Becoming The #GirlBoss You Dream Of: How To Get Started
Many women out there will have an ambition to eventually work for themselves and create their own business or brand. It could be that you have a passion for something, and you want to pursue it, or perhaps you have developed skills in recent jobs that have enabled you to go freelance or set up on your own. You may even have a blog and social media following that has enabled you now to think about your personal brand and the next steps to take. Whatever the circumstances you find yourself in, now could be the ideal time to take up that #GirlBoss status and make it happen for yourself.
Of course, the idea of that doesn’t come without its worry and stress. After all, this could potentially mean leaving a job that you have worked hard for or that consistent wage to pay your bills. It is a daunting prospect for even the most ambitious and confident women amongst us, but it can be done. Here are some of the things to think about to help you get started in the world of working for yourself and finally making this dream come true.
What are you going to do?
One of the first things you need to think about when it comes to starting up on your own is to think about what it is you want to do. What have you got a passion for? What is it that can make you want to get out of bed in a morning and work hard on your dreams to make them your reality? Some people just know what it is they want to do, they have an idea, for a product or a service, and they work hard to make it happen. Others may use the experience they have gained in other jobs, and perhaps decide to go it alone, freelancing or creating their own business from it.
Create a business plan to keep you focused
The next thing you want to be doing is creating some sort of plan of action to help you to get where you need to be. Make sure you’re organised with business planning processes so that your business plan is competent. A business plan is one of the common ways of doing this. You can do one yourself, as there are many guides and templates online to help you set out your actions and goals for your business and what you need to do. Alternatively, you could look into getting one made for you by a professional. These business plans are great as they can help you stay accountable, but they can also help you get investment if that is what is needed.
Where will you work?
Once you have your ideas and your plan together, you might want to start working on the steps to make it happen. This is when having. A place to work can become beneficial. So many businesses start up from home. Having a place to work such a s desk or even a Home Office can help you to be productive. You could look at working outside of the home in shared office space or even using cafes as a change of scenery. Getting to the stage where you want to open a shop or business premises may take investment, which brings us to the next thing to consider.
Do you need any investment to get started?
Investment can come in many different ways, and it can be just the cash injection you need to make your business become a reality. You may need to start thinking about what might work for you and what you might need the investment for. Is it so you can buy stoick? Do you need a business premises? Do you want to move the business forward sooner rather than later and outsource or hire staff from the word go? Often these questions are answered in the initial business plan, which can help you to outline exactly what and how much investment you need. From your own savings to investors or bank loans there really is a lot to consider.
Have you thought about protecting your business?
One of the aspects of starting up yourself is to think about protecting your business as much as you can, and to do that you need to think about the potential risks. So much is done digitally today, so one big factor to consider is whether your business is protected online. This is when reading a cyber security blog could enlighten you with some of the things that you can do to better protect your business. Further to that, you also need to think about physical security aspects. For example, where you might store your stock or materials you need to provide a service? This is when alarm systems or cameras could come into action.
Work on your brand
Your brand is going to be your biggest asset as you start to work on your business and promote it. This is when you need to think about your logo and your branding in terms of colours and how attractive things like your website is. People have choice these days, so you need to ensure that your business is attractive on the eye while meeting your purpose and staying within your niche.
Have a decent digital presence
So much is done online these days, that along with your brand you need to make sure that you have a great digital presence. Your website will be the main hub of traffic, including perhaps an online shop and information on how to work with your business. So it needs to be fast and responsive but also visually pleasing. With choice, you can’t run the risk of clients and customers getting bored or not getting the information they want or need. Further to that, you also need to be present online when it comes to things like social media. This can be your main source of attracting customers and encouraging them through to your website so a decent content strategy might be needed.
Value your time efficiently
As a new business owner, there comes a point where you need to remember that you need to value your time appropriately. It can be so tempting to jump at any type of work you get, but are you getting your true worth? It is also worth noting that often there will be areas of your business where your skills and knowledge is just not suited, so you may need to work out whether outsourcing aspects of your business frees up your time to focus on something that could add more value to the business.
Be proactive and take time to work on a routine that suits
At this stage, routine is always going to help you when it comes to getting your business off the ground, so you will want to try and develop something that suits and works for you. This could help you to be productive and also action some of the things that you need to be doing each day. It is all a learning curve, but once you get these things in place you can start to put the effort into action.
What's the end goal?
Finally, make sure you always have your end goal at the front of your mind. This will be your biggest motivator, this is what will keep you going. These things take time, so it is also important to be patient and just keep working towards the goals you set.
Let’s hope these tips help you to become the girl boss that you dream of.