10 Step Guide to Setting up your Own Business (Part 1)

I've been hunting everywhere for a clear guide to help me set up my own business, but I haven’t been able to find one – well, not one that wasn’t full of jargon and really hard to follow!

So I figured I might as well have a go at writing one myself... and I’ll use my own fledgling business idea as an example throughout. Here goes...

Step 1

Decide on the product or service you’re going to sell. It has to be something you’re good at, or something you’re sure will make a good profit. I’m assuming here that you’ve already done your market research and picked something valuable that you can provide that other people will be willing to spend money on.

If you haven’t done your market research, do it now! Ask family, friends and anyone you meet in the street about what’s missing in their lives that you might be able to provide. Think about what your hobbies are, or what you enjoyed doing in school... or anything you can think of really, the sky’s the limit.

My example is copywriting. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and I’m pretty good at putting a sentence together. Well, I’m more than happy to pick other people’s sentences to bits, anyway! Plus, I know there’s a big demand for copywriters out there, and I know there’s money to be made if I do it well.

Step 2

Hone your product or skill. Take classes in the subject, contact people who are already doing it professionally, and listen to what they say. You can never know too much about your chosen field, but the same time, don’t spend too long on this step. If you wait for the “right time”, when you feel completely ready to start your business, you’ll probably never do it.

Even the experts still have things to learn and improve. But chances are, if it’s something you enjoy, and you’re good at it, then you probably already know enough to be able to do it well enough to help other people.

In terms of copywriting, I’ve completed the AWAI six-figure course, and I’m constantly reading books and blogs about copywriting, sales and direct marketing. I know there’s a massive learning curve still ahead of me, but I’m sure I know enough of the techniques to do a good job already.

Step 3

Choose your business name. There’s a lot of advice out there about how important this is, but in my opinion it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Plenty of businesses change their name and rebrand themselves later down the line. Just look at Snickers and Starburst!

For now, just pick a name that’s easy to remember, says a bit about what you do, and doesn’t already belong to a multinational conglomerate.

I chose Brilliant Writer as a name because it had a nice ring to it, and because a teacher at school once told me I was a brilliant writer. No doubt in a couple of years, I’ll want to create a more general overarching company, for all my spin-off ideas.

Again, don’t spend ages on this step. The right name will probably leap out at you, and if it doesn’t, just try sticking a pin in a dictionary and picking a word at random. Or use an online random word generator. http://randomwordgenerator.net/

You might be surprised at the results... “Yiddish Cupcakes” anyone?!

Step 4

Buy your domain name. Every business needs a website nowadays, even if it just contains the basic details.

There’s plenty of places out there selling domain names, and some of them offer web hosting packages too (we’ll come to that in a minute). GoDaddy.com, 123-reg and one.com are a few that seem to get good reviews, but I’ll leave it up to you to check out a couple of sites and choose the one that best fits with your business.

I personally went with GoDaddy for my site www.BrilliantWriter.co.uk because it was the first one I looked at, and so far it’s been fine for me, but I’m sure they’re all much of a muchness.

In terms of the actual domain name, you should choose a .com or a .co.uk if you can afford it, and if you want to do better in the search engine rankings. Your domain name should be easy to say (without having to spell out each letter), and as short as possible.

If you’re worried about people misspelling your domain name, or if you’ve got money to spare, you could always buy a couple of different names and have them both pointing to the same site.

Also, think about where the majority of your customers will be based. If you want to be an international brand, it’s probably worth having a .com site, as people searching on Google.com (or other search engines based in the US) will be more likely to find you than a .co.uk site. If you’re setting up a more local business, then choose a local domain for your site.

Step 5

Choose web hosting. Now you’ve got a domain name, it’s time to find somewhere to host your new website (when you’ve built it – that’s the next step!) For a basic website, you should be able to easily find hosting for a couple of pounds a month.

I used http://thetop10bestwebhosting.org/uk to check out the options, and I chose GoDaddy mainly for convenience as that’s where my domain name was registered.

Some web hosts offer extras such as email accounts, as well as other incentives including Google Adwords credits. I’m personally a bit sceptical about these added “freebies” – you’ve got to end up paying for them in the end, right?

If you’re not interested in spending the time boosting your search engine rankings yourself, and you don’t know anyone who can help you, then it could be worthwhile paying for some “SEO assistance” from your web host.

Personally, SEO is one service which I’m interested in learning more about, and offering to my clients in future, so my website is as good a place as any to learn the ropes.

I'd better stop now before this blog post turns into an essay. Come back next week for the remaining five steps to success... and good luck with your business, or businesses, whatever they may be.

Stuck in the Mud?

I’m confused and struggling; I don't know what to do.

I’ve had a lovely weekend with the family, visiting and catching up with friends. Then I started reading a book last night about the guy who sold his life a couple of years ago. He was describing his new adventure of achieving 100 goals in 100 weeks, and I found that idea really inspirational. It’s been ages since I had any adventures. I’ve just been sort of floating through life, getting married and having Brilliant Boy. All good times, but not really what I had planned out for myself when I was younger. I was going to rock the world – become an astronaut, win a Nobel Prize, change lives, save the planet... all that jazz.

Deep down, I know they’re all childhood fantasies, but so what? People achieve amazing things like that all the time. There are astronauts, and Nobel Prize winners out there, and not all of them are more intelligent or more brilliant than me! If I knew how to, and if I put enough energy and effort into it, I’m sure I could change the world, or at least have an exciting and worthwhile life...

It sounds dumb now, and I can kind of see where Brilliant Guy was coming from when he said he was happy with his life right now, and to chase goals like that would only be a sign of dissatisfaction and frustration. He seems to think we shouldn’t chase goals like financial independence, but should wait until we reach retirement age to start living life properly. Blah di blah.

While I can see where he’s coming from, I happen to think he’s wrong. Why shouldn’t we have adventures and a fun life now, while we’re young? Why does everyone think you have to work really hard for forty years before you’ve earned your dues, and can relax into old age?

Look, I understand that we have to have a purpose and add value to our society – but we’re not worker bees! We’re amazing, incredibly, beautiful human beings, with brains the size of melons.

Surely somebody somewhere can come up with an alternative to the humdrum 9 to 5 work day, 5 days a week? Working “full time” is my nightmare, and yet I’m in it – and have been for the past 6 years. Something has to give, and I hope it’s not my sanity!

You have to understand, this doesn’t mean I’m at all dissatisfied with my family life. Far from it – I want to be able to work fewer hours, to spend more time with the important people.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. In fact, judging by the few people I’ve shared these thoughts with, the vast majority of us are feeling torn by our responsibilities and our inner ambitions. There’s a massive waste of potential going on, and we have to be brave enough to say stop. Enough’s enough. I’m not going to put my ambitions on hold any more.

I’ve decided to follow my dream of financial independence through copywriting and life coaching. I’m going to use my skills in writing and empathy to add more value to society, and increase what I can get out of life.

What will you do with your skills?

Paradise is Here and Now

When it's a lovely day outside, my thoughts often turn to Thailand.

Memories of lying on a beach under a palm tree, sipping coconut cream cocktails and listening to Jack Johnson playing softly through headphones. Ah, those were the days.

But why do we place such importance on holidays? Why do we feel the need to "get away from it all"?

Surely if we're not happy in our current lives, we shouldn't wait for the one or two weeks in the year when we can relax and be happy. Life doesn't need to be stressful, no matter what the characters on Coronation Street or Wisteria Lane might portray.

If you're counting down the weeks 'til you can escape the office and get out into the real world for a break, then why not think about changing things? It is possible to be happy most if not all of the time. 

Believe it or not, there are jobs out there that will make you feel like you're on holiday every day. And they're not the same job for everyone - we all have our individual likes and dislikes.

For me, the job that would give me the greatest feeling of relaxation and freedom would be writing for a living. Tapping away on my laptop with my cat curled up at my feet and my son playing with his toys on the floor in front of me. That's my simple dream. That's why I'm becoming a freelance copywriter.

I've also considered being a travel writer, a photographer, a university lecturer and an astronaut. But for one reason or another - such as the lack of a space programme in this country and my extreme travel sickness - have put me on a different track.

For you, it might be something completely different. Whatever floats your boat, as they say. 

If you can think about it, and if you can imagine doing it, then there must be a way to achieve it.

I know deep down that if I had really really worked at becoming an astronaut, then there's a chance I could have been successful. Just as I know now that by learning the craft of copywriting, and putting in strong foundations, I can build a successful freelance business, and I can achieve my simple dream.

It's up to you to get started. Noone's going to come along and kick you if you stay in your safe boring job. But lots of people will cheer you when you make the effort to succeed at your dreams. I'll cheer you too!

Good luck, let me know what your dream is and how you're going to make it a reality.