What No One Tells You About Starting A Business (But Should)

When starting a business, you’ve got big ideas and dreams, and the drive to do the work on your own terms. But if you’re like most new entrepreneurs, you may also feel overwhelmed. There’s a long list of things to do and due to budget constraints, you are likely the one doing it all.

There are a lot of distractions out there, but there are only a few things that truly move the needle for your business. Whether you are selling a service or launching a product, there are three pillars in your business that will determine your success. They are marketing, sales, and money management.

These aren’t buzzwords – they are your survival kit. If you ignore one of them, you’ll feel the impact fast. If you prioritize all three, you’ll set yourself up for success.

Marketing: Let the World Know you Exist

When it comes to business, visibility is not an option. Marketing is how people find out about your business, and more importantly, why they should care. At its core marketing is about creating awareness of your offer and building trust. It’s the conversation that happens long before the sale, and it’s what keeps your brand on top of mind when people are ready to buy.

Many new entrepreneurs confuse marketing and branding. Branding is who you are and it’s conveyed through your voice, your values, and your visual identity. Marketing is how you share that identity with the world. You don’t need a logo or perfect website to market to the world, you need a message that connects with people.

You also don’t need a huge budget to market effectively. Leverage low-cost, high impact strategies like social media, helpful content, and email newsletters, you’ll quickly build visibility and trust with your community. The key is to stay consistent, showing up before you feel ready, and enjoy the process. Build a community around your brand and offer.

Sales: The Lifeblood of your Business

The word sales can feel uncomfortable and sleazy for many. We’ve been conditioned to believe that selling is pushing and manipulative. But the reality is that if you believe in what you offer and know it can help someone, then not selling is doing them a disservice.

Sales isn’t about convincing people to buy something that they do not need. Good sales people create a genuine connection, understand the problem, and offer a solution that resolves that problem for the buyer. When you reframe sales as a service, it becomes natural, not forced or something that gives you the ick.

You don’t need a fancy sales funnel or a slick pitch to start selling your offer. Simple, authentic approaches like sending a DM, hopping on a call, or talking to someone in your network can go a long way. Don’t forget to track your results. Know how many conversations lead to clients. Your conversion rate will tell you what’s working and where to improve. Data takes the guesswork out of growth.

Money Management: Profit Happens Through Planning

One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is ignoring the financial side of their business. If you want to build a business that lasts, financial literacy is not an option. It can feel intimidating or unfamiliar to learn financial management, but it’s essential to the success of your business. You must understand where your money is coming from, where it goes, and how much you have left after you pay your expenses. That’s profit, and it doesn’t happen by accident.

You don’t need a finance degree to get money management in your business right. With the right tools and support, it’s easier than you would imagine. Use the tools that are out there to support you and check in with your finances at a minimum of once a week. These small habits will amount to big profit in your business.

The bottom line is that you can build a successful business when you focus on these three pillars. Marketing gets you seen, sales bring in revenue, and money management ensures that you make profit and stay in business for the long term. Start strong by prioritizing them early and you’ll set your business up for financial success.

By Melissa Houston, Contributor