Startup Freak Community for entrepreneurs and small businesses
Starting any business has its own challenges and how we approach these challenges influences both the trajectory of the business and its finances!
There’s nothing worse than rueing the benefits of hindsight after a costly mistake, but unfortunately we don’t know what we don’t know! Whilst this article can’t claim to cover all bases here are a few truly top tips for avoiding needless costs and maximising your exposure.
Website Creation
It is VERY easy to overspend on website development, especially if you’re new to the process.
The most costly method of having your website created, as you may expect is via professional web development company. This route is generally only required if your website requires unique functionality creating & building in to it.
If you only need everyday things like contact forms, eCommerce functionality and social sharing options, you can easily achieve what you need with a do it yourself option.
Whilst you may not be a web developer or designer, many DIY options come with easy to use site builders to help you achieve a professional look.
As well as making a significant saving on upfront development costs, you will also likely find that the web hosting options available through many website builder tools are far more cost effective for a startup that those offered by professional agencies.
Network Setup
You don’t need to be in a fancy office or have a massive budget to set up & run a competitive network infrastructure. Which, let’s face it, is a big relief as the more professional your setup is early on, the sooner you will be competing with more established players in your industry.
This is where a specialist like MyNextBox.com can come in really useful, providing you with top quality refurbished network hardware for a fraction of its original price. Not only does this save you valuable money as far as your tech budget is concerned, it gets you up to speed with more established competitors quicker.
Persona Development
Targeting your ideal customers wherever they frequent online is a critical component of any online startup strategy. It is also much less costly if you know exactly where to start, rather than coming at it with a trial-and-error style approach.
Developing customer personas in advance of any marketing activity happening is the best way to ensure your marketing budget is used in as targeted a way as possible.
It’s all too easy to sign up with the likes of Facebook or Google Ads, pour hundreds (or thousands) of pounds in and see nothing come of it. Granted, performance issues could lie with other elements of a campaign but if your customer isn’t on those networks to begin with, why bother spending any money there in the first place?
You may also find that this process can help influence how you approach the creation of your website as well!
