- Find A Need and Fill The Need
Since ancient times, a successful business is always the one that answers what people need. Thus, the oldest and most thriving of them all are: wine, war, and women. Wine, a term to also categorize food and all sorts of nourishment, is a basic necessity to survive. War, usually fought for security and territory, explains the need for shelter. And last in the list, women, not to be taken as derogatory, is to express relationships and satisfaction in living.
If you can identify a singular, specific need and you have a solution for it, then you already have one foot inside the door of starting a startup business successfully.
- Align With Your Passion
If we study successful business leaders around the world, the one characteristic they share in common is that they are passionate about what they do. They never lost sight of what they want to achieve and most importantly, they enjoyed what they were doing.
First, look for the need. Second, pair it with the desirable ingredients of obsession. Why? Because this desire is what’s going to drive you to forge ahead whatever obstacles you may encounter along the road to success. This is also the type of attitude, partnered with a decent business plan, that make banks and investors approve business grants.
- Surround Yourself With Creative People
In this day and age, trends change quickly and the ones who initiate these changes are people who have taken the first step: they found a need and they filled it. When you hang out and exchange ideas with other creative people from all types of expertise areas, you’ll never know what kind of need you’ll be able to satisfy. Collaboration is a favorite process among tech startups because, unlike traditional businesses that rely on directors and consultants, creativity is an embrace of different contributions.
- Stick With Your Decisions
Don’t be swayed by negativity. Whatever you decide on, stick with it and see it through. If you fail, learn from it. If you succeed, take note and celebrate.
This skill is a very important step when you start a startup business because it will determine how persistent you will be throughout your venture. Start writing a business plan and follow it through but don’t forget to be flexible enough to make changes when necessary. Adventure Capital co-founder and partner Darcy Naunton says that “you need to be ready for the obligations and cultural change that come when you take on investment.“
Most of all, let go of useless worries and focus on the results you want to achieve.
- Be Crazy About Your Customers
Fall in love with your target audience, think of them before you sleep, ask them if they’ve eaten, send them gifts. Treat them like your girlfriend and then ask them nicely to pay for the date. As Allan Hall of Forbes puts it “Those who constantly seek customer perspectives are setting their business up for great achievements.”
With so many startups sharing the attention and loyalty of customers, you have to stand out. Do this but do not differentiate yourself from your users that you alienate them. Make sure they enjoy the time being with your product or service. Gain their trust and don’t break it because if you do, they have the social media to ruin you like a bad ex-boyfriend
