There is an arduous road that must be traveled to start a business. Generally we start with a great idea, a winning project and then we look for a way to carry out an analysis that allows us to understand what we will do, how much we need to invest, the profit margin and then we move on to how to understand what is required to constitute the legal part. , accounting, operational, comply with legal requirements and other aspects.
Faced with this incredible feeling that combines emotion and a certain uncertainty about what the decision we are making means, it is convenient first to ensure the first steps; understand that this moment is valuable because it allows us to define the imprint that we will give it and the path that we will take to differentiate ourselves from the market and advance the different stages of evolution that any new business requires.
It is true, being an entrepreneur represents great challenges and requires a lot of organization, planning and perseverance, but I take this opportunity to motivate you for daring to live this moment, keep in mind that you are not the only one in this situation, small and medium-sized companies in economies such as According to ECLAC, they generate 67% of the workers and represent nearly 99% of all the companies in the region.
Even in the current moments where we have just gone through a pandemic that has hit the entire world not only from a health point of view, but also from an economic and social point of view, it is possible to undertake successfully, if we follow the right steps, let us remember that more than half of the Companies that are part of the Fortune 500 list were born in the midst of an economic crisis and about 50 unicorn companies (those worth more than 1,000 million dollars) were created in the wake of the 2008 recession.
I share the following points that I consider important and that will help you to advance in the journey during the first month and thus lay the foundations of what can lead you to consolidate that project that you are starting today:
Business plan
Regardless of the type of project or the expectations you have, first design a business plan that describes how you are going to work, the resources that are going to be required and the necessary stages to finish with a concrete result, which can be from a product, a service, an idea. Something that a person or company is definitely willing to pay to have on their person.
Define processes
Learn to recognize what is the best way to do your job and what actions and tools give you the best results, this will allow you to replicate the formula with new clients and that will be your winning recipe. Divide critical activities, create ordered steps and follow-up plans to meet your goals.
Purpose of the venture
Once the characteristics, the value proposition, the production cost, the materials and the equipment required to produce it have been established, it is time to define the business objective. A good recommendation could be, try to write it and if you spend more than three lines, you doubt the words they are using and you have to delete or correct an idea, it is very possible that you are not ready for this step yet.
Be the first seller
Do not be afraid to approach other people and introduce them to your business. Confidence and ease of speech can make you promote your business and take it to another level.
Learn from the mistakes of others
Do not wait for the mistakes you see around you to happen to you, listen to people who have already been through situations similar to yours and learn from the mistakes of others so you can prevent them.
build reputation
What customers, the work team, partners, suppliers, allies, even even the competition itself think of you and your company is very important because that is how you create value for your products and what you do. You are the head of your enterprise and you will be the example for everything. In the face of difficulties, do not explode or collapse, review what happened and take strength to move forward.
take small steps
Keep in mind that it is your first month, it is not necessary to be running without control because sometimes wanting to eat the whole world will not turn out to be the best option, sometimes it is better to act little by little.
These first few days may be somewhat stressful and confusing. They will be full of emotions and it will be difficult for you to disconnect; you are also likely to be more nervous than usual. Eat well, exercise the body and mind in other activities that bring oxygen to the brain. This will help you make better decisions. Remember that the passion for what we do is the fundamental tool to keep the strategies of a business moving.