essentially, this specialized research combines consumer behavior and market trends. There are two types of research: primary and secondary.

Primary research is the direct study of your target market through first-hand research, such as conducting user interviews or focus groups. You’ll want to define who your customers are and further segment your market by age, location, language, purchasing power, or even stage of life (for example, college students, newlyweds, or retirees). This will help you identify and analyze the characteristics of your customer base for the development of your overall business strategy.

Secondary research consists of gathering information from external sources, by conducting an online search or using public documents and commercial research agencies. Later on, you can also find internal data just as useful. You can use your own sales reports and see what trends have been generated.

You will also want to gather information about your competitors to have a clear understanding of your competitors, see new opportunities, and develop your own business by learning from your competitors. A SWOT analysis is a powerful tool for measuring and evaluating the overall performance of your competitors, where you analyze your strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats.

3. Test your business idea

Before moving forward with your business idea, you’ll want to validate it by testing it in the real world. This can involve anything from focus groups to surveys and interviews to gather information.

Another strategy is to create a landing page for your target audience and see if you get any clicks. This is not only low cost, but it can also help you gauge consumer demand in your market and generate interest in your product idea.

If you see that your idea does not arouse the interest of potential clients, it is time to evaluate other options. Think about how you can refine and refresh your idea to add something new, or how you can adapt it to more directly respond to consumer needs.

4. Choose a name for your business

Are you satisfied with your business idea? The next step is to come up with a name for your business. This is one of the most crucial and challenging steps in starting a business. First, your business name will appear everywhere, influencing your marketing and branding efforts later on. Second, the right name will create a first impression on your potential customers.

Now that we’ve highlighted the importance of choosing your business name, you can start finding your business name with a business name generator. A business name generator can help you come up with some ideas. Think of one or two words that best describe your business and type them into the tool. During this step, we encourage you to use descriptive terms that communicate what you want your business to represent, such as “fast,” “brilliant,” or “innovative.”

You can then narrow down your options by doing market research and seeing what names your competition is using. This will help you gauge the personality and overall tone of other brands in your industry. Remember your business name must be:

Unforgettable: Find a short and simple business name that leaves an imprint in the minds of your consumers.

Scalable: You have to take into account all the possible paths that your business could take shortly. This may mean a change in geographic location, niche, or product offering. Then you may realize that naming your business after a place, something very specific, or a type of product could limit you when you want to expand.

Relatable: Incorporating your brand story into your business name can arouse certain emotions in your audience, thereby attracting customers.

When you have chosen the indicated name you must check that it is available. You need to think about the legal issues of your business name. You will have to make sure that no one else has logged it. Taking this step will allow you to see if your trademark has already been registered for another business or related products or services.

There is also another important point to keep in mind when checking the availability of your business name, over time, you will want to create a website for your business. Since your domain name (also known as your online address) will likely be the same as your business, you’ll need to make sure it’s available. To check their availability, do a web domain name search. For more information on creating a business website and choosing a domain name, we recommend reading our complete guides, on how to create a website and how to choose the best domain name.

5. Write a business plan

Another essential step when creating a company is to develop a well-organized plan. In essence, a business plan is a document that serves as a roadmap for how to structure, operate, and manage your new business. It also helps attract potential partners, investors, and banks and breaks down the cost of starting a business. Using a business plan template is an effective way to get your ideas down on paper. Here are some of the essential components to include:

Executive Summary: Provide an overview of your business concept or proposal. If you had to explain your work in a minute, it should be the information contained in this summary

Mission statement: This is a brief description of the purpose of your business, including its core values, its objectives, and the guarantee that you give to your customers to offer a quality product or service. It is important to keep in mind that the mission of a company must differentiate your business from its competitors.

Industry Analysis: This section includes research on your industry, such as trends and growth. Here you need to assess how big it is and how it will change the industry you are interested in. Who are your competitors and what are their main strengths and weaknesses?

Analysis of your customers: Next, focus on your target audience and ask yourself how you plan to reach them. You must clearly state the needs of your customers and specify how you can satisfy them with your product or service.

Financial projections: This part of your business plan will track how much money will come in and go out along the way. Investors want to see hard numbers to justify their investment risk. It includes a forecast report on sales (based on industry and market trends), expenses, sunk costs, estimated cash flow, and expected profit or loss.

Operational plan: Finally, conclude with an action plan. If you have a team, write down how each member will contribute to achieving the goals and objectives of your company. Answer questions like What is my timeline? and What are the milestones I want to achieve? For both, think in terms of years and quarters.

6. Build a pitch deck

A pitch deck or investor presentation file is a short presentation that helps potential investors learn more about your business and the “what, why, and how” questions.

The best way to create your presentation is by putting eye-catching content that includes both images and text. We recommend creating your pitch deck following the following tips:

Show passion for your business: Start by telling an interesting story that demonstrates your commitment to your business idea. Explain how your passion not only helped you get the idea but also how it will lead you to success.

Solve a problem: Explain how your product or service will fill a gap in the market or solve a problem. Convince potential investors that your business will create value for customers over time, with the life cycle of the product.

Use data-driven content: This will help you establish credibility and show that you are creating your product or service with a deep understanding of the needs of your market.

Maintain consistency between font size, color, and layout: Your slides should look professional, reflect your corporate identity, and be carefully planned.

7. Choose a type of business

Different types of businesses are used to reduce both costs and red tape when starting a new company. Choosing which one will best meet your needs is based on many factors, including the personal liability you want to take on, tax costs, and business registration requirements. For example, a sole proprietorship is the easiest to register but carries the most personal liability. The most common types of businesses are:

Sole proprietorship: It refers to a business that is owned by one person, who assumes all his legal responsibility.

Partnership: It is the formal agreement between two or more partners who work together towards a common goal.

Corporations: It is an organization legally considered a unitary entity. Some examples are Amazon, Apple, and IBM. Keep in mind that there are different types of corporations with different legal implications.

Limited Liability Company (LLC): A hybrid between a corporation and a partnership. In this type of business, the owners have limited liability, but are also intermediary entities like corporations.

Research and compare the advantages and disadvantages of different business structures to find the one that is best for you. And remember that a lawyer can also help you in the process.

8. Secure capital and cash flow

By now, you should be talking more explicitly about how to raise money for your business. You will need both sufficient capital and a reliable cash flow to get it up and running. From applying for grants and loans to reaching out to an investor or creating a fundraising campaign, there are many different strategies for securing capital for your business. Here are some ways you can use to raise money:

Applying for a small business grant: The biggest advantage of using grant money is that you won’t have to pay it back. You can also check out private institutions that offer small business grants, such as FedEx.

Launch a crowdfunding campaign: This is a quick and easy way to share your ideas at scale, get feedback, and raise money at the same time. When choosing one of the many crowdfunding platforms, consider the fees, terms, and conditions of each, as well as the type of audience they typically attract.

Bootstrapping: In some cases, investing your own money can overcome the challenges of having to rely on outsiders. To reduce your own costs and financing risks, you’ll want to minimize outside resources and cut expenses whenever possible.

Apply for a loan: Small businesses can apply for loans from banks and other financial institutions. But first, you must know how much you need and have good reasons for it. Using the financial projections from your business plan, you can estimate an amount and know the type of loan you need.

Finding an Investor: Angel investors often find each other through mutual contacts and even within the family. However, there are hundreds of other high-net-worth individuals who finance start-ups with their funds, especially in their early stages.

9. Make your business official

Before launching your business to the world, you will also have to carry out all the legal and formal procedures. Keep in mind that the advantages of registering your business include personal liability protection, legal and brand protection, and tax benefits. All of them are crucial for the prosperity and expansion of any business operation. You must familiarize yourself with the different requirements and regulations for registering a business, the relevant certifications, and VAT.

10. Create your business brand

Building your brand is a very important part of building a business. Simply put, branding is about creating a consistent voice, brand identity, and values for your business. All of this helps you stand out in a saturated market and build recognition among your target audience. Here are some of the most important brand assets to look out for:

Logo of your business: Your logo will be the most remembered of your business. As it is the face of your venture, it has to represent your business and its values. When creating a logo, make it unique, and identifiable, and use images and colors that convey the right message or sentiment to your audience.

Website: Considering that more and more people are connected online, creating a website is an absolute necessity to start a business. Likewise, potential customers, investors, and partners will visit your website, so this is an opportunity for you to make a strong first impression of your brand.

Business Cards: In the digital age, why do we still need business cards? Well, it’s still faster to hand someone a business card than it is to email your details. The ease, mobility, and accessibility with which you can convey valuable information on paper is an option you want to have on hand in any setting.

Business email: Having a business email sends a signal to your customers that you are a well-established brand. When they see your professional email, they can also easily identify your business, which reinforces your credibility and brand recognition. We share our guide on how to create a business email.

11. Create your business marketing strategy

Once you’ve launched your business, you can start creating a marketing strategy that will fuel the growth and scalability of your business. Having a marketing plan will allow you to attract potential consumers, generate business leads, and make sales. Here are some of the most common marketing strategies to keep in mind:

Social media marketing: Considering that so many consumers use social media, you shouldn’t even think about pursuing this strategy. Social media marketing gives you massive exposure to diverse groups of people. From Facebook and Instagram to Twitter and LinkedIn, simply choose a platform that your target audience is active on and that serves your business needs.

Email marketing: A very effective tactic is email marketing because you can promote your brand and increase engagement. With this method, you can do mass mailing, reach customers directly, create a loyalty program, and personalize messages based on their interests.

Content Marketing: A content strategy is about creating and sharing valuable and relevant content to engage your target audience. You can create a blog, a podcast, or a YouTube channel.

Use any of these mediums to share updates about your business, distribute relevant industry news, and network with potential customers. Today, people want businesses that are like-minded, close, and that they can actively engage with regularly.

Conclusion

Regardless of the type of business you set out to launch, the basics of starting a business, from writing a business plan, and raising money, to creating a website for your company and much more, lay the foundation for your business success. We hope this guide with advice for entrepreneurs has helped you become familiar with each of the fundamental steps when starting a business. Good luck!