How to Know if You Are Ready to Take the Plunge into a Startup
According to Paul Graham, an entrepreneur with several successful startups to his credit, launching a business requires three essential components. These include good people, creating something that customers want, and spending as little as possible to bring the product or service to market. We look at each of these components below.
Work with Good People
Many entrepreneurs start business ventures entirely on their own. They work long hours, forgo any kind of social life, and have no one to provide feedback on their ideas. The last one is especially important since not all ideas are good ones that you need to pursue. Graham recommends finding at least one other person to work with you on your startups from the beginning. Preferably, you should have at least two people you know and trust to work with so one of you can be the designer, one the engineer, and the third the marketer.
Creating Something Customers Want
You might come up with the prototype for a new product that excites you so much that you rush to bring it to market. This can be a huge mistake if you don’t invest considerable time and resources into market research first. Keep in mind that not everyone will have the same reaction to the product idea that you do, which unfortunately means that your sales could fall flat. First research the market to see if a need for the product exists and then speak to individual consumers to learn more about how they intend to interact with the product.
Spend as Little as Possible on Your Startups
When it comes to launching a business, you have to spend money to make money. However, you don’t want to spend so much upfront that it takes years to earn a profit. If you feel like you need assistance with budgeting for your startup costs, schedule a consultation with Approved Business Lending today.
