Starting a new business is going to be filled with obstacles and learning curves. Some of these provide you with vital lessons to help you move your business forward and grow. On the other hand, there are some mistakes that businesses continue to fall into, which are more detrimental to your business and are better avoided. You can save your business valuable time, money, and resources by learning about some of the most common mistakes in your industry. Understanding common mistakes can be the difference between creating a money pit for a business, and growing a thriving business.
To help you get started, here are some of the biggest mistakes small business owners make, and some top tips to help you avoid them.
#1 Aiming for overnight success
Businesses are not built overnight. The success that appears to happen overnight is typically the result of years of hard work from the business owner before it reaches its peak. It is a common mistake amongst small business owners, to set unrealistic expectations and aim for overnight success. This means that many business owners label themselves as failures and give up too quickly.
To avoid this mistake, make sure you set realistic expectations right from the start. Research other businesses within your industry and learn about their successes, what has worked for them, what their strengths are, and how long it has taken them to get to where they are today. Make sure you are dedicated to growing your business, give yourself time, and stay committed to the process.
#2 Not having a purpose for your business
A big mistake businesses make is only thinking about the money, and how they can squeeze the most profit from their operations, employees, and customers. However, many people are fed up with everything being about money, and money is not something that drives them.
Your business needs a purpose if you want it to be successful. Not only will this help you attract the right customers, but it will also resonate with passionate employees. Your customers and employees are the heart of your business, and they are going to be motivated and driven to an important purpose.
You can avoid this mistake by taking some time to create a valuable mission statement for your business that sets out your purpose. Make this transparent, and use it to drive your product and service development, customer service, and hiring employees. Your purpose should be clear and used consistently. This will ensure you create a great first impression, and consumers are not confused with any mixed messaging.
A meaningful purpose will enable you to build trust and credibility within your industry.
#3 Offering the lowest prices
It is a mistake to think that the lower your price, the more customers you are going to attract. In reality, many customers use the price as a reflection of the value they are going to receive. They might not opt for the most expensive option, but they are also unlikely to opt for the cheapest option. Many customers are willing to pay a higher price if they believe that the quality of the product or service is going to be better, or more convenient for them. Slashing your prices is an extremely risky game to play, and more often than not, one that is not worthwhile.
#4 Trying to do everything yourself
As the business owner of a new company, it is common to try to do everything yourself. This is usually because budgets are tight, and you don’t want to give up control of certain tasks. Unfortunately, this can be a mistake that costs you your business growth. It can be difficult to spend money and give up control, but to avoid this mistake, you must see it as an investment.
You should see what tasks you can change. There are plenty of opportunities for you to gain support, for example, you can streamline and automate a range of administrative and marketing activities that will save you a lot of time. You may also choose to hire additional staff, outsource tasks to freelancers, or partner with businesses that offer support, such as an IT company like The Final Step.
#5 Not being honest
There are always aspects of a business that you will never share or make public, such as employee, customer, and financial information, as well as sensitive business information. Excluding sensitive information, it can be extremely discrediting to your business to hide information from your customers. Many large corporations make mistakes or hide information from customers. It almost always comes out to the public at some point, which can ruin a reputation and negatively label the business.
No matter how big or bad the information is, you should always make sure your business is honest and transparent. This will ensure customers continue to trust your business and stay loyal to you.
#6 Not having a strategy
One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is not having a strategy. Without a strategy, your business is not working towards any goals, decisions are being made on assumptions instead of facts, you do not have milestones to aim for, and it will result in a very long, and slow business growth.
A strategy is a roadmap for your business, which details the end destination, and all the stops in between that will guide you to reaching your goals. This gives your business purpose and enables you to make informed decisions. It will also help you assess the market, and understand your competition and all the risks that are involved. This will help you stay relevant and perform better.
#7 Not conducting market research
Market research is vital for any business. Without it, you are going to be making a lot of guesses about how you can serve your customers. Before you put any product out into the world, you should always take time to conduct market research and understand your customers. This will help you develop a product that meets their needs, and sells successfully. Find out what works for your brand. Use an online tool like the Conjointly Claims Test to check what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong.
Running a successful business takes a lot of learning. Follow these top tips to avoid common mistakes and make sure your business grows.