The Harris Poll survey in 2021 revealed a series of reasons why the majority of Americans are reluctant to turn their ideas into real businesses. Apparently 33% of more than a thousand respondents did not continue their business because they were worried it would fail, while 23% of them did not get the support of those closest to them. Then, a fairly large cause, namely 39%, is not knowing how to start.
Do any of the reasons above also haunt you when you want to start a business? If so, it's time for you to reduce your thinking or overthinking and immediately develop a plan to make your business a reality.
If you don't know where to start, don't worry. More or less, in business according to experts you will go through five stages.
Every new business definitely starts with an idea. Therefore, a process called idea generation is needed to generate interesting and realistic ideas. This is a creative process that will help you recognize new opportunities and possibilities that can be used to develop your business.
Even though it seems like an easy process, some people often get stuck at this phase. The reason is none other than experiencing creative barriers or lack of inspiration. So, to overcome this, you can try to make five efforts recommended by business experts. First, you can brainstorm with the people closest to you or your business team if you already have one. You can also use methods that are commonly applied, such as making a mind map or storyboard.
If you want to try a new method, thinking upside down could be a solution. This is a fun method because you will stop thinking about goals or what you want to achieve. Instead, you start brainstorming about every problem that could occur in a particular situation. Reverse thinking is also known as negative thinking and often prompts a person to come up with many new, creative ideas. Finally, you can do an idea challenge by starting to come up with a problem or opportunity to explore.
At this stage you will try to find the answer to the big question "does your business have an opportunity worth investing in?" To answer it, try to break it down into more detailed questions like the following.
- Is there an attractive market opportunity?
- Is the idea you proposed feasible, both from a market perspective and a product perspective?
- Can you compete over a long period of time or sustainably?
- Do you have a team that can take advantage of opportunities effectively?
- What is the risk or reward profile of this idea?
If you can answer all these questions clearly, then it is very likely that this opportunity is worth realizing. This answer can also convince other people, such as potential customers, employees, partners or financiers, to take an interest in your business.
In general, in this phase you need to develop a strategy and operational plan. The strategy itself includes four plans, namely determining customer targets, business models, positions and goals. Regarding target customers, you need to think about who the potential buyers will be. The more you know about them—quantitatively and qualitatively—the better it is for the survival of your business.
Meanwhile, regarding the business model, this is an illustration of how you will generate profits. For new businesses, this seems like an obligation. The business model will identify the product or service to be sold; target market; and anticipated expenses.
Then for position, which refers to how you differentiate your business from competitors and also how it relates to other companies in the value chain. This is an opportunity to determine, at a basic level, what your business will do and what it won't.
Finally, in the planning phase you also need to set goals, which can be short or long term. This is for example when you will be able to cover capital costs, make a profit, and start expanding.
On the other hand, regarding operational planning, this will include predictions regarding what outcomes will occur from your planning. This can involve projections of income, materials, and other things about your business.
Once you have the opportunity and a fairly mature plan, you can start launching to introduce your product widely. However, before carrying out an official launch, it's a good idea to test the product by holding a soft launch. You will do a demo or give away several products for free. It is important to know customer responses regarding the advantages and disadvantages of your product. Make their input part of your input before you officially launch
Ahead of the launch , don't forget to promote intensively, either directly or online on social media. You can achieve direct promotion by approaching prospective strategic clients, such as key opinion leaders in your field, communities in society, and so on. Meanwhile, you can do launch promotions on social media by providing product teasers or by giving giveaways to attract more fans.
Once your business is launched, you will focus on producing goods or services; generate income; and move towards sustainable performance. In this phase, you still need to ask questions for the progress of your business because times continue to change. Even so, you still spend more time executing your plans.
So, when everything is going well enough, you can start thinking about choosing the right business entity to protect your business.
Well, those are the five stages that you will experience when starting your business. To further strengthen your first steps in doing business, you can also seek information from those who are experienced or through business classes that are widely available today.