How do you build a successful business from scratch?

I will be honest with you, not every business started will necessarily succeed neither will every business started fail. Some will succeed and some will fail hence the major concern should be how do you make sure yours suceeds? How do you give it a chance at success?

All businesses start as an idea. These ideas are derived from our surrounding.They could be out of challenges we are facing daily, something some one else is not doing well or anything random that crossed ones mind, that light bulb moment or intentionally looking for something one can do as a business which is the most common scenario.

Once you get an idea you think you want to try out make sure you have adequate knowledge about it, equip yourself with the skillsets to implement it, find the resources and it would helpbif its something you have some passion for. You can also work backwards by looking at your knowledge base, interests/passions, skills and reaources at you disposal then identifying an idea that can fall within that.

Reality is you can’t succeed at something you don’t know or understand. Something you can’t do at all. Something you destest or have no interests in. With the resources, it’s about determing your starting point. Once you have zeroed down on an idea then start working on a plan. Your business plan doesn’t have to neccessarily be professional one unless your going to be seeking external funding or support.

You can scribble down a few things in your note book like how youd like to call the business. where you would want to locate it. The people you’d be targeting specifically and don’t say every one because targeting every one is targeting no one.How much you would want to charge and who your competitors are most likely to be. Draw up a small budget for starting up.

When your done start thinking of formalisation. Now I know alot of you would want to avoid this but trust me its vital. You don’t want to chose a name, start using it only to be told later when the need comes that you cant have it. You’ve spent money and time on things like dormain registrations for your website, social emdia pages, branding even selling the name out there. It would be gut crushing for all that to be flashed down the drain.

Once you have your business formalised, draft a small partnership agreement if you have partners and agree on the nitty gritties of how you will be working together. Who will do what? Who will bring what? What is allowed and what is not in the partnership? How do you resolves disputes and how do you end the partnership incase its unavoidable. Partners should be able to assume stake after meeting all agreee terms.This part here is one many skip and then start saying partnerships don’t work.

Once you’re done with that open a bank account and deposit your capital there before you start spending it. All the money available for starting should be deposited there. This helps keep track of what’s being injected in by the shareholder/s for purpose for taxation in the future but also to have records of every partners contribution. Once that’s done you can go a head to put together a team to work with them you can start implementing your plan as you have it on paper.

As you implement your plan be highly flexible. Some of the thigs you have on paper may not be viable or suitable on the ground. Keep twitching the plan as you go on with setting and growing the business. Once the business is working follow the right business practices like keeping records, having financial discipline and finding away to work with the people your working with among other things.

Embark on rigorous marketing regardless of your budget. Find away to work with whatever you have as little as it may be and get the most out of it.