The 13 steps to start a business

We offer you a practical guide to start a business that works.

Starting a business is exciting, because launching a business idea and making it a success is rewarding and self-realizing.. However, it is not always easy to do so, especially when you do not have specific training in this area.

A good idea does not guarantee success, since it is important to balance the accounts, to understand the customer's needs, to have an efficient communication with them, etc.

Steps to create a company

If you are thinking of creating a company, in the following lines you can find the steps you must follow to succeed in doing so.

1. Get training and education

First of all, it is necessary to take into account that although you may have a very good idea, setting up a business may require knowledge that is often not taught in your specialty.. For example, if you are a psychologist, your degree will hardly have explained how to do it. In these cases you will have to inform yourself. You should know that there are many courses for entrepreneurs that can be very useful.

2. Make a realistic business plan

Having an idea is great, but not all ideas are viable. If you want your business to be successful, you need to have a realistic business plan, and for that you must be honest and honest.To do so, you must be honest and sensible. The business plan will help you know where to go, and what you need to do to make your business work.

3. Make a budget

You also need to make a budget and it must be realistic to avoid disappointment.. Not everything is profit in a company and, logically, if you spend more than you earn, you will have to close down. A good tip is to overestimate your expenses and underestimate your profits. Perhaps this way you will be alert and you will not run financial risks.

4. Think about the customer

Your idea sounds good and seems viable, but it is important that you think about the customer, and knowing what he wants, when, how and how much he buys or uses that service is vitally important.Knowing what they want, when, how and how much they buy or use that service is of vital importance. Don't just think about what you would like your business to be, because it will be the customer who will let you know whether or not he is interested in what you offer.

5. Research the competition

But you should not only think about the customer, but also about the competition.. Analyze if it is excessive or if any competitor does things well. This can provide you with valuable information for your business. It is good that before starting a business you do a SWOT analysis. Below you can see a video that explains how to do it.

6. Find out about grants for entrepreneurs

You will probably have to make a large investment, because, no matter how good an idea is no matter how good an idea is, it must also be economically viable.. If you do not have a large amount of capital, find out about grants or subsidies provided by local or state institutions. In addition to grants, you can approach investors to see if they are interested in your product or service.

7. Start the company and do not despair with the bureaucracy.

Don't give it any more thought... and start the company! Once you have it clear you can take a step forward. However, setting up a company can be stressful, because you have to fill out a lot of paperwork, pay fees and taxes and, in addition, be aware of the bureaucracy.

You have to apply for the NIF, register in the IAE and self-employed, you will have to choose a legal form and determine the type of company you are going to create (corporation, limited company, cooperative, etc.), register the company in the commercial register, register patents and trademarks ... So do not despair, you must go through this step.

8. Think about communication and marketing

Once you have the company set up, it is necessary to communicate your services to the client.. Communication and marketing are 80% of the success of your business, so you should not forget their importance.

• To learn more, you can read our article "Emotional Marketing: reaching the customer's heart".
• And if your company is related to the Psychology sector, you have to read this post: "Marketing for Psychologists: 5 ways to reach patients".

9. Don't forget the digital world

Don't forget that the digital world is the predominant one nowadays, so if you want to be successful you must exploit it to your advantage. Create, buy a domain, hire a good hosting, create a website and a blog, which is a great way to interact with your potential clients.. 

• In addition, you should work on branding as we explained in our article "Personal branding for psychologists on the Internet and social networks".

10. Think about human resources

If you want to have employees, you must be up to date in terms of human resources management.. If you don't intend to hire employees because you can't afford it at the moment, employ other strategies that don't require money to get talent. For example, if you are a digital magazine, you can hire editors in exchange for advertising.

11. Measure results

If you want your business to succeed, measure results and analyze them.. It is the best way to detect what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. As I mentioned before, the digital world is extremely important nowadays, and in this sense, social networks can provide you with feedback. That is why it is important that you move in this environment, because it allows you to know if your product is liked or not.

12. Money is not the most important thing in the initial sales.

It is possible that you want to make money with your business, which is vital for everything to run smoothly. However, in the initial stages of your business, it is important to pay special attention to it is important that you pay special attention to your customer so that he/she feels satisfied and you are able to keep him/her loyal.. They say that the customer is always right, and although this is not always the case, it will determine the success of your business.

13. Don't be in a hurry to grow

The illusion of having a business can lead you to want to grow fast, but thinking like this can also cause frustration if your expectations are not met. Make sure you have a solid foundation and value the small accomplishments because increasing step by step and month by month is a great success.