There are numerous reasons why people decide to become their own boss but setting up your own business doesn’t come without risk. In order to make your venture into self employment a successful one, here are five things you need to know before launching a new business.
 

One of the best things you can do for yourself when setting up a new business - in fact, probably the first action point - is to develop a business plan. This will allow you to have a clear and precise idea of what you want to do, where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. By doing this it will force you to think about all the little details that you may have once overlooked. Without a plan, your business can fall apart as you soon lose track of where you want to be.

Remember, all of your planning needs to answer two simple questions - how is your business serving a particular need and does your business represent a market opportunity?

Research the demographics and understand your potential customer base - what they like and their buying habits. Many businesses fail because they are yet to master marketing and sales. Keep an eye on your competitors, talk with similar businesses and browse through their websites to see what their customers are saying.

In order to run your business, you need money to pay your rent, vendors and employees. This means you need to have a certain amount of money to hand at any given time. Credit cards can help in the short term but, eventually you’ll have to pay them off. Don’t spend more than your business can afford - keep your expenditure to a minimum.

Remember, If you’re taking out a loan to help get your business off the ground, make sure you understand what loan suits your circumstances the best. Don’t just go with the first one you find, this requires a little time and effort so you can get what’s best for you.

Sometimes it can seem easier to partner with someone because it’s convenient at the time, or because they’re your friend, but this isn’t the case. A partner needs to be someone who makes your business stronger and shares the same views as you do. The wrong partner could have a negative effect on your business, choose carefully.

It doesn’t matter how you want to make your business a success, it’s vital that you pay attention to your family and friends too, for both yours and their wellbeing. Don’t become too obsessed with your business and end up neglecting everything else around you, it will only end up with negative consequences for your business and you. It’s also important you rest and take some time off; working non stop could result in poor decision making and impact badly on business.

While you will never be able to predict what the future is going to hold for this new venture in your life, being aware of all the potential challenges can only help.