To make things easier, I want to shed some light on 10 of the most important things that any startup company needs if they want to be successful.

A great product/service

For most startups, the most important thing is a product or service that solves a problem.

Products or services that solve problems have a ready-made customer base.

A great team

A great team is one of the most important things for a startup to succeed. A lot of people start companies with great ideas, but the execution is often poor with a poor team.

Apart from talented people, a startup also requires an incredible atmosphere of collaboration in order to achieve and maintain success. Always remember that great teamwork makes the dream work.

Funding

Startups need money to get started, hire staff, and build products. This funding can be obtained from grants, investors, some types of loans (business loans and personal loans), or personal funds. No matter the type of funding utilized, having a means of generating funds when needed is crucial to a startup

Legal Support

Many startups overlook the need for legal support at the initial stage, but that is a huge mistake. Legal support is important to the well-being of every startup. There are lots of startup legal issues that need to be worked out—and solved. They include advice on how to handle taxes, how to protect your business, privacy laws and many more

Monitoring and evaluation

For a startup to be successful, a system to monitor and evaluate the company’s performance needs to be established.

This is crucial to measuring ongoing successes and complications.

Budgeting/Accounting

Most founders think they can handle the extra workload of creating a budget and making sure that the budget is followed. 

Every startup founder must learn how to create a budget if they hope to be successful. This will help in managing both present and incoming funds to reduce wastage and improve productivity.

Media Presence

Startups need to build a robust media presence from day one. A strong media plan includes an even distribution of content across multiple mediums. 

Content is key; having a clear message from the start will help set your company apart from competitors and increase brand awareness which helps generate leads and engages customers in your product or service.

Passion

Startups will most likely get into very difficult times. Most successful startups are passion-driven. Having a passionate founder and team will ensure that the drive to achieve the goals are maintained despite the circumstances.

Mentors

Startups need mentors. They are very much needed to provide honest and unbiased criticism. Discussions with other successful entrepreneurs are vital, and we help new startups build on their experience.

Customer Feedback

Startups don’t just need investors, lawyers, and team members. They also need customers.  The importance of customer feedback can not be overemphasized. It helps startups understand what their customers want and need before deciding on any part of their product or service to adjust or push on with.

Startups should collect customer feedback from the very beginning so they can make the right decisions for their customers. You should aim to get feedback from thousands of people, so to gather information on how to improve your products and services.

Conclusion

Making a startup successful is not easy. In fact, it is one of the most difficult things you can ever do. You have to put in a lot of hard work, and the odds will many times be against you.

Nevertheless, many have walked this path and come out very successful and fulfilled. You, too, can. Following these steps will surely make that startup dream a reality.

Why so?

They lack the requisite budget and technical skills. Owing to these constraints, SEO is often an afterthought for startups. They are often so involved in coping with competition and establishing their brands that they forget to reap SEO benefits.

Topping the SERPs (search engine results pages) is arguably one of the best ways to drive web traffic and build brand authority. After all, 75.1% of all clicks for a Google query go to the top three search results. The click-through rate (CTR) increases by 30.8% if you move up one spot on the SERPs.

If your startup is languishing at the bottom of the SERPs, you can’t hope to stand out among the big players in your niche. Only 0.78% of searchers move past page one on Google.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand that startups can’t invest much in SEO. The SEO strategies that work for bigger businesses are not a viable option for you. That’s why you need to stick to the SEO fundamentals. 

This means understanding what matters most for search engines (key ranking factors) and focusing on those. 

Sound good?

Then, here are some low-cost, quick-return SEO tips that every startup owner needs to know.

4 SEO Tips that Every Startup Needs to Leverage

Yo get the best results, SEO should be tackled during the foundational stages of brand building. But this does not mean your SEO strategy can’t be refined during later stages. 

But how?

Just master these four startup friendly SEO hacks.

1. Invest in a Fast Hosting Provider 

After Google’s Penguin update, ranks are governed mainly by the user experiences (UX) of website visitors. Page speed is one of the top factors that determine your site’s UX. 

Nothing frustrates click-happy users more than sluggish websites. Slow-to-load websites give a poor first impression and have high bounce rates.

Need evidence?

A Portent study found that with each additional second of load time, the website conversion rate falls by 4.42%. According to the research, websites that load between 0-4seconds have the highest transaction rates. 

Image via Portent 

If your website achieves the ideal load time, it can retain visitors longer and prevent them from going to competitors. You deliver value at a glance, which means instant gratification for visitors. 

Couple that with valuable content, and your website’s dwell time skyrockets. To Google, all this indicates that your website is providing a great UX and deserves a better rank.

Page weight or the total Kilobytes transferred (images and everything else) is not a drag on page load anymore. Most developers have learned to “minify” their code using GZIP compression. 

Then what?

Invest in quality hosting providers like Hostinger and Bluehost that leverage cutting-edge technology to compress your site content. Using clever tricks like asynchronous Javascript loading and image resizing, they minimize your load delay. 

If you prefer a more hands-on approach, use Google PageSpeed Insights to audit your site. The tool identifies lazy-loading elements and offers improvement suggestions.

2. Start a Blog and Create Quality Content

Content is at the very core of SEO. Quality content that satisfies user intent gets a lot of traction and elevates your rank organically. If your content gets tons of engagement, your small business can edge into the SERPs. 

Of course, apart from creating stellar content, you also need to publish it on the right channels and promote it aggressively.

There are many SEO benefits of content marketing. 

Like what?

Linking your content to high-DA (domain authority) websites in your niche indicates topical authority and builds your backlink profile. This is a good sign for both Google and consumers. 

If your content is share-worthy , your brand can make a mark on social media. Your startup can enter the big leagues if your posts impress influential social media users. 

If big-time influencers and industry leaders engage with your content, you earn a competitive edge. This again improves your standings on the SERPs.

Last but not least, you can repurpose successful content without too much additional expenditure. This way, you can cater to varied audiences and rank on different platforms. 

In short, with a one-time investment in crafting content, you keep drawing organic traffic.

Blogs, in particular, have proven SEO benefits.

Don’t believe me?

“Successful” bloggers (those earning > $50K yearly) tend to prioritize SEO. While crafting content, they are 4.3x more likely to research keywords than their less-affluent peers.

Image via GrowthBadger

So, jump on the blog bandwagon if you haven’t already. To maximize your blogging returns, follow these best practices:

• Prepare a content strategy with well-defined goals and metrics. If SEO is a priority, track target keywords and SERP positioning.
• Write with your audience in mind. Dig into your CRM system, subscriber list, and follower profiles to understand your audience better. Create detailed buyer personas.
• Once your content is ready, distribute it adequately. If your website draws little traffic, leverage the reach of syndication websites like Mention.
• Publish regularly if you want to build steady readership. 

3. Choose the Right Keywords and Optimize for Them

While selecting keywords to target, opt for long-tail keywords that contain three or more words. 

For example, if you are writing about weight loss tips, target keywords like “best tips for weight loss” or “how to lose weight quickly.” These are easier to rank for than shorter keywords like “weight loss” and “weight loss tips.”

Why so?

Three reasons:

• Fewer people target long-tail keywords, which means lower competition and more opportunities to rank.
• They closely match the actual search queries people type or speak into Google. They attract high-intent, qualified traffic.
• They are cheaper to bid for in pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. By targeting them, you can stretch your advertising budget.

Image via Instapage

In a nutshell, you can justify your SEO investment by leveraging longer keywords.

To dig into the exact language your audience is using in search queries, you can use search-listening tools like AskThePublic.

Image via AnswerThePublic

Include the keywords in your page copy, URLs, meta descriptions, headlines, and image file names. But don’t force them in if they don’t fit naturally in the content flow. 

Long keywords fit best in long-form content. So, don’t restrict yourself to short, snappy posts, especially if you want to draw Google traffic.

4. Leverage Local SEO Techniques

If your startup caters to local audiences, you need to nail local SEO.

Confused?

Let me explain with an example.

A searcher looking for “movie theater in Seattle” will likely see three search results in a separate box, above the organic results. This is called the “Google snack pack.”  

Results in the snack pack are Google My Business (GMB) listings. If you create a great GMB listing for your startup, you can figure in the Google snack pack and improve your CTR. 

Local searchers have high conversion potential. This means local SEO can boost your conversions as well. That’s why ecommerce startups should pay special attention to optimizing their GMB listings.

Want a pro tip?

To tie your SEO efforts with conversions, integrate SEO with omni-channel marketing. 

When all your touch-points – emails, websites, post-sales messaging, and push notifications – are optimized, you can improve your organic ranking and sales. You can use tools to streamline your marketing efforts end-to-end.

Ready to Do SEO like a Pro?

SEO tools and tactics for startups should be light on the pocket and easy to implement. That perfectly describes the tips and tools mentioned in this post. As your revenue and budget expand, you can try more advanced SEO methods like paid guest posting on prominent websites.

Do you need more help with your SEO? Leave your requests in the comments below. I’ll get back to you soon.

When setting up a small business, it’s easy to get confused from the conflicting information out there. Not much of it often ends up being helpful.

To stabilize your finances and grow, you need focus and proper knowledge on handling your money. Here is some of the financial wisdom that he swears by. 

1. Track Your Spending

The vision of your business relies on the decisions you make. After you land your first customers and gain a foothold in the market, your responsibilities are more than double. You will quickly lose track of your expenditure information.  

That could be the start of a series of financial frustrations in your business. 

Without the correct records, you will be in the dark when it’s time to pay taxes or compile financial reports for your lenders. Today, there are several online bookkeeping applications such as QuickBooks that you can use to set your accounting records in order.  

As your investment or venture expands, managing your accounting records will likely become more challenging. A Financial Adviser can help to cut through all the accounting complications and give you clarity about the direction of your business. 

2. Aim For Profitability Always

Many entrepreneurs spend a lot of time and money acquiring new customers or expanding the business. If you can do these things while maintaining cash flow in your business, then that would be good. Sadly, most of these expenses often end up leading to reduced profits and without knowing it you might not be able to stay afloat.  

An experienced accountant or adviser will help to ensure that growth does not substitute profitability in your business. 

According to Forbes, a staggering 83 % of companies that got IPOs in early 2018 are now not profitable. As you budget for marketing and growth initiatives, it is also important to remember that existing conditions do not favor cash inflow.  

Today, businesses are struggling under trade wars, politics, and a self-correcting real estate market among other economic conditions. To attain quick profitability, keep your overhead costs low and adopt a higher pricing model that accommodates the fluid future.  

3. Consult A Financial Adviser Before You Seek To Borrow

Businesses need loans to raise capital, but the financial world today is slowly being taken hostage by predatory lenders. You can often tell them from miles away by signs such as a too good offer that doesn’t match your current ability to repay.  

Such lenders do not clearly state the true cost of a financial product, and when it is time to pay, they will be requesting for business details that they don’t necessarily need. 

Predatory lenders will destroy your financial wellness from their hefty interest rates. Getting financial assistance from a predatory lender is the quickest way to get cash, but it is also a shortcut to bankruptcy. 

It would help to seek professional counsel from a financial newsletter or adviser before you go out to look for financial help. As a rule of thumb, any loan with extremely high-interest rates makes up predatory lending.  

4. Have Separate Personal And Business Bank Accounts

This piece of financial advice might sound basic, but in reality, that there so many small time entrepreneurs that still do it wrong. The first thing out when you set up a business is to separate your personal from business banking accounts.  

Commingling your personal and business accounts can create a tax filing nightmare. When it is time to declare your expenses and income, you will have a hard time trying to separate your personal and business transactions.  

The tax office might sniff it as fraud or your relentless expenses might drive your business to losses. 

5. Get Acquainted With Applicable Laws

For a healthy financial life, you will need to learn how several laws affect your business.

Regulations to do with workers compensation, occupational safety, supplier contracts, risk management, IP issues, and insurance, among others, have a direct implication on the direction of your business. If you fail to comply with these legal requirements, you risk penalties that might financially cripple your business. 

Building a successful business requires financial discipline. If you fail to organize your finances, you may easily jeopardize your business and your dreams.

Finding funding is going to be a process as there will be plenty of pitching to do as you will not want to work with every possible investor that is interested. You want to have an investor or group of investors that understands the business plan as well as will allow freedom to make decisions for the good of the company rather than short term profits.

The person that the investment is coming from if made public can be a huge deal as well. Certain investors only invest in companies that they are sure will be a success so this can attract quite a bit of attention.

The following are what startups need to do as well as look for when trying to find funding and what to avoid.

Understand How Much Funding Is Needed And How Funds Will Be Used

The first thing that has to be done is to get an accurate number on how much funding will be needed. This could really open up options as you might find you need far less money than you thought to make the startup profitable.

Going to investors without a concrete number is dangerous as you might find yourself giving up more stake in the company than you had anticipated. There is also another option that could work in the form of a small business loan as this doesn’t require a startup to give up a percentage of their company. This also eliminates the possibility of an investor that wants to have final approval on decisions although they didn’t invest a huge amount.

Angel Investors

Obviously angel investors that are hands off are going to be an ideal candidate to go to for funding. This is not a group of people deciding what to do with a myriad of people’s money but an angel investor is rather a personal investor.

Shark Tank is a perfect example of these types of investors as they are going to take ownership of a certain amount of the startup. Often times partnering with an angel investor that can help develop the business through their existing relationships can be extremely beneficial to a startup.

A person that has a shipping fleet could be a perfect fit for a startup looking to do very well in the ecommerce space. Usually it takes $200,000 in investment to be considered an angel investor but a personal investor could be any amount of money in exchange for equity in a company.

High Interest Business Loans

The last thing that you want to do is to take out a high interest business loan as it will eat away at profits. For a company needing money that is not yet profitable this can dig a financial hole that even successful companies might not be able to get out of. For those companies that are looking to increase cash flow with money coming in this can be an option.

Companies that are waiting for money from clients can take part in something called factoring where a third party gives the company money for what is owed. The one issue with this is it does require giving a discount on the bill to the third party providing cash. This does not make the factoring company responsible for collecting the money as it is often called invoice financing as you are borrowing against the invoice.

Venture Capitalists

Venture capitalists operate a fund that incorporates a myriad of people’s money and invest it in businesses that they see fit. Generalist VCs usually invest in a variety of industries and invest in businesses they think will be profitable long term regardless of niche. Specialist VCs tend to stick to one niche and invest in multiple related niches as well. VC deals according to Lee Jacobs can win deals in a variety of industries for quite a few reasons.

One being that generalist VCs can help form mutually beneficial relationships between unrelated businesses they have invested in. A digital marketing company could help a sales optimization company and vice versa as all businesses need both sales as well as a good online marketing plan.

Investors That Want To Be Too Controlling/Involved In Everyday Operations

The nightmare of many of those people needing funding for their startup is that of an investor that wants to be overly involved. This can include second guessing your decisions as a founder or even disagreeing with you in front of your staff.

Expectations need to be set before accepting an investment as you do not need a person thinking they have all of the answer just due to them investing some money. While you will have to listen to investors to a point, there is no reason for them to come into the office daily to talk about ideas they may have had overnight.

Finding funding is going to be a stressful period but with the right investor a lot of financial and personal stress will be lifted off of you as well as your startup. Take the time to target investors now to get the ball rolling!

This is a guest contribution by Charles Dearing.

Starting a business is an exciting journey, but it’s a stressful and sometimes a tricky journey as well, as confirmed by the experts from Next-Insurance.com. It requires plenty of planning and even more work. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Having said that, however, there are no reasons why you shouldn’t be able to make it work. There are plenty of success stories around. All you need to do is avoid common mistakes and take the advice of the experts. Here’s how to strengthen your business start-up: your ultimate guide.

Establish Your Mindset and Your Goals

As a small business entrepreneur, you make up only a small portion of the populace. But while the number of entrepreneurs nowadays is growing, not all of them have the right mindset.

It is important to mentally prepare for your endeavor– think about why you are doing it and what your reasons are for going into business, and think about your goals. Remember that you are the founder of something, aim high.

You also have to assess yourself and try to understand what makes you different or unique from other founders or business owners. Drawing from your inner strength is one of the keys to making full use of your skills, talents, and assets. It helps you form better relationships, as well.

Establishing your goals from the onset is also a good way to remain focused. Having a clear focus allows you to make sure that you don’t end up being distracted by non-essential tasks or issues that don’t contribute to the growth of your business.

Create a Sound Business Plan

Even if you are convinced that you have the best product or service around and your product or service will ‘sell like hotcakes’, you still need to create a sound business plan. Your business plan should reflect your goals and objectives, but it should also make logical and financial sense. In other words, it should be realistic.

Additionally, your business plan should include your options when it comes to funding – how much you need over the next year and how you will get it. Keep in mind that many business startups fail in the first year simply because they lack funding and do not retain a sufficient cash flow for their business, so you need to determine your source of funding from the beginning.

Give the Market What It Wants

Too often, entrepreneurs focus on what they want to sell. You may be great at making strawberry jam or cupcakes, but that’s not necessarily what the market wants, especially if there is so much competition (and perhaps better products) out there.

Focus on what the market wants. Produce what your customer wants. Do your research and ensure you have a niche.

Focus on Cash Flow

 Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business.

Although you as an entrepreneur should not expect a positive cashflow for the first six months or so (depending on the business, of course), it’s necessary to focus on it and make that cash flow positive as soon as possible.

Calculate Very Conservatively

At the launch of your business, your expenses are bound to me more than you expect, while your income is bound to be less than you estimated. Calculate very conservatively when you project your expenses and your revenue – it may not go according to plan, so be ready for a relatively dry spell at the start.

Get insurance

Insurance is often initially overlooked by small business owners. They see it as an unnecessary expense.

It isn’t, however; it’s a vital way to ensure that the business can survive when things don’t go according to plan. It provides a crucial safety net.

Find the Right Partners

By finding the right partners, we mean the right staff. Once you find the right staff, train them well. If you have staff that knows exactly what to do and how to do it, this can give your business a boost; you don’t have to waste time correcting their errors or mistakes or supervising them.

Take the time and effort to create trust within your team, and let everyone know precisely what their purpose is and how they fit into the bigger picture. This encourages loyalty as well.

Take Advantage of Networking Opportunities

As a startup business, you need to get noticed. You need to get the right amount of exposure. One way to get the exposure and attention you need is to harness the opportunities presented by networking. There are many networking events out there for startup entrepreneurs, and all you have to do is attend.

Through networking, you can meet other owners of small businesses, you can get referrals, you can acquire knowledge from the experience of others who have been in your shoes, and, if you are a regular attendee of this kind of event, you can become more well-known and begin spreading a reputation as a trustworthy, reliable, and amiable business entrepreneur.

Marketing is a Must

Marketing is not a cost – it’s an investment. You need to make sure the market knows about your company and your product or service. You need to spread the word and attract customers.

Needless to say, some new entrepreneurs may be a bit wary about spending too much of their much-needed funds for marketing purposes – but you’d be surprised at some of the low-cost ways of marketing you can take advantage of. Nowadays, you can market your business on social media, for instance.

Never underestimate the power of social media channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and make sure you have a strong and robust presence on each. Social media marketing is also a great way to establish a bond and connection with your customer base, especially if you regularly update your social media network and post interesting photos, videos, and the like.

There are many more things to mention, but perhaps this is one of the most important ones: you constantly have to revisit your business plan, review, gather data, and discover. There is a learning curve, and you can’t expect everything to fall into place from the start.

Constantly do research about your competition, and learn from them. Continue gathering information about your target demographic, and learn. The more you learn, the more likely you are to earn.

Images taken from Pixabay.com