5 Needs of a Startup Business

5 Needs of a Startup Business

In the 2021 Google searches, more people searched for ‘how to start a business’ than they did ‘how to get a job’. If you were one of those who made the decision to become your own boss, you’re not alone! So what is involved in starting your own business? You’ve come up with a great business idea, created a business plan, thought of a brilliant name for your company and given up (or are about to give up) your day job. 

Next up, you need to think about ways of convincing the world you’re a serious business, find new clients, motivate yourself and create the right work-life balance so your business doesn’t take over your life. 

At UOE we’re the experts in helping our customers to get work done. So, here are 5 top tips to get you started….

1. Advice and support

You can never have too much advice – in fact we’d go as far as to suggest that if you don’t think you need other people’s advice or support, then your business will probably fail. We’re lucky in Hertfordshire as there’s an organisation that gives a lot of free support for business startups, Wenta.  Wenta offers free webinars and workshops on all aspects of running your own business as well as one-to-one advice, and will help you find and apply for business grants. 

2. Great network

Networking is an essential part of running a business, and there are a lot of business networking groups! Choose the ones that seem right for you. Where you’ll not only rub shoulders with potential clients, you’ll also be talking to other business owners who’ll be a great source of advice and encouragement. The main thing to remember when you’re networking is that it isn’t a place to do a hard sell!

The aim of networking is to cultivate good relationships with other businesses in order to build trust. It’s only once someone gets to know you, like you and trust you, that you’ll start to get orders coming in.  Remember, even if your contact isn’t in a position to hire your services or buy your products, they will be happy to recommend you to others if they have a clear understanding of what you do and the benefits you provide

3. A business address 

Trust is a great sales tool and in order to get new customers onboard, you will need to have your address on your website. Lack of transparency, such as having no contact details, is one of the classic signs of a scam website and you do not want to be confused with one of those. 

However, if you’re working from home, you’ll be understandably reluctant to publish your private address online. Don’t worry if you’re not yet in a position to rent an office yet. You could set up a virtual office which will provide a professional mailing address to give customers and clients confidence in your business. 

4. An office

There are many advantages to setting up an office as soon as your budget allows – and a serviced office offers great value for money. You’ll not only pay less than you would for a whole office, you’ll also be able to budget better because all your utilities, maintenance, cleaning and even tea and coffee will be included in your regular monthly payment. The UOE Hub in Hertford is located in the heart of town, giving you the added advantage of a prestigious address from the very start. 

Other advantages of renting serviced office space are: 

• You’ll have a professional office atmosphere to work in, with no distractions from members of your family. 
• It will be easier to have a successful work/life balance because at the end of your working day, you can just lock your office door and go home. The danger when you work at home is that you can never feel fully off duty.
• You’ll be surrounded by other professionals. If you’re working at home alone, or if your family is also at home, it’s all too easy to get distracted. If you’re in an office surrounded by other professionals, you’ll feel much more motivated to get work done and become more productive as a result. 
• You’ll be able to network with other business owners on a daily basis, and there’ll always be someone to turn to for advice about running your own business. 
• Serviced office spaces are flexible, so if you need temporary help, you can rent a desk for as long as they’re with you, meaning you only pay for the space you need when you need it. And when you’re in a position to take on additional staff, they can easily be accommodated without you having to look for new premises. 

5. An online presence 

In addition to building relationships with potential clients via networking groups, you need to build an online presence with a professional website that’s optimised to catch the attention of search engines. The main thing to remember is that search engines like Google love new content, so the more you post, the more likely it is that your website will become visible to your target audience. Aim to write at least one new blog a month, and don’t forget to update it with new information about your brand as soon as something changes. 

Click here if you would like to book a tour of the UOE Hub in Hertford.