Business start-ups are nothing short of essential to the vibrancy and success of the British economy – particularly in the aftermath of the nation’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Local and independent businesses prop up larger enterprises, making up over half of the national turnover and over 60% of national employment. Joining these ranks is an aspirational thing for many, but not an easy undertaking. As an individual entrepreneur, how might you prepare to start a business?

Save, Save, Save

Many new start-ups and business concepts do not have the luxury of external investment to fall back on and have to fight for every penny in creating a meaningful footprint early on. Naturally, this often means that founders are self-funding their projects to get them off the ground.

As a prospective business owner, you need to be in the best possible financial position to start your business – not because business failure will impact your personal finances, but because the more you have in the form of liquid cash, the more you can invest in the early growth of your business.

This necessarily means putting money to one side with the express intention of using it to fund your enterprise.

Finalize Your Business Plan

A common mistake made by new business leaders is to take a broad approach to institute a start-up. Without specific ideas about both the nature and stature of your business, you may find yourself pouring money, time, and other resources into the wrong area as you attempt to grow.

There are not many businesses that grow to success without a robust business plan, drawn up well in advance of trading or operation.

Take your time to finalize your own business plan, though not to the point of rigidity; you need to remain agile, in order to properly meet challenges raised by your market or in your research.

Market And Competitor Research

Research is an essential part of starting a business, and unavoidable if you intend to be in any way competitive within your industry.

There are two key forms of research, that target two sides of business incorporation: market research, and competitor research.

Market research involves gaining a better understanding of your industry, and the niche in which you intend to sit, from a consumer perspective.

What demographics are engaging with your product the most, and where might there be room for development? Geographically speaking, where are the best areas to target for product or service launches? What is your prospective customer base at the end of your first year, based on this information?

Meanwhile, you would also research your industry niche from the other side, by examining existing businesses in that sphere and gauging their performance.

Does any one business have a monopoly over others, either regionally or nationally? What are the relative sizes of your prospective competitors? And how much market share can you capture within your first year? These basic questions can be foundational in your building a company destined for success.

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