Discover HERE the 5 things you should know if you are an entrepreneur and put them into practice!
Since April 3 at Tu Consulta Laboral we have been receiving mentoring from the School of Women Entrepreneurs of Barcelona Activa, to promote our company.
That is why, with the desire to share what we have learned with entrepreneurs like us, who are always in search of knowledge, inspiration, and new tools to innovate, we have chosen these 5 things that you should know if you are an entrepreneur.
These tips will serve as a basis for the success of your business.
1. Create a market strategy
We have started at this point because the market strategy is what will help you structure the starting point of your business and reach your ideal client.
The first step to launch yourself into the market is to prepare it carefully, for this it begins with defining (i) what is the market you are targeting and (ii) what is the profile of your ideal client, based on these definitions offer your customers your services.
The key at this point is to find a way for your clients to acquire your services, it is how to sell them the idea, the product, or the service so that they buy from you and not from the competition.
Although this point sounds quite obvious, when starting to undertake, there are many decisions that you have to make, and a lot of information to review, so we want to remind you of the essentials of this first step so that you stay focused and give it the necessary value.
2. Prepare a financial plan, $$$
This is the second point that we have chosen, and it is just as important as the first, they go hand in hand.
Your strategy may be the best that has ever existed, but if you do not make a good financial plan, your venture will not be sustainable over time.
That is why we recommend you dedicate yourself very consciously to reviewing this point.
So let’s start making your profit and loss statement, calculating all your fixed costs, the break-even point, and projecting your sales, which, although it sounds complicated once you understand what it is about, and above all the importance of being clear and controlling your business numbers will make everything easier.
3. Develop your negotiation skills
This is a point where every entrepreneur must improve their skills, you will find yourself constantly negotiating with your suppliers, with your customers, and even with your partners! Therefore, preparing yourself to negotiate and reach the best agreements is key.
So if you don’t have the negotiating streak, don’t worry, there is plenty of literature that can help you, but the best teacher will always be practice, so we advise you to put everything you’ve learned into practice by reading in each negotiation and thus in a short time you will see the results.
4. Plan a Social Media strategy
Social networks are a key point to publicize our business, the times are gone when if your business was not on social networks it did not mean that it would not be successful, so you must prepare a network strategy.
You can choose which ones you want to be in, being in all of them is not the best recommendation, choose those in which your clients are to inform them of your brand, be a reference and attract clients.
Generate quality content that is useful for your target audience, reach them with the -strategic- message that you have decided, and everything will begin to bear fruit.
5. Build your personal brand
This is a very important point, and that many entrepreneurs overlook, we are the image of our business for which building our personal brand is necessary.
The personal brand goes beyond dressing well, it goes from having a correct presence in networks, networking, generating the content, communicating, and being visible. If you feel that you do not have it very well-developed, we recommend that you start to investigate and improve your personal brand, which will undoubtedly help you generate more clients, alliances, and many more opportunities for your business.
For example, to help entrepreneurs improve their personal brand, we made a note on the effectiveness of the video resume, you can review this note here.
Also, as an example of networking opportunities, the week of April 16 we met with Anna Busquets, COO of Dime Network, a company dedicated to advising companies for innovation and digital transformation in Spain. It has been really a pleasure to share experiences in their offices in Barcelona and to receive mentoring from Anna, a mentor whom we met through Barcelona Activa.
In short, entrepreneurship is constant learning, it means not getting discouraged, it means going ahead with what you believe in and listening to what the key players tell us because even if you love your vision of the business, you need to keep an open mind and listen carefully. To the market, customers, and all the actors, which will help you prevent situations, improve them and stay one step ahead of events.
We hope that these 5 things you should know if you are an entrepreneur put them into practice.
Undoubtedly these weeks have been of much learning, and we have summarized the main pillars. The Barcelona Activa School for Entrepreneurial Women, of which we are a part, is providing us with all the necessary tools to strengthen our company and offer the best service, so far an invaluable experience, with first-class mentors and colleagues who inspire and accompany us.