When you’re a stay-at-home parent, starting your own business is often far more appealing than getting any other job. When you’re a small business owner, you can set your own hours, and make your schedule work for your needs. One of the biggest hurdles to being a small business owner, though, is getting your small business started. Check out this guide (brought to you by KTC Digital) on starting your small business, and get a few ideas about what kind of business might be the perfect fit.
Starting a Small Business: The Basics
If you’ve never started a small business before, then you may need some help getting over the first hurdle. Once your business is started, it’s much easier to manage and run. Check out these basic steps to get the ball rolling.
Write a Business Plan
A business plan is an outline of your entire business. It helps you map your business out, as well as helps you define your business’s legal structure. Knowing these things is important for your business’s success.
Securing Funding
A well-written business plan is the first step to securing the necessary funds to get your small business started. Most small business loans and grants are going to need a business plan for you to secure your funding. Make sure you get the right type of funding, too!
Set Aside a Home Workspace
When you’re running a business at home, it’s important that you set aside space to do your work. Separating your home life and your work life is as easy as making a designated office or workshop, depending on the kind of business that you’re running.
Make Marketing a Priority
Even as a fledgling venture, marketing should be a priority, which you can do on your own without spending a lot. Tap into free resources that help you build your own website and online presence through social media. You can also create business cards, a logo, a tagline, and more through a variety of resources that don’t cost a thing. Most of these tools have professional-grade templates that ensure your work looks professional. Or, you can outsource this component to an agency like KTC Digital, which can help you develop your business’s branding and identity.
Use Financial and Security Tools
Business tools are any tools that help you run your business effectively. For the most part, you’ll find that these tools are financial in nature. Having good financial oversight can make your business far more successful. For example, a third-party app will let you track all of your spending and earnings, which helps you understand your business finances more intimately. However, find one that uses an API to retrieve bank account balance information, which will allow you to see exactly what you have available.
And make sure you have a cyber security plan in place — this is one area where many businesses fall short. Hackers make a habit of targeting smaller businesses due to this oversight, so increase your cyber security data protection as early as possible. It’s also important to have a recovery plan just in case your information and data are compromised. Don’t hesitate to contact professionals to help locate any gaps in your plan.
Some Small Businesses You Can Start From Home
If you’re looking to become a small business owner as a stay-at-home parent, these are some great options for businesses you can start from home!
Translation Services
Do you know another language? Put that knowledge to work! Many people are looking for translators for their media. You can find work in just about any industry, and you can do it from the comfort of your own home.
Social Media Management
Often, popular social media influencers look for help with managing their social media. If you’re social media savvy, you can make money off of those skills! Social media management is a great option for people looking to start a business at home.
Event Planning
Event planning businesses can be great for having flexible hours, allowing you to work when you need to. As an event planner, you’re going to put people in touch with other people, helping to make sure that an event runs smoothly. The best part? You can do everything up until the event from home if you need to!
Get Started on Your Small Business Today
Even if the options above don’t fit your needs, there are plenty of businesses that can! Find something you’re interested in, and find a way to do it from home! It’s as easy as making the commitment to your small business idea.