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How Startup Owners Can Reduce The Risk Of Business Failure

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | How Startup Owners Can Reduce The Risk Of Business Failure | Business Startup

According to the research highlighted at Fundera, 20% of new businesses fail in their first year, 30% fail in their second year, and 50% fail after five years. It’s enough to put anybody off the idea of starting their own business.

However, it’s also important to turn those figures around. While there are those businesses that fail, there are also those that survive. This should be a cause for optimism.

To reduce the risk of business failure, startup owners should:

#1: Find out why businesses fail

Why do businesses fail? According to Research Briefs, there are many reasons. 42% of businesses fail because there is no market need for what they are selling, according to figures highlighted. 29% of businesses fail because of cashflow problems. And businesses also fail because of such issues as the might of the competition, poor marketing, and the lack of a proper business model.

When the startup owner knows why businesses risk failure, they can take steps to alleviate any future problems.

So, they might look for a niche in the market in a bid to reduce the competition, for example. They might outsource their marketing to those agencies that understand their business model, such as a software marketing agency if they were running an SAAS business. And they might commit to market research before starting out to ascertain whether or not there is a market for their particular product or service.

#2: Seek assistance from a business mentor

The business world is hard for anybody, especially those who are just starting out in their particular industry. This is why it’s always useful to have somebody on speed dial who knows what they are doing. A mentor can help the startup owner become a success, with advice on the pitfalls to look out for, a list of contacts with the resources the startup owner needs, and other information, such as tips on hiring, financial management, and goal setting.

Of course, this is assuming the startup owner knows somebody who can mentor them, although it shouldn’t be too hard to track somebody down. Networking events, social media sites, and small business development centers are just a few of the places where somebody might find the help they are looking for.

#3: Improve their skills

The startup owner doesn’t have to be the master of everything. They can hire staff members to take on some of those tasks that they can’t do alone, and they can outsource too.

However, there are the basics to consider, as skills in such areas as management, leadership, and communication could be considered the bare essentials when trying to run a successful business. To learn more, the startup owner should consider a business course or any other line of study and training that enhances areas they are weakest in.

With a good foundation of knowledge at the beginning, they will be less likely to make many mistakes down the line.

So, take heed if you’re a startup owner, but be assured that failure doesn’t have to be an inevitability. You can override the risks involved, so consider our suggestions, and get help from other sources if needed.

 

Saving Money As A Startup – Ways To Increase Your Margins

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Launching a business is never a walk in the park, not least during a pandemic when the future is uncertain. Despite economic concerns, there are advantages to setting up a startup at the moment. The Covid-19 crisis has caused widespread disruption, but it has also created opportunities. If you’re just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey, it’s crucial to keep a close eye on the books. In this guide, we’ll explore ways to save money and increase your margins.

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Saving Money As A Startup - Ways To Increase Your MarginsInvesting in technology to improve efficiency

Increasing efficiency in business is often an effective means of saving time and money. Technology has become increasingly critical for businesses in recent years, and it offers company bosses the chance to streamline and speed up operations, reduce the risk of errors and introduce cost-effective ways of working. If you’re thinking about investing in technology for your startup, undertake extensive research, keep track of what your competitors are doing and look for devices, machinery, software or equipment that will enable you to work faster, provide a better service, offer a more diverse range of products or services than your rivals and lower costs. Think about what your business needs and consider hiring or buying second-hand equipment to save money. Hiring makes financial sense for short-term projects, while buying used machinery can work out a lot cheaper than buying brand new models. Whether you’re looking into water cooled chillers, construction vehicles, coffee machines or computers, it’s advantageous to explore the options on the table, compare prices and analyze the impact of your investment. Search for value for money, rather than the lowest price, and choose reputable manufacturers and trustworthy retailers.

Flexible staffing options

For many fledgling businesses, paying wages accounts for a substantial portion of the monthly budget. The majority of businesses need to employ staff, but there are alternatives to hiring employees on permanent contracts. You may find that flexible options work better for you, especially if you run a seasonal business, or you take on multiple projects. If you run a construction company, for example, you may want to look for talented individuals to work on specific jobs, rather than employing a team of workers on a full-time basis. If you manage a store that sells Christmas decorations, or you run a business that handles vacation rentals, for example, you will go through busy and quiet periods, which demand different staffing levels. Hiring on a short-term basis will ensure you have access to the staff you need to thrive during busy periods while saving money when sales start to dwindle. You can also save money on wages by starting with a relatively small team and adding new recruits as your business grows.

Another option to consider is whether you could hire a student to support your business? Students will cost your business less to employ but in some cases can do the job just as you require. Many will be looking for a job to support their degree, so if your business is within that field, then their knowledge could be invaluable. Plus, when you hire a student, you could use their student ID when buying their equipment to save some money. If you require them to travel, student ID’s will help reduce the train fair or bus fair depending on who they travel with.

Outsourcing

Outsourcing has become increasingly popular among small and medium-sized businesses, and it can offer a cost-effective alternative to employing new members of staff. Outsourcing involves working with external agencies or hiring freelancers to take control of certain jobs. It enables you to access skills that you might not already have on your team, and you can also free up time for your employees. Examples of tasks and services that businesses commonly outsource include professional cleaning, accounting and payroll management, IT and marketing. If you own a clothing brand, for example, and you want to drum up interest and try and boost online sales, you could outsource marketing, joining forces with a digital marketing agency to draw up and manage targeted campaigns that are designed to increase sales and improve your ROI. By outsourcing, you can save money on hiring while also benefiting from access to expertise you don’t have in-house.

Negotiating with suppliers

Negotiating skills are imperative in business. Whether you sell products or services, it’s highly likely that you will need to engage with suppliers, distributors and logistics firms to get your business off the ground and provide your customers with an efficient service. At every stage, be willing to negotiate on price, but understand the importance of presenting a professional image. There’s nothing wrong with trying to drive prices down, but be realistic and make offers that are reasonable.

Streamlining your marketing strategy

Marketing plays a crucial role in helping businesses to connect with customers, generate leads and increase the chances of making sales. When you launch a marketing campaign, you want to ensure that you have the best chance of achieving your objectives. This is why it’s beneficial to seek expert advice and to link up with agencies or individuals with an outstanding track record. There is a risk of a campaign falling flat, and not every marketing strategy works. You don’t want to invest money in techniques that don’t work or campaigns that don’t reach the right people. Streamlining your strategy can help you pinpoint target customers, generate high-quality leads and promote your brand in the best possible light. Make use of analytics to track progress and use market research and customer feedback to improve and modify your strategy. If you’re targeting young people, for example, advertising and sharing posts on sites like Instagram is going to be more effective than posting on Twitter. If you’re setting up a local business providing services like roofing, dog walking or gardening and landscaping, focus on local SEO and use flyers and local press adverts to connect with residents in the area. Over 85% of people who search for local businesses on a smartphone will either make contact or visit within 24 hours. By focusing on methods that work, you can increase ROI and eliminate expenses related to techniques that have failed to make an impact.


Every dollar counts when you’re running a new business. If you’ve recently launched a startup, or you’re in the early stages, there are ways to lower costs and increase margins. Think carefully about your recruitment strategy and explore flexible staffing solutions, negotiate with suppliers, invest in technology that will enable you to save time and money, consider outsourcing and streamline your marketing strategy. If you can reduce expenses at the same time as driving sales and optimizing performance, your profits should grow quickly.

How to Start Your Online Business?

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | How to Start Your Online Business?

  1. Have you ever given a thought to these questions?
  2. Why do the majority of people prefer their business?
  3. Can I too have a better standard of living by becoming a businessman?
  4. Does my poverty stand in the way?
  5. Can I become a respectable business owner without any capital?
  6. How is this possible?

These are just some of the questions that come to mind for anyone who wants to start their own business. Is more profitable than a job? But in the end, what are the reasons why you should start your own business? In this article, we have tried to explain not only all the reasons why a person should start their own business but also try to dispel the misconception that a huge amount of capital is required to set up your business. An investment can start your own business but also a successful businessman.

Perks of Owning your Own Business?

  • By becoming a businessman, you can better serve the society. You can help people in many ways and create employment opportunities for them.
  • In your business you can choose the people you want to work with according to your will and choice, while in the job you do not have this option.
  • Many people are more intelligent and intelligent than others and have the ability to lead people in the right direction. And they are well aware of their abilities. So they work under someone. They do not want to waste their skills, so they prefer their business.
  • You can set the pace of work according to your will and convenience. You do not have to wait for anyone’s orders.
  • Your business offers you new opportunities and new challenges. And if you are a person who accepts challenges, then your business is the best for you.

Ideas on How to Start a Business

Try Affiliate Marketing

This business started without any capital is gaining popularity all over the world including Pakistan nowadays. It is the best online source of making profit and this business can be easily run from the comfort of your own home or even in your own room. In this method you promote another company’s product or service through internet or any other similar medium and by selling it you get your fixed commission.

Go Blogging

A blog is a website or web page on which new information and comments are written every day. It is planned by an individual or a group of people together. Blog writing has become an important need of social media. In Pakistan It is in demand in both Urdu and English languages. You could start your own home-based business tomorrow with very little start-up cost.

Earn Being a Consultant

If you have a lot of knowledge, skills and ideas in the field of business and you are thinking of helping new entrants in the field of business in this regard, then you can become a very good business counselor and not just a new business entrepreneur. Can train people but also make a good profit.

Sell Academic Papers             

Another trending way of earning, which is going very popular these days, is through writing academic research papers. If you are good at researching and writing formals. You can earn through it. Or you can hire expert assignment writers for your agency and start the business like fiver or UpWork.

Earn Through Event Management

If you have a degree in event management or if you have excellent skills in planning, designing and arranging things, you can start your own business as a good event organizer. Religious organizations, wedding ceremonies and political parties can make a lot of money through event management.

Sell Writing Services

All companies and organizations need a noticeable written material for promotion which can get the attention of the maximum number of customers. If you have the ability to create such attractive content in English language then you Start a very successful content writing business and provide content to various companies and organizations.

Start Writing E-Book and Sell it

If you are a good writer and know the techniques of e-books, you can make a great profit through eBook writing. It can be a great business especially for women who have this ability.

To sum it up, you can avail your own skills to start a business or utilize others’ skills by managing the entire business plan. Remember that success in any field or business does not depend on your degrees but on your intelligence and hard work.

How Do I Start an Online Business?

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | How Do I Start an Online Business? | Initial Business PlanningStarting an online business in the present era is no big deal. However, you must not consider it as an effortless job. It would be best if you strategize things perfectly, especially about your resources while planning to open a business online.

Here are the steps you must follow to open a business and handle it on the virtual platform. Sheer dedication and smart efforts can help your business to get online sales easily.

Initial Business Planning

In this step, you must think and sort out the commodities or services you want to sell. Always check the customers’ necessity level in regards to whatever you sell.

You can organize both online and offline surveys and consult a business expert before finally executing it. Make sure you are aware of your competitors and dedicated to serving people better.

Make engaging online content

Right after planning, you must concentrate on making engaging content that spreads information among the masses about your new business. Social media sites could be the best place where you can publish posts regularly.

Your posts should primarily engage people, inform them about your product, and convince them to buy it. You can invest in professional writers to make sure your content converts more and more buyers.

Design a websiteDesign a website

A website acts as your basic tool to manage your business online. Initially, you must design your e-commerce website with simple elements. Make sure it is responsive and user-friendly.

You can link your social media posts with the website to enhance the amount of site traffic. The more you get the traffic, more you can make sales.

The commodities that you deal with should be present in an organized way on your site. End-users must be able to access all the necessary information and the price of every commodity.

Invest in search engine optimization

Once your website is ready, you must invest in SEO. Many professionals can dedicatedly execute both On-Page and Off-Page SEO, which improves the rank of your website on the results page.

search engine optimizationThe best way to get the right SEO company is by searching for quotes online. You must know about the package of services they offer and how you have to cooperate with them.

Communicate with customers to develop a reputation

Excellent communication with your customers can make you a reputed business owner. You should not only respond to the customers via your website but also through your social media handles.

Regularly observe your business profile on social sites to get a glimpse of everything the customers are thinking about you.

Your response to the customers can improve your credibility and you can make a brand-loyal customer base easily. Some brand loyal customers and even take your brand authority and reach out to more potential customers.

Provide Conveniences

Most people opt for online shopping to get extra conveniences that are harder to get in case of traditional shopping. Once your e-commerce website starts to fetch you a profit, try giving amenities like discounts to the customers.

You can also give away electronic gift cards and festive season offers to enhance the rate of sales from your website.

In case you want to clear old stocks, try giving it on flat discounts along with new purchases. These strategies can often help you to stay on a decent lead than your competitors.

Final Words

If you are not sure about opening an online business, consider this to the right period to set up one. In the post-Covid era, online shopping would drastically increase as more people would not visit markets for shopping. You should always try to keep up quality service to enjoy getting satisfactory profits.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Bhavik SoniBhavik Soni is a Creative Writer at Auto Monkey. We provide an original analysis of the latest happenings in the social media industry. Connect with Latest Social Media Trends and News plus tips on Twitter, Facebook and other social tools on the web.

How explainer videos plays important role in your startup business strategy

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In today’s scenario, videos are gaining ample popularity not just due to its excellent benefits, but also due to its affordability and effectiveness. Indeed, videos are helping businesses to hit their goals. Video marketing allows marketers to grab the visitor’s attention in a very short span of time.

By creating alluring and informative explainer videos, one can easily express almost everything and make people familiar with your business offers. Yes! With 90-sec video, you can easily add value to your business marketing and make your brand globally recognized.

Still not satisfied? You are at the right place. Through this article, I will take you through various reasons that will help you understand why 90% of the businesses are using explainer videos to complete their desired actions and achieve their business goals.

How explainer videos can help startup businesses to gain success

Let’s get started…

Generate more traffic

When we talk about startup business, then going viral is one thing that can help them improve their business productivity. And to increase web traffic, videos play a great role. A viral video will help you gain popularity and allow visitors to know how the organization can help them achieve their goals.

According to the analysis, 82% of internet traffic comes from attractive videos. If your videos are good, you can easily double your organic search traffic. Remember, the more the traffic, the higher the conversions. So, if you want to see fantastic results in your startup marketing strategy, then don’t forget to add videos in your plan.

>Improves brand awareness

Another reason why organizations are using explainer videos is to increase their visibility on the web. Increasing brand awareness is another step that can help you increase your customer base and sales. And to achieve such desires, videos help a lot!

Uploading videos on the right platform will help you raise the awareness of your brand and allow you to make the right decision at the right time. According to HubSpot, 85% of the customers always prefer watching videos from the brands.

So, if you want to streamline your startup business strategy and increase the number of sales without putting much effort and time, then start creating short and creative explainer videos.

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article | How explainer videos plays important role in your startup business strategy

Source: walkaroundvideos

Prefer reading- 5 Ways to incorporate an explainer video to your marketing strategy

Highly affordable and effective

No matter whether it’s a startup or a huge organization, every organization wants to generate a positive impact on their business without breaking the banks. Well! That’s where videos come into play.

The best part about the explainer video is that you don’t have to invest huge money. There are various softwares and video production companies that allow individuals to produce videos faster that are both clearer, enjoyable and affordable. So, start leveraging the power explainer video to measure the success of your business without breaking your banks.

Earn a better ROI

Videos also play a vital role when it comes to long term investment and ROI. If you are spending money on creating videos, then you can expect a huge return. Around 51% of marketers consider videos as one of the best types of content that generate huge ROI.

According to the research, 85% of the people are likely to make a purchase after watching explainer videos. So, if you want to hype up your business sales and increase conversions to generate better ROI, then start investing in videos, as video marketing has huge scope in improving the opportunities and staying competitive.

Makes the explanation easy

For a startup, explaining the product or service is not a cakewalk. But yes! With explainer videos, it is something that is possible. If you have explainer videos on your landing pages, you can explain complex products/services easily.

According to the statistics, 97% of the organizations believe that with the help of explainer videos, it becomes really easy to make people understand the concept/products/services easily. Always remember, more will be the understanding of the concept, the easier it becomes to engage the visitors and convert them into leads.

Around 69% of the people get to know about the product or services by watching effective videos. Thus, to make people better understand the concept, start using video in the best possible way. Whenever you create a video, make sure it has a proper story.

Encourage social shares

Have you ever realized whether social sharing can help you enhance your productivity? Yes! The organizations that are focusing on their social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. are able to analyze their sales and increase their productivity. And to increase the number of social shares, videos can help a lot.

According to the statistics, the organizations that are creating social videos are able to generate 1200 times more shares as compared to long formatted content and images. Always remember, the higher the number of shares, the more the revenue.

So, if you want to see better results for your startup business, then upload entertaining and effective videos on your social media and see a positive impact on your ROI.

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article | How explainer videos plays important role in your startup business strategy

Source: position2

Rank Better in Google Search

Almost every business wants to appear in the top searches of Google. Because if your website is ranking at the top, then the chances to attract more visitors and convert them into quality leads increase. To increase the website ranking, you can add videos in your marketing strategy.

According to the analysis, the organizations that are creating videos are 53 times more likely to show up at the top of Google. Yes! Videos can act as a core element for your marketing strategy. But, whenever you produce videos, always have your target audience in mind. It will definitely allow you to see fantastic results in a short span of time.

In a Nutshell

There are no two opinions that videos are both economic and effective parts of digital marketing. It helps both startups and huge organizations in capturing leads and escalating their business growth. Having an engaging and educational video not only helps in promoting business but also allows in building strong customer relations.

So, if you want to create real miracles and take your startup business at the next step, make the best use of explainer videos. But still, if you have any query, or want to add something in the above list, feel free to share your opinions in the comment section added below.