How to Start Your Own Startup

It doesn’t matter what line of business you’re in, the concept is the same. If you love the idea of starting out on your own, unless you take the leap, there will always be something stopping you. Whether it’s bills to pay, kids to feed, an already demanding job, or your own fear of failure that gets in your way, there will never be the perfect time to take the plunge. Unless you just, well, take the plunge.

Get Connected

– Hang out with like-minded people. Whether physically, or online, joining a network of other people who have gotten their own startups off the ground, or are thinking about it, can be extremely useful and inspiring. You’ve already found this site, but starting checking out other start-up blogs, an SEO blog for useful optimization tips, Twitter connections and Facebook start-up communities. You’ll soon find that there are many people in your situation, and you may even find partners, distributors, clients, or even simple ideas to spark your creativity.

Visualize Your Success

– Visualizing what your startup looks like, from the website presentation, to your office; from your buyer personas, to your Facebook adverts, try this mental exercise for a few minutes each day. Clear your mind and imagine your future. This can be an extremely powerful exercise and help you stay focused on your goals. Athletes use visualization in their training to see the winning line; if it works for them, why not for you?

Know What You’re Up Against

– So you may be ready to get started, but make sure you do your due diligence first. After all, before you dove into a murky lake you couldn’t see the bottom of, you’d probably check whether there were any alligators living nearby, or how deep the water was.

The same concept applies here. Know what you’re about to dive into. How big is the potential market for your product or service? How strong is the competition? Are there any barriers to entry that need to be considered, or legislation changes on the horizon? This is not designed to stop you in your tracks, or give you another excuse not to start, but knowing what you’re up against will mean you’re better prepared when problems come your way.

Your Website is Your Shop Window

– You may need to wear many hats in the beginning before you can afford to hire a team, you may work out of your basement, or be at your computer late into the night; starting a startup may involve a little (or a lot) of sacrifice in the beginning. But don’t cut corners when it comes to your website. Remember that this is your shop window and the only way your customers can judge what kind of a business you are.

If you walked into a dirty store with half-empty shelves or a sign up that said “under construction” you probably wouldn’t bother coming back. So don’t do the same with your website. A good design is important. But great functionality is better. Make sure your site is user friendly and tells the customer where to go and what to do. Hire an experienced SEO company who can increase traffic to your site, improve your conversion rate, lower your bounce rate, and make sure that your Google SERP is high.

Innovate Constantly

– Remember to plan for long-term growth by continually looking for new customer demographics. Building alliances with companies who offer complementary services (not competing) is a good idea and you could think about adding a “Partners” page to your site. Remember that even if you have the market sewn up, you’ll need to ensure you attract new customers that generate new revenue, fresh interest and secure the future of your company.

Michael Peggs is the founder of SEO agency Marccx Media, where they specialize in white hat link building, SEO and Content Marketing. Before Marcxx, Peggs worked at Google in business development, forming digital media and advertising partnerships. He is also a blogger and podcaster, hosting the iTunes Top 10 New &

Noteworthy podcast You University – The Personal Branding Podcast.