You Launched Your Business, Now What?
It’s great to go into business for yourself, but it can be a stressful thing and it can put you into debt (even if you started out without any debt). If you already have debt, take some time before you launch your business to get things straightened out. Look into debt consolidation for assistance.
Once you’ve ensured your business has a chance and you’re not going to go into instant debt, you need to know what to do with this new business. Now it’s post launch-time, and you already did your launch-time marketing. So now what?
Market It
Hopefully, you started marketing your business even before you launched it. You needed to do this in order to get up the hype for your business and start attracting the customers that would be the ones to help you get your business into the black quickly.
Once your business is going, though, you need to come up with new marketing strategies. How you market a business launch is different than marketing a business that is already in existence. Now is the time to share your individual products and services, to beef up your social media presence, and to win people over with your blog posts.
Manage Your Time Wisely
If this is your first time having your own business, you need to get good at time management. Even people that work from home writing articles or stuffing envelopes need to learn to manage their time wisely. You get more done with a schedule.
You might not have a clock to punch, but you definitely want to have a workday schedule. Have lunch at the same time each day. Keep lists and set goals for each day.
Don’t Give Up
New businesses have a habit of failing, especially if you haven’t made enough effort to properly launching, marketing, and managing your time. Businesses need money, but they also need a person with drive to keep things going. Don’t give up right away when times get tough.
There are many ways to get through rough patches with a small business or freelance business. Keep a savings account for emergencies, and even have a credit card set aside for emergencies. Find creative ways to draw in new customers, whether it’s through discounts or special sales.
Get Some More Money
If your money isn’t holding its own in the beginning, you’re not alone. The first year will be the toughest, but if you can get through it, your business could be on its way to success. When money is tight, you do have options.
If you don’t have much money coming in you might not want to get another loan or charge a bunch more to your credit card. Your better option may be to launch a crowdfunding campaign. Your friends and their friends donate to your business, and it is money you don’t have to pay back!
