Personal Services. Mobile Pet Grooming Snip, clip and brush your way to success as a mobile pet groomer. Fido and his owner will both appreciate the convenience of a 'doorstep' doggie-grooming. “The best way to start a small business with a small budget is to start with a problem that somebody else is having and solve it, rather than coming up with something new. That way, you already have your target audience right in front of you, and you can make your first sale immediately instead of spending a fortune on marketing.”. But more traditional skill sets are also in demand. Across the nation, these startup jobs are in the highest demand. Technical talent is the most sought-after by startups.

• How To Start A Business
• 4 In Demand Services To Start A Business Around The World

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Starting your own business is the dream, right?

It’s also easier than ever, thanks to the golden age of entrepreneurship we currently live in.

Almost anybody can start up a business – all you need is a great idea, the right systems, and the drive to see it through.

No college degree, huge bank balance, or business experience is needed.

Moreover, everything you need to do has been done a million times before.

So, even if you’re starting from scratch, you won’t have to waste a single moment wondering what to do next or try to reinvent the wheel.

Since you’re already searching for ways to learn about how to start a business, odds are you already have the drive. What you need is how to start building your future empire.

In this article, I’m going to discuss the exact steps to start a business.

Excited? Let’s get down to business!

Your 2-Minute Cheat Sheet

Don’t want to go through the whole thing? We have compiled everything in short here–this isn’t as detailed, though.

Refine your idea based on the needs and demands of your target customers, along with your preferences.

Next, you’ll create a business plan. This is a crucial part of the whole process, so you have to get this right.

After chalking out your business’s entire framework, do market research, and collect feedback from friends, mentors, and family.

Then work on the legal stuff. This includes deciding your business structure, registering your business, getting the necessary license and permits, and setting up bank accounts. This step is going to be long and tedious.

At this point, you have your idea and a plan to make it come to life. You can then use it to arrange for the required capital to launch your product or service. Follow this up by building your team and finding a location if you’re opening a physical store.

Finally, focus your efforts on generating more sales and growing your business, which is also what you’ll find yourself doing for most of your career.

That was the gist of everything.

Now, let’s talk in more detail.

Step 1: Come Up With a Business Idea

Every business begins with an idea. If you already have one, congratulations! You can proceed to the next step. If not, you need to start brainstorming.

Here are a few tips to come up with a great business idea:

• Think of ways to get ahead of the curve. Think of how your product or service can change the business landscape, especially with the constant technological advancements.
• Solve a problem you identify. After all, your customers would prefer more of a good thing and less of a bad thing.
• Try to bring a fresh perspective that helps you gain a competitive edge over your competitors.
• Think of ways to make your approach better, cheaper, and faster if your business idea isn’t new.

At this stage, you can also conduct surveys and collect perspectives by meeting people and asking for advice. Researching ideas online is another excellent way to come up with business ideas.

Step 2: Conduct Market Research

The whole point of conducting market research is to understand typical consumer behavior, pain points, and relevant market trends in your chosen niche. This is a sure way to determine how your potential startup might fit into the existing industry landscape.

Given the current economic climate and the changes brought forward by the coronavirus pandemic, this step is especially crucial right now.

Try to find the answers to the following questions while doing market research:

1. What product or service is currently in demand in your given market?
2. What is the market size, or how many clients make up your target audience?
3. How many competitors share a similar concept to your business idea?
4. What is the price that customers are willing to pay for products and services in your market?
5. What’s the typical consumer engagement in your market? Did your competitors move online during the pandemic? Can you replicate their sales process or do it better?

One of the best ways to gain genuine insights is to speak with consumers directly. Take surveys, make questionnaires, and do one-on-one interviews.

Step 3: Work on the Legal Stuff

I always make sure to get the legal stuff out of the way early. This way, I don’t have to worry about anybody else taking my big idea, ending up in a bad partnership, or getting sued because of misinformation.

Determine your business structure first, as it’ll dictate the legal and tax requirements you will have to meet. Your options include sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Enlist a tax professional’s services, as every structure has its own set of tax requirements, or use an online business formation service.

At this stage, you’ll also have to choose a business name and register your business. Find out whether your chosen name is available for registration in your state and within the digital space. You want availability as a:

• Business name in your state
• Domain name
• Social media platform usernames

If a specific name isn’t available, you can always consider permutations of the name. Make sure your domain name and business name aren’t impinging on any registered trademarks.

How To Start A Business

There is a quick checklist of other things that you’ll need:

• Federal tax ID
• State tax ID
• Permits and licenses (as needed)
• Business bank accounts
• Trademarks, patents, and copyrights (as needed)

It’s best to consult a lawyer to cover everything you need. You can always work out things on your own, but sometimes it’s best to ask an expert.

Step 4: Write Your Business Plan

Many people question the purpose of creating a business plan. After all, if you already have a vision for your business, why write it down?

When you create a business plan, you describe every aspect of your business in a formal document. You put everything into words.

In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “There never was a good knife made of bad steel.”

It’s precisely why a business plan is such a crucial part of any business. It defines your thoughts and research and exactly what you need to do to make a business a success.

This helps put things into perspective and allows you to identify areas to streamline future processes.

Let me clarify: Your business plan doesn’t need to be 100 pages long. It only needs to be readable and include the main components. Such as:

• Pain points your business solves
• An elevator pitch about what your business does
• A list of your target audiences
• An idea list of how you’ll promote your business (your marketing strategy)
• The financial plan of how you’ll raise money to pay and how your business will make money
• Financial documents

Do a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) of your business, too, to gain insights and identify ways to achieve your goals.

As the industry and market are always changing, you’ll find yourself revising your plan frequently. Periodic revisions and refinement of your business plan ensure that your business remains competitive in the long run.

Step 5: Raise Capital for Your Business

There are many ways you can get the resources to start your business. Below, I’ve discussed some of the best ways I found raising capital is easy and effective. You can choose one or more that work best for you.

Start at Home

Bootstrapping your business is a long process, but it gives you full control over your business. You can also leverage personal relationships by asking friends and family for a loan or to invest in your business.

Online Crowdfunding

There’s no disputing the power in numbers, especially when it comes to raising capital. Crowdfunding gives you direct access to small investments that can add up to something massive. Check out Kickstarter or Indiegogo, or Google a list of the most popular crowdfunding websites. Crowdfunding is more for a physical product than a service.

Reach Out to Venture Capital Investors or Local Angel Investors

Venture capitalist investors look for proven teams that require a capital investment of $1 million or more, which is why you need some traction before approaching them.

If you feel you don’t have such traction right now, you can instead apply to online platforms like AngelList and Gust to find potential investors who would be interested in your project.

Apply for a Small Business Grant

Grants.gov is an online directory of more than 1000 federal grant programs that can supply you with the capital to kickstart your project. Although the process is long, you don’t have to give away any equity.

Get a Bank Loan or a Line of Credit

Applying for a bank loan is easy, but you should do so only if you really need a bank loan and if you’re eligible. You can head over to the Small Business Administration to look for loan opportunities.

Step 6: Develop Your Product or Service

Nothing feels better than seeing your idea come to life. The only problem is creating a product takes a village–if not a city.

You’ll have a different set of requirements based on your product or service. For instance, if you want to develop an app, you want someone with the technical know-how, whereas if you’re going to mass-produce an item, you’ll need a manufacturer.

Product simplicity and quality should be your top priority. Rather than creating the cheapest product, focus on developing something that catches someone’s attention. You can further streamline the process by keeping in mind the following tips:

1. Avoid handing over product development to someone else or another firm, and if you do, make sure you supervise constantly.
2. Implement regular checks and balances to reduce the level of risk involved. For example, if you decide to hire freelancers, hire multiple people so that you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
3. Enlist specialists instead of generalists. A jack-of-all-trades isn’t what you need right now.
4. Always operate within your budget.

For service-focused entrepreneurs, the game is slightly different.

Your primary focus should be to have the necessary certificates and educational requirements. Search online job portals and freelance working platforms to find opportunities. Upwork and ProBlogger could be great places to start.

Step 7: Build a Reliable and Responsible Team

What’s the best way to scale your business and achieve all your organizational goals?

Have a good team.

One of the critical aspects of a growing business is delegating responsibilities to other people, whether a partner, employee, or freelancer. Here are a few tips to help you find the right team members:

State Your Goals Clearly

When your team members understand your vision and their role in helping you achieve it, they’ll make fewer errors.

Establish and Follow Hiring Protocols

Welcoming people to your team involves several processes, ranging from screening people, carrying out interviews, and having proper forms. This will help you create a more competent team.

Create a Strong Company Culture

Great company culture is all about respecting and empowering employees through training and mentorship. You don’t need futuristic decor or ping-pong tables (if you can afford that, that’s great!) but you do need a positive atmosphere where everybody feels welcomed and appreciated.

Step 8: Find a Business Location

One in four businesses that starts within the next 12 months will have a 100% remote workforce. But if you decide to open a brick-and-mortar retail business, you need to focus on getting the right location.

Here are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Demographics: Think about your customers and how they interact with your location. Does your target clientele frequent the potential location? Does your location reflect the image you’re trying to project?
• Foot Traffic: Monitor the foot traffic outside a potential location throughout the day. Do you see a couple of passers-by throughout the day? Or is it away from the public eye? Is there parking available?
• Business Community: The business community refers to the other businesses nearby that can bring you foot traffic. Is there a mall nearby? Are there restaurants where customers can go after shopping at your store?
• Competition: Contrary to popular belief, having competitors nearby isn’t always bad. Whatever your stand, you should be aware of whether or not you have competitors nearby before deciding on a location.

Research the history of the location as well. If other businesses have tried and failed in the space, find out why. And of course, always keep the cost in mind. Expenses like rent, cleaning services, insurance, and parking fees need to be considered.

Step 9: Work On Generating Sales

Start by listening to your potential customers to know their wants, needs, likes, and dislikes. Next, learn the art of asking for a commitment without being too pushy. In other words, don’t force your customers into buying goods from you, or they won’t return.

Moreover, you have to prepare yourself for hearing “NO“ too. Sad, I know.

People listen to your elevator pitch despite having no intention to buy simply because they’re polite. If they don’t end up buying from you, don’t get disheartened.

Grow your customer base and put out advertisements to find an audience to fit your business. At this point, you’ll also have to figure out the right sales funnel and strategy to generate leads and convert them into paying customers.

Sales and marketing are critical to building a successful business.

Step 10: Expand Your Business

You must have a growth plan if you want to earn and scale your business. Luckily, there are about a million ways to grow your company.

I’d highly recommend utilizing the power of social media through organic, influencer, and paid campaigns. Email marketing works equally well to create and nurture a dedicated customer base.

One of the key aspects of long-term growth is to have a dedicated customer base and reduce customer churn. All the efforts you put into nurturing your existing customers can be useful in the long run when they act as your repeat customers, ensuring revenue in the long run.

Conclusion

We’ve covered everything you need to know to start a business. Now you can prepare for the exciting adventure in front of you.

Taking the first step can feel a bit scary, but don’t fear. Take the plunge and launch your business–it’s a lot of fun!

Of course, you’ll find challenges and roadblocks along the way, but as long as you remain dedicated and driven, you can learn from your mistakes and climb higher up the ladder.

Don’t wait any longer!

Are you looking for a profitable, affluent and growing market to target with a new business? You should think about creating a business for seniors.' />

Are you looking for a profitable, affluent and growing market to target with a new business? Then you may want to stop thinking about those trendy millennial and Generation Z consumers and start focusing on senior citizens.

From Older Americans Month in May to National Senior Citizens Day in August, there are plenty of days to celebrate people age 65 and older. In fact, small business owners and entrepreneurs should celebrate seniors all year long, because there are so many businesses you can start to serve them.

Here are some facts and tips on how to create a business for seniors:

The year 2030 marks an important demographic turning point in U.S. history according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 National Population Projections. By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than age 65. This will expand the size of the older population so 1 in every 5 residents will be retirement age.

By 2035, there will be 78.0 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.4 million under the age of 18. Between 2020 and 2050, the number of deaths is projected to rise substantially as the population ages and a significant share of the population, the baby boomers, age into older adulthood.

4 In Demand Services To Start A Business Around The World

There are some 44.7 million people 65 and older in the United States, accounting for 14.1 percent of the total population. In 15 years (by 2033), however, the population 65 and older is projected to outnumber people younger than 18 for the first time. By 2060, the number of seniors is projected to more than double, with people 65 and over accounting for nearly one-fourth of the population.

A big part of that senior population is the baby boomer generation, currently between 54 and 72 years old.

Baby boomers occupy a unique consumer position: Not only are some of them seniors themselves, but because Americans are living longer, many of them are also buying products and services for their parents. Many are also affluent. Overall, the spending power of Baby Boomers is expected to reach $15 trillion worldwide by the end of 2019.

Here are 8 growth industries related to seniors and ideas for businesses you can start to serve them.

1. Senior care consultant: These professionals help find the best living arrangements for seniors, whether that is at home, daycare or a senior living facility. You’ll work with community services and local government agencies that help seniors to get client referrals.
2. Home retrofitting/remodeling: Seniors who want to stay in their homes as long as possible are getting their homes retrofitted with features like wider doorways, shower grab bars and other changes to make their homes safer and more accessible.
3. Travel company: Active seniors are eager to travel, and a travel business focused on senior or family travel can be a big hit. These days, many seniors are planning multi-generation vacations, “girlfriend getaways” or vacations with grandchildren.
4. Home services: More than eight in 10 (82%) of seniors own their own homes, but as they get older, they may prefer to have others handle the maintenance. Home-related services, such as housecleaning, lawn care and handyman services aren't just for seniors, but targeting this clientele can help you build a thriving business. Earn the trust of seniors and their adult children, and you'll have more referrals than you can handle.
5. Nutrition/exercise consultant: You can work with physical therapists, geriatric physicians, fitness centers and other organizations targeting seniors to provide fitness and nutrition programs for their patients and/or customers. You can also market your services to individuals. Yoga, Pilates, dance and swimming are popular exercise programs among seniors.
6. Non-medical in-home care: Adult children often worry about aging parents living at home alone. Your service can ease their worries by helping senior clients with tasks of daily life, such as getting to and from appointments, shopping, cleaning and cooking, so they're able to stay in their homes longer. You’ll need to market the service to adult children, since few seniors will admit they need this type of care.
7. Medical claims assistance: If you’re familiar with health insurance, Medicare and the healthcare industry, you can start a business to help seniors and their families manage medical bills. You’ll review bills and medical records to make sure seniors aren’t paying too much and are getting all of the benefits they’re entitled to. Market your services to senior centers, medical offices and financial professionals that can refer you to potential clients.
8. Senior transportation services: Seniors who can’t or don’t want to drive still need transportation to and from doctors’ appointments, to shop, or to get to social engagements. Their children aren’t always available to drive, and taxis can get expensive. Even in areas with good public transportation, seniors unable to walk to bus or train stops can spell opportunity for senior transportation services. Do your homework about territory and market before starting this business, and find out what type of drivers license and insurance is necessary.

To successfully market to seniors, keep these tips in mind:

• Seniors—especially baby boomers—don’t think of themselves as “old.” No matter what you’re selling, your marketing should speak to healthy, active customers. Focus on how your product or service enables customers to stay independent, enjoy life and keep fit.
• Trust matters—especially if you’re selling a service that involves coming into seniors’ homes. You will need to be licensed, insured and bonded (if relevant to your industry). Since seniors are most likely to trust companies they hear about from friends and relatives, strong word-of-mouth is essential to attract new customers.
• Diversify your marketing. While traditional marketing tactics such as direct mail and print advertising will attract senior customers, the vast majority of seniors are also online. And since adult children buying for their parents are also a key target market, an integrated marketing campaign incorporating both traditional and digital media ensures you cover all the bases.

Need more help launching or marketing your senior-related business? The experts at SCORE are there for you 24/7.