It is good to be ambitious and dream big. Almost all of us want to turn into entrepreneurs, running our own businesses. But merely thinking of becoming an entrepreneur will not work any magic for you. You need to have a solid business model to achieve your dreams.
A business idea can come from anywhere – a need, a passion, or a story in a newspaper – but it is not always a good idea. The truth is that when a new business idea strikes you, it is initially nothing more than a hypothesis. You have to work on this hypothesis to discover the potential your idea holds and to draft a killer business plan. While it might not be pleasant to hear, not every idea is worth turning into a business. Just because you’re excited about it does not mean it will sell.
Creating the Right Business Model
When it comes to creating a business model, you have to be very careful. You will find it difficult to bring your idea to fruition if your business model is weak or does not answer all the questions related to starting and running a business.
To help you nail it on the first try, here are a few tips for creating the right business model.
Take Care of Your Finances
You need to be cautious regarding your finances when you are making your plan. Most businesses will end up spending more than they ought to due to their failure to calculate projected expenditures properly. If you plan to get business loans, you need to answer various questions, such as how you will pay them back and what you will use as collateral.
Also, calculate the possible returns on your investment. Starting any business is risky, but proper planning can greatly reduce risk. You need to determine your growth potential and exactly how you will achieve that growth. Make a timeline, create goals, and then follow them. Your success is directly linked to your finances because you will need money to make more money.
Also, look at sources like Smart Pension to know what employee benefits you can afford to offer to your employees and at what cost. The financial implications of all your decisions must be kept in mind.
Be Willing to Change
It is important to look at your business model from a critical point of view. Do not be fooled into believing your first business draft is perfect. Take a thorough look at it a few times and see how you can improve it.
There is also no harm in speaking to others and asking for their input. However, make sure you only show your business model to trustworthy individuals since it might contain confidential information.
If they make suggestions for improvement, do not be afraid of change, because change is your biggest ally. You will have to adjust your business model a number of times, even once your business has started. The reason why is that working environments always evolve; hence the business requirements have to adapt as well.
Remember that Charles Darwin said,
It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.
Be Original
While it is okay to be “inspired” by an idea, stealing one is not an option. Nobody will turn to your startup until you offer them something new. If your product is not adding value to your buyers, they will not have a reason to purchase your product or services.
When we thought of starting this online venture, we asked ourselves why people would be interested in buying from us. And we came up with a few unique USPs including engaging design and online guides. Such features put us in a different league, giving us an edge over our competitors.
It is important to stand out. At the end of the day, ideas can be similar, but you still need to have a unique proposition you can highlight to attract customers.
See What Your Customers Want from You
Your customers’ opinions are one of the most important parts of your business development cycle. Many entrepreneurs wonder how to consider such opinions before the launch of a business.
You do not need a huge budget to be able to get customer feedback. You can start with low-cost market research and hear from your buyers. The more you know your customers’ needs and requirements, the better you will be able to position yourself. You have to answer all the W’s and market to your audience effectively.
Find Your Focus
Your business will have different elements, and it is important to know what to focus on at the beginning. You can choose to be resource-driven or offer-driven. If your business is in some kind of a partnership or has assets, you can use those resources to move ahead. If you choose to be offer-driven, you have to see what you can offer to your customers to attract them. Clear customer segmentation and knowledge of your target audience will make it easier for you to plan properly.
As many as 90% of all startups fail every year, partially because they neglect to have a proper business plan. Even if your idea is solid and you have the finances to support it, you will not be able to taste success unless you plan properly. Remember, the key lies in researching and working on the idea over and over again till you have a solid strategy with which to move ahead.
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Good information about business models. Thanks for sharing such a quality article. I’ll try to apply you thoughts in my business model.
Hi Hunter,
Yes, I would be interested in a guest post about why someone would need QuickBooks hosting. Until you commented, it had never occurred to me that people wouldn’t always have their QuickBooks informtion hosted by Quickbooks. Perhaps you could explain that in a post?
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Helpful blog for every business owner. Every Business needs a business model before it starts to grow. In this way every business owner can develop his business in a right manner.
I agree with this information completely, there are different elements involved in running your business. Prioritizing one you would like to focus on is crucial to creating a successful business.
Great topic! Of these, the one that stands out to me the most is be willing to change. Sometimes, at least for me, that is the most difficult. We become comfortable with what we are doing and if we aren’t careful we can get passed by a competitor who has found a new angle to approach what we are already doing.
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Good read. Thanks for your tips!
Now I realise what I’m missing in my biz model/what I’ve been doing wrong hahaha