It's remarkably easy to start a business today. However, it's more complex to get it going than ever before. There are just so many things to consider nowadays. Check out the list below... it's exhausting reading it let alone knowing what it all means.
- Is your website done yet? Is it wordpress or some other one?
- Where do you rank on Google? Have you done any SEO work on your site?
- Do you have a domain name? Have you checked if your business name is available on Twitter, Facebook and Google?
- Who is your domain registered with? Web hosting? SSL certificate?
- Are you using Pop3 for email or have you moved to IMAP? Are all your email accounts centralised? … are they all on your phone too?
- What about a blog? You must blog… a great way of getting business
- Have you thought about writing a book, an e-book or self publishing?
- You need images done, who is sorting this? Images can be expensive nowadays, most are copyright protected as well.
- Who is doing your branding, logo, business cards
- Are you any good at writing copy, I know a good copywriter
- CRM, how are you managing your contacts?
- Are you an iOS person or Android? Google or Microsoft? Chrome or Bing?
- Are you networking, have you tried x, y, z… you must come along...
- Are you using an accounts package or are you winging it on spreadsheets still?
- How are you handling expenses for the business, receipts, fuel… mileage?
- I’m guessing you know all the new pension rules and are up to date with minimum wages and employment legalities?
- Have you got a web shop, can client’s order online?
- Do you send invoices to clients? How are you doing that?
- Do you take Paypal, credit cards, or cash, what one works best for you? Have you got one of those PIN machines or do you use a mobile app?
- How is the business being financed, do you have capital equipment?
- Who is doing your bookkeeping?
- Are you VAT registered, what type of company is yours? Is it the best for what you do?
- Have you got your Business plan & cashflow all mapped out?
- Who is dealing with your IT & backups? What if your laptop / main computer died?
- Are you using social media yet, you must be on there? Do you know which ones will work for your kind of business?
- Can you send me links to your facebook page, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google, Pinterest, instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp… I’d like to connect on those with you?
- Do you facetime, skype, zoom or do you prefer hanging out?
- What training have you been on? Who do you use?
- Where are you meeting people? Apart from Networking do you get out much?
- Have you worked out an 'Elevator Pitch yet'? How's your public speaking?
- Do you have a mobile app? They’re really cool
- Have you migrated everything to the cloud yet?
- What about leaflets have you got them or brochures for the business?
- I know a local printer but there are some good ones online, which do you use?
- Are you list building yet? What about newsletters, have you heard of mailchimp?
- Have you researched your market, who’s your competition?
- Where are you advertising? Have you got a marketing strategy?
- Have you considered Adwords, Facebook or Twitter promotions at all?
- Are you on Google Maps as a registered business? Great for local searching
- What if you business partner was not able to work, how would that affect the business, have you got a good solicitor?
- Have you checked out Health & Safety… you don’t want to be doing something illegal, the fines are huge now so I’ve heard...
- Have you looked at how 'Green', 'Carbon Neutral' your business is?
- How well are you managing your time? Have you got Lists of "to do Lists" yet?
- Have you heard of taking time out to work 'On your business' not 'In your business'?
- Are you thinking about premises or somewhere to work from?
- Do you need a licence or a qualification for what you're doing?
- Have you been in touch with Food & Hygiene if you're going to sell food?