5 common mistakes that a starting business makes

Starting a new business can be very daunting. There will be plenty to consider and lots of planning time will be required. Some days will feel as though you’re on the road to success, and others will feel like everything is going wrong. It will be emotionally and mentally taxing, but hard work and perseverance can ensure that the results are worth it. Although there is no right way to start a new business, there are things that you should avoid doing. Here are the five most common mistakes to avoid:

1. Being afraid of failure

Failure sounds like a negative word and therefore we tend to fear it. But can success be achieved without any failure? Definitely not! If you were never to fail, then how would your business grow? How would you learn new things? Our moments of failure are a chance for us to use the concept of reflective practice to look at things in more depth. Reflective practice is a useful tool to use because it forces us to make a conscious effort to think about events and gain insight into them. Starting a new business will provide many hurdles. Occasionally you will feel as though you are getting nowhere, but sometimes it is as simple as taking some time out to reflect on things and returning to the same task with a refreshed mind. Instead of being afraid of failure, start to view it as an extra opportunity to improve aspects of your business that you would have otherwise overlooked.

2. Undervaluing your product/service

The first thing that you should do when it comes to pricing your products is to carry out comparative research to figure out the average prices that other businesses charge. You might believe that because you are a new business and lack experience that you should charge a lower amount, however, this can affect the customer’s perception of your product. For example, a customer might go for a brand that is more expensive because they believe it to be a lot less risky. Higher prices add more value to your business because they demonstrate confidence that your products are both of good quality and value. The key is to find a price that isn’t significantly less than your competitors but perhaps sits in the middle to the higher end of the pricing table.

3. Skipping market research

This is one of the biggest mistakes that can be made when setting up a new business. You may have come up with an awesome idea, but how many other businesses already offer the very same product/service that you wish to? You first need to find out whether there is a market for your business. You can do this by researching the businesses in your local area to find out whether there are already similar businesses, or whether there aren’t enough. Successful business owners understand their competitors and customers' wants and needs, they have identified their audience and know how to aim their services towards them based on what they need. Before starting a business, ensure that you have carried out extensive market research to avoid running into problems further down the line.

4. Being impatient

Being impatient is a way to destroy your business

Patience and perseverance are two vital ingredients needed to create a successful business. If your turnover isn’t very high in the first year, or even in the first two years then don’t quit. Some businesses can take many years to build up their reputation and thrive. Word of mouth, experience, market research, and constantly improving your business are just a few ways of increasing your customer base. If you struggle to make much profit to begin with, then don’t fall into the trap of impatience or quit, keep going! Quitting will get you nowhere, but perseverance will pay off in the long-term.

5. Not using social media to advertise your business

Use Social Media to grow your business

Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are considered to be fast-evolving marketing and communication channels. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends, family, and to keep up to date with what is going on in the world. It is estimated that around 2.41 billion users are active per month. That is a whopping amount of people! It takes only a short amount of time to set up a business page and it will allow a larger amount of people to engage with your business. Facebook also run pay-per-click ads which allow you to set a budget. They are very useful for marketing in a way that is completely under your control. People are much more likely to believe you to be a reputable customer if they can find you with ease on social media.

The bottom line

Make sure that you have every element of your business covered. Take advantage of the modern facilities we have such as social media platforms, easy access to online marketing research, and use tools such as reflective practice to monitor which aspects of your business work and which don’t. Thanks for reading! You can check out our blog on how to help grow your business by clicking on the link below.

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