How to start a business Becoming an entrepreneur
Starting your own business can feel daunting, however, there are several actions you can take to be as confident and prepared as you can be.
- Develop your soft skills, such as problem-solving - these are crucial when working with others, creating connections, and thinking on your feet with confidence.
- Build and expand your network - find beneficial partnerships who will help and push your business further.
- Know your budget - be clear on what your outgoings are, what expertise you may need to hire, when you are likely to begin making a profit and how much this will be.
- Learn how to strategically market yourself and your enterprise.
- Be confident in developing and refining your business as it grows.
- Be aspirational but remain pragmatic and flexible - small businesses need to adapt and stay relevant, unique, or innovative to survive.
- Trust your instincts - and be prepared to listen to your customers and potential customers to really hone what you need to do.
- Persevere with your enterprise – remember that there will be challenges ahead and you cannot plan for every eventuality, making sure you are ready for the expected will help.
You may find these free OpenLearn courses of interest.
