As a startup
I am not denying that it is hard when you start your first business. There is a whole world of factors that you need to consider that you may never of had to think about before, brand, website, logo, business cards, social media, marketing, blogging, accounts…….
And you certainly can’t do it all at once, so each of the list below you can be forgiven for, for a while, and I go much more with the attitude of being prolific not perfect. So if you don’t have any of the list below sorted do not hold up what you are trying to do but be aware that these are things that you need to get sorted because in the long run it will have a negative impact on your business.
Cheap business cards
I always advice clients to tart themselves around networking meetings when they first start their businesses so you do need a business card. However, 3000 business cards for £5 is going to give you a card that is tissue paper thin and looks cheap as hell.
Also what tends to comes with a cheap business card is a poor design. It may seem like a little piece of card but it is about you, your business and your brand so a cheap business card speaks volumes in the wrong direction.
It is important in this little piece of card to convey the right impression about you and your business. In an article on LinkedIn I published a post called The 5 sins of a business card. Which goes into more detail about what you need to be aware of.
Even if you don’t have your brand sorted out, you can do beautifully designed business card from companies such as Moo. This is where I purchase my business cards and a high percentage of the time people will comment on them. They cost a little more but I am a little selective who I hand them to.
Don’t consider it a cost, consider it an investment in marketing you and your business.
Generic email account
This makes me want to scream, the number of business cards that I have been handed over the years and still to this day where someone has used a gmail, hotmail, yahoo account as their email address.
Stop with this immediately, it gives such a poor perception of your business, it can be perceived that you have the attitude of this is ‘just a little business’, I don’t know what I am doing, I don’t care.
Once you have purchased the URL for your business, find a hosting site and then set up your email, there are thousands and thousands of YouTube videos that can show you step by step how to do this, it really is not complex at all. If the technical element of this makes you sweat then pay someone to do it for you.
Again this seems like such a minor thing but I promise you this has such a negative impact to how people perceive your business for the sake of setting one that is relevant to your business name.
Poor website
This is a massive investment in more ways that one, but many people start a business with the limited knowledge that what they need is a website and logo and they are done. So it breaks my heart a little bit when I hear from people that they have created their own website or even worse “a friend is doing it”.
I know when you first start a business you may not have a lot in the coffers for your business but no website for a short period of time is a better option than a poor website. In the same vein as a cheap card, a poor website just gives the wrong impression about who you are what you do and what you know.
Design is a skill, good web designers and graphic designers have spent years and years growing their knowledge, they study web design, they understand new trends in design, they understand how to design a website that works for both online and mobile, they understand brand. A good website is more than a few words and some free stock photos.
When I worked with the amazing London Web Girl founder of Website in a Day (who the above image belongs to) we spoke about every detail, we have such a long conversation just about the font. I created Pinterest boards, I researched hundreds of websites, I agonised over every word of my content, I consulted with the brand expert Nicola Wordworth I over time have understood the importance of creating a website that represents in the strongest possible way my brand and who I want to attract as a client.
I once met a women, who had brought books on coding and spent weeks designing a website that was, I am sorry to say, shit, and was not mobile responsive. She did this because she thought she was saving a fortune. But if you had taken the time to add up the value of her time that was spent trying to save money it cost her business. She would have been better getting a job in a supermarket to save the money to pay for a professional to do it.
Don’t skimp on this, don’t think you know when you don’t, take the time to understand the importance, do your research, understand the process, understand brands and put your money aside to invest in something special, with someone who knows what they are doing.
Poor or no social media
I wish I earned money from the number of times I have told clients, people at networking groups, people I meet on the streets, any one really that they need to ensure that they social media for their business.
It breaks my heart to see a business struggle because they have not kept up with what is required today, this year, to market your business.
It is not picking up the phone and trying to make cold calls, it is not doing adverts in the local paper and it is certainly not with crossed fingers in the hope someone will show up it is via social media.
This is a regular conversation for me
“How do you mainly get your clients”? I ask
“Word of mouth” the most common reply
“What does that mean”?
I then get a confused look.
Word of mouth, today is not a conversation in the local shop, it is not a phone call, it is not through flicking through the yellow pages, it is someone asking the question on Facebook, it is a question via a direct message on Instagram or it is an introduction via LinkedIn.
People do not just run across your website, they don’t just happen upon your details, they don’t just bumped into your business they need to be able to find you and one of the best and modern ways to do that is via social media.
Times have changed, think what happens when some one gives you a recommendation for something, do you just flat out reach out and make contact or make the purchase? Chances are you try and find out more about them, via their website or through their social media.
A few years ago Google wrote a white paper called. Zero Moment on Truth and within this paper, from research, they summised that in order for a new client to gain enough knowledge and trust to make a purchase they must spend on average 7 hours with you, have 11 different interactions in over 4 different locations. Think about how this affects you today. Do you ever make a purchase on Amazon without reading the reviews first? Millennials and Generation Z are even more likely to investigate through recommendations on social media before they make any move.
Poor or not social media will damage your business and in such fast paced changing world when it comes to technology you can not afford to be left behind.
Those that get it right can and do run global businesses from their smart phones. Just think of influencers who get paid thousands of pounds per image on Instagram or video on YouTube or per blog post. Because done in the right way it creates sales.
So invest in some training, invest the time, add it to your strategy and if you can’t do any of this invest in someone to do it for you, because to not do this, it will have a negative impact on your business.
Poor business name
If you truly understand brand and business then you can choose a name and create something amazing from it. However, there are vey few people who are true brand experts. And if you actually invest in a brand expert to help you they would have a lot of advice on what to name your company.
A poor company name can give your business such a bad perception, it can make give it a parochial image that you may not want. There are businesses I don’t use because their business names are so awful that I already start with the wrong impression of them.
As with every thing there are trends, we have the funny name trend, the single random name trend, think Apple and Orange, but if you are still naming your business as if it is the 80s then it can impact who buys from you now.
For example the trend of naming your business with a z at the end like cutz or nailz they are done and over and not welcome in the 21st century.
Over the years I have learnt that the simplicity of what it says on the tin really makes a difference. So for example if I was going to set up a florist (which I am not) instead of, for example naming it something like Daizey Chainz, I could call it Angela Harkness Floral Designs. Which name would you purchase an expensive bouquet of flowers from.
The temptation maybe to sit round with your family and come up with an idea, but the best thing is to speak to an expert because you may think the name is funny or cute but you won’t be laughing if it affects your profits.
Take time to get this right, do your research, I am starting a podcast soon and I have spent hours discussing what I should call it and in the end we decided on The Angela Harkness Show. Remember with a business name it goes everywhere, your website, your business cards, your social media, you invoices………
And if the temptation to add a z to the end of it comes over you call me immediately and I will talk you down.
Just remember
As I said at the start, I know it seems overwhelming sometimes as a female entrepreneur. You have started a business because you have a skill and a passion and then you also have to learn about websites, plugins, Instagram stories, LinkedIn connections, networking, branding.
You will make mistakes but they are correctable, you will learn but make sure you are always raising your levels and spending time with people who have walked the walked and can give you the most relevant advice so that you create the most positive impression of your business.
