Arthur Wilson
Setting up a new businesses is equal parts exciting and daunting. If you're just getting started, here's a list of 20 must-do tasks to get you started:
It's getting harder and harder to find great domain names. When you find the right one, don't forget to snap up variations too to protect you further down the line, including relevant countries.
Pencils at the ready (or photoshop open). Logo, fonts, colour palette, slogans... make it great so you're still proud of what you create in five years time!
What are your key initial selling points going to be? What will you be known for? These will help you position your new business in the marketplace and direct your sales conversations.
Find out what your customers are searching for online and map out how your target keywords will sit on your website.
URLs, meta titles, descriptions and image alt tags at the ready!
You can certainly do this at the start too, but definitely don't leave it later than now! There's no harm in registering on social channels you're not planning to use straight away either. Secure your usernames and link back to your new website.
Key for a new website, get ranking through localised linkbuilding and citations too.
Literally putting you on the map - improve the searchability and findability if your business
Your new accountants will help take care of the niggly business bits, like paying your staff and making sure you don't miss key accountancy dates!
New businesses find it harder to convince clients to go with them over an established competitor. Build trust signals in the way of online reviews and press coverage to negate this.
An awesome piece of downloadable content is easy to promote across social, including direct messaging on LinkedIn. Capture emails before download and start building your email database!
Less bothered about emails and more interested in a few thousand Facebook fans? A social competition is the way to go!
For new brands, YOU are the brand. Keep the world abreast of your activities and get them interested in your journey.
It can take time to climb the organic search rankings. If you need traffic right now, allocate some marketing budget towards Google AdWords or Bing.
(If one marketing or advertising channel is delivering great results then double down on this area. Don't presume that the channels you thought would work best are the only way to go either. Facebook not delivering results? Try Twitter. Getting better traction with traditional PR or media placements? Then invest more in those areas too.
Local PR in particular love a rags to riches story. And whilst your rags may in fact be a very snazzy suit, you can still reach out to local media outlets and get some nice coverage about your successes to date.
Working in a start-up environment is stressful as hell. Mega workloads, numerous hats to be worn and don't pretend everyone's leaving the office when their contract says they should. Check-in with them, show them some appreciation and make sure they stick around for the long-term.
Look at all the work you've done! Burnout is the enemy of business owners, so take time to relax, have a break and recharge for the next stage in your brands' evolution!
If you came up with an awesome business idea during lockdown, then this list will help lay out the steps to get you moving!
Marketing manager with a passion for content marketing. Can find me blogging at Pomegranate Consulting.
