I’ve spent a good part of this week interviewing young business-owners for a forthcoming Enterprise Nation toolkit for young people starting their own enterprise. One of the questions I’ve been asking is: ‘If you were speaking to your (slightly) younger self now, what business advice would you pass on?’
Jewellery-maker Maria Allen – who’s just 23 and has been selling her own creations since her mid-teens – came up with this great list of start-up tips that I think anyone starting a business would benefit from taking on board.
1. Don’t be afraid to ask people in the industry questions.
2. Find friends, family members that can help you in specific aspects of your business, such as making, web design, graphic design, photography and press.
3. Don’t be afraid to try out ideas or approach new people or shops. The worst that can happen is that they say no!
4. Offer the best customer service you can.
5. If you are selling a product, photograph it on a clean white background.
6. Open a separate bank account for your business and keep records of all your income and expenditure as early as possible!
7. Try to start the business small, with minimum risks and costs. Be as creative as possible on a budget.
8. Never stop doing your research; look at what is already out there at the moment and find your USP, a way that you can offer something different to what is already out there
9. Always be looking to improve all aspects of your business!
Thanks, Maria!
Simon, Enterprise Nation editor
Read more by Maria
Any tips to add to Maria’s list?
Do you have any tips for start-ups that you’d like to add to Maria’s list? Please leave your suggestions below.
Social Media! Great way to get your name, brand, ideas and website out there and engage with like minded people. Create Twitter lists of industry people to follow and interesting brands that you admire whether they’re in your industry or not. Mail Chimp for newsletters, Facebook for sharing interesting things and whatever you do, lay down some brand guidelines, the reasons for starting the business, so you don’t loose track!
Banks are not a friend to small businesses and start-ups. I was advised by my Business mentor to NOT open a business bank account for the first year to avoid extra unnecessary bank charges and paper work. It can work as long as you are organized and aware of your financial situation. I find it easy to keep personal and business finance separate. It’s very easy to go through the bank statements once an month and highlight and write a list of my business expenditure/income without dealing with the hoops to get a business account in the first place, and business bank charges that , especially as a start up with limited funds, are very unwelcome. Martin Lewis (money saving expert!) says exactly the same thing on his website!.
Read this book today! It will take about two hours
“Zoom: The faster Way to make your business idea happen” by Ian Sanders and David Sloly. This has been the best advice I’ve ever taken