Things You’ll Need to Know Before Starting Any Business (Part 2)
Last week I went over some of the basic’s you’ll need before starting your business. This week I’m going to finish up with a few more things you’ll need. This is not an all inclusive list, but more of a simple overview.
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First on the list of things you might need, is a phone number for your business. In today’s world of ever expanding technology, most companies don’t even offer phone support (like Facebook). Whether or not you are going to provide phone support, you will probably still need a phone number for your business. Banks and online store fronts usually require this to open an account. You can use your personal phone number, but I recommend getting a dedicated business line of some sort, to prevent getting random and unexpected calls from customers. Here are a couple of links for phone options: https://www.evoice.com, https://grasshopper.com
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Next you will want to get a logo designed. This isn’t a requirement, but it’s good to have an identifiable image that is recognizable. You can hire a designer, or you can also find some talent on Fiverr who can design one for you inexpensively.
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You need to have email set up specifically to your company…not a generic gmail address. Most email software won’t allow you to use a personal gmail address to send business email, and it is just more professional to have a dedicated company email. To set up email for your business: https://www.apps.google.com/
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You will need to get your financial info set up. Such as a business banking account, Paypal account, etc. If you are just starting out and/or are a Sole Proprietorship, you can probably get by without this for awhile. I recommend opening a business account sooner rather than later though, as it just makes keeping track of your business finances easier. Here are some helpful links for what you will need to get your business bank account set up: https://www.sba.gov/blogs/how-open-small-business-bank-account-online, www.businessnewsdaily.com/87-how-to-open-a-business-bank-account.html
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You will want to have a solid Privacy Policy & Terms of Service for your website. Some storefronts offer generic versions of these. You can also download some templates at the Better Business Bureau website. Just make sure you read through them carefully and tailor them for your specific business.
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Last but not least, make sure you set up Google Analytics for your website. This will be really helpful in letting you know where your traffic is coming from, and what is working and what isn’t. It may seem intimidating, but it really is necessary. You can usually find some help in setting it up, or you can outsource the setup job if needed.
I hope this info provided you with some useful information. I’d love to hear what you struggled with when while setting up your business, and what you felt like the most important thing was!
