The Thoughts And Ideas Of The Efficiency Coach

Looking to start a business in a recession? Do people think you are mad, or just brave? I found that when I started my business at the start of a deep recession, people thought I was a little bit mad. Actually, the world (and business) doesn’t stop just because the economy is contracting. There are some great opportunities still out there…

These tips will help you get off to a quick, strong start — in good times or bad:

1. Know about your customers. It’s all about them – where they hang out, what they read, what they need. Leave your ego at the door, it’s not about you. Don’t make the easy mistake of networking with your peers and the competition.

2. Create your goals, so you know what success looks like. Without focused goals, you will waste time pursuing stuff that fun and exciting, but almost definitely not important to your business and future success.

3. Success in business is not accidental. Yes, you will get some lucky breaks along the way, but you have to graft… hard…, and to get your business up and running, push yourself truly out of your comfort zone.

4. Do something that you are passionate about. You will be living it and breathing it 24/7 from now on. Energy and enthusiasm is a must to help break through glass ceilings and break down doors.

5. Build a support network of positive people around you. It can be a very lonely place as a sole trader or director of a start-up company. Find a business mentor (The everywoman network offers business mentoring for free via their train to gain contract) and employ the services of a good coach – such as one from The Efficiency Coach. A good coach, will help you find the time and space to focus and ‘help you keep your head when all about you are losing theirs’ (with apologies to Kipling)

6. Network, network, network – social networking is becoming so developed that you can network very effectively from the comfort of your own home, but always remember to put at least 80% of your networking effort with potential customers. I can promise you that you will bump into the competition when you are networking with potential customers.

7. Open your eyes to new ways of doing things. Social networking is now a viable marketing tool for the small business owner. At the end of the day, people still buy from people, but on-line networks help you make the connection faster.

8. Cash is king. And will always reign. If you have a positive cash flow and a positive profit margin, you can’t go far wrong. Be prepared in the early days to swallow a few of your principles and take on interim, freelance, temporary or associate work to pay the bills whilst you build up the business.

I would love to hear your early start-up stories. Sharing stories and knowledge is one of the most efficient ways to learn. Drop me a line at heather@theefficiencycoach.co.uk, or give me a call on + 44 (0) 1234 48 0123.

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