Considering a New Business Venture: Here’s 4 Valuable Tips

Julie Starr • May 11, 2022



If you’re like most people, you’ve probably thought about starting your own business at some point. It can be an incredibly rewarding experience to be your own boss and see your hard work pay off. But before you take the plunge, there are a few things you should consider. This blog post will discuss four tips that will help make sure your new business venture is successful!

1) Create a business plan:

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s essential to have a clear vision for your business before you get started. What are your goals? Who is your target market? How will you generate revenue? Answering these questions (and more) in a detailed business plan will help you stay organized and on track as you get your business off the ground. Creating a franchise business plan can be daunting, but there are plenty of resources to help you get started. The Small Business Administration has a great guide covering everything from crafting your executive summary to financial projections.

2) Do your research:

 

Before you launch your business, it’s important to do your homework and make sure there’s a market for what you’re selling. Talk to potential customers and get feedback on your product or service. If you’re starting a brick-and-mortar business, research the   area’s demographics  where you’ll be located. Will your target market come to your store? It’s also essential to understand the competition. What are other businesses in your space doing well? What could they improve upon? Having a solid understanding of the landscape will help you position your business for success. It’s also helpful to build your business with a sustainable mindset . Also research tools you can utilize to help you conduct your business. Look into things such as the best aws cost management tools so you can get the best-managed services and cloud resources.


Take a close look at what sort of products you’d like to offer to your customers. For example, if you’re heading to start a pharmaceutical business, then innovative peptides for preclinical research are worth looking at.

 

3) Invest in digital marketing:

In today’s digital world, it’s crucial to have a strong online presence for your business. Invest in a website and make sure it’s optimized for search engines. Social media is also a powerful tool to help you reach new customers. Use platforms like Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram to connect with potential customers and promote your products or services. Make sure you’re consistent with your branding across all channels and don’t forget to measure your results so that you can adjust your strategy as needed.

4) Get the right team in place:

The saying goes, “There’s no ‘I’ in the team.” When you’re starting a business, it’s essential to surround yourself with people who can help you achieve your goals. This may include hiring employees, partnering with other companies, or working with consultants or freelance contractors. It’s also essential to build a support network of family and friends who will be there for you during the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Additionally, seek out mentors who can help guide you on your journey. These are just a few people who can help make your business successful.

5) Automate

No matter whether your business is new or a large multinational, there’ll be quite a few tasks to take care of. These can be too much for any entrepreneur to handle. Even if you hire a few employees, they can still be time-consuming tasks.

They’ll also detract from more important duties that actually generate revenue and sales for your company. Process automation can be an effective way to combat this. With the right tools and software, you can cut down on the amount of time you’ll need to spend on specific tasks.

In many cases, you mightn’t even need to put any time into them at all, aside from some time setting them up and reviewing the results. You’ll be better able to focus on tasks you care about and that do more for your business.

Spending some time figuring out what you can automate and going about this will save you a lot of time – and labor costs – in the long term.

There are a few essential things to consider before starting your own business. From creating a business plan to understanding your competition, taking the time to do your research will pay off in the long run. Additionally, don’t forget the importance of marketing and building a strong team. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to launching a successful business venture!

 

By Julie Starr July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.
By Julie Starr July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.