In this day and age, more and more people are turning to entrepreneurship to find their career. People are transforming all kinds of odd hobbies into real life jobs. This could be as normal as starting your own restaurant or something like blogging or creating a company that promotes local musicians. More people are becoming their own boss because they want the freedom and the creativity of doing so. However, an equal number of people are finding it hard to become entrepreneurs because they don’t know how to grow their company.
Being an entrepreneur may sound like fun, and in many ways it is. You get to set your own schedule, you don’t have to work in a stuffy office, and you can take off as much time as you want. Unfortunately, being an entrepreneur also means you need to hold yourself accountable. It means that you have to work ten times as hard as a normal employee because you have to start everything yourself.
But that doesn’t mean you should give up! Newer and smaller companies are often the most important because they provide great products and services, and they have a lot of character. In order to quit your day job and embrace your inner #girlboss, here are a few tips on how to grow your company.
Utilize social media
This may not apply to every company, but you’d be surprised how much social media can do for you. Whether that’s Instagram or Facebook or even Twitter, do not be afraid of social media. Most people find out about their favorite companies through scrolling their newsfeeds and timelines, and you do not want to miss an opportunity to reach anyone. More than that, social media provides a great opportunity to interact with the people who use your company. You can spread the word quickly, and show people how personable you are by replying to comments and answering questions. Don’t underestimate the power of social media!
Invest in yourself
Like any business, you’re probably going to have to pay a little to make a little money. Additionally, you should be confident enough in yourself and your ideas to invest your time as well. You and your ideas are worthy of being successful, so do not shy away from certain necessities because you aren’t willing to invest in them. Get that custom domain. Hire a professional designer to make your ideal logo. Buy that 500 pack of business cards. Not only do you deserve it, but you owe it to yourself, especially if you want to see your company grow.
Take some business classes
You may have already attended college, but even so, consider taking some online business courses. A lot of us think we know enough about business and finances to be entrepreneurs, but chances are, we don’t know nearly what we should. Spend some time learning about the business you want to create before jumping in headfirst. Business classes can help you develop a basic understand about things like budgets, contracts, and (that scary word) taxes. Take control of your company by learning how it all works.
Befriend other companies like yours
One of the most beneficial things for your company is to attach it to other companies. You don’t have to get picked up by big brand names to be successful (although that certainly helps). If you find companies and brands that are similar to yours in size or content or look, you may find that you can help each other. Supporting other small companies not only helps with spreading the word, but it gives you a support system of friends. Some of the people who have helped propel my own entrepreneurship endeavours have gone through the same things I have, and we all help each other!
Have a plan
We all talk about four year plans for college or for our personal lives, but you also should have a plan in order to grow your company. By making goals and working towards them, you will find yourself motivated and less stressed. Sometimes you may not hit your goals, but as they say, if you shoot for the moon, you’ll land among the stars. If you don’t shoot at all, you’ll be stuck on the ground wishing you’d taken the chance. More than that, it’ll be easier to fall back on something if you have a plan. Failure isn’t what you want, but if you prepare for it in advance, it’s much easier to handle.
Commit
The biggest tip for how to grow your company is to commit yourself. It will be a long uphill battle if you choose to be an entrepreneur, but if you commit, anything is possible.
