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Thinking About Starting Your Own Business? Read This First!
Julie Starr • May 18, 2021
There is a huge step to take if you want to
start your own business
and be someone who feels as if they matter. Many of us spend time staring out of the window of the office and daydreaming about the things that we really want in life. For some of us, it’s an international vacation complete with cocktails. For others, it’s the chance to branch out and start their own business.
You can make list after list of the ideas that you have for a business, but unless you pick one, you won’t be able to start anywhere. You can make a lot of progress with your dreams if you take the pen off the paper and actually go for what you want. One of the best ways that you can see how your skills are going for you is to actually take the plunge and start a business that makes sense for you. If you want to own your own business, you should go for it as early as possible. So, with this in mind, here are some things that you should think about before starting your own business.
- Your Business Concept: Before diving into the entrepreneurial journey, it's crucial to have a clear and compelling business concept. This involves understanding what your business will offer, who your target audience is, and what makes your idea unique or necessary in the market.
- Business Plan: A solid business plan is the blueprint for your success. This should include your business objectives, marketing strategies, operational plan, and financial projections. A well-thought-out plan not only helps in organizing your thoughts but also is crucial when seeking funding or partnerships.
- A Business Name: The name of your business is your first impression in the market. It's important to choose a name that is memorable, reflects your brand identity, and resonates with your target audience. Utilizing a premium business name generator can help in brainstorming creative and unique names, ensuring that your business stands out and is easily identifiable.
- The money. Oh, yes, you need to think about the money, but it’s not about the money you could earn here. It’s about the money it will cost you to begin on your own. You may need used trucks or other vehicles to get your business off the ground, and if that’s the case, you’re going to need cash to help you to do it. You will have a lot more chance of success if you have money in your business to carry you through it.
- The flexibility. The chance to get out there and work the hours you please is a good reason to go ahead and start out on your own. The first few years you will be working all of the hours that you can to get your business off the ground and successful, but that doesn’t mean that it will always be inhumanely busy!
- Better balance. Most people choose to go out of their way to start their own business, and they do it for the better work and life balance that they can get. When you set your own schedule, you can finally start working the way you want to work and not the way that someone else is telling you to work. Setting your own schedule makes a very big difference to the way that you work!
- Control. When you take control of your own business, you get to choose everything. From the color of the trucks you buy to the space you pick to store the things that you need to store, you are the one in total control of it all.
- You get to be independent. No one is telling you what to do anymore. You can take all of the things that you hated about being an employee and ensure that none of your new staff feels that way about you. It’s a good way to ensure that you are the best you can be.
Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.
Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.