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By Michelle O’Connor/Contributed

If I had avoided these mistakes when I started, I would have saved a lot of money and time on my entrepreneurial journey. Here are a few mistakes you can avoid when starting your business. These are in no particular order (all are important).

1. Believing that a website is a prerequisite for launching
2. Skipping product testing 
3. Insufficient research 
4. Inadequate resources for supporting product/service delivery
5. Operating without a well-thought-out sales plan
6. Overlooking customer feedback through surveys
7. Trying to grow without collaboration

The need for a business website

The need for a website is one of the common mistakes entrepreneurs make and it can delay them getting started. When deciding on a website, you then go on the journey of creating a logo, deciding on colour schemes, and the whole brand book before you go to market.

You can start with your email address.

If there is a need for your clients to schedule calls, there are free automated calendar options available that you can connect to your social media profile. If you have a product you can post it on social media and invite people to send a DM for the items they are interested in. Remember this is not long term, just when you are starting out. 

When you are starting out, you are in the testing phase and you are gathering data that will enable you to identify your customers’ needs. You are building your fans so that you can get customers’ reviews as you grow and implement the systems that they need.

 Let’s be honest, we don’t even ask if the restaurants we are eating at if they operate with a food license. The taste of the food and/or the experience is what keeps us going back. 

Give value and your customers will keep coming.

Skipping product testing

Getting feedback from customers, refining your offering, and ensuring that it’s valuable to your target market is very important.

 When you are in the start-up phase you might need to make changes to your offering as such, don’t be afraid to ask your customers for feedback. When I just started my workshops, I would always have surveys printed out and ensure that I ask my participants to complete them before they leave. It provided some insightful feedback. 

Feedback gives you a front-row seat in the minds of your customers. You know what they like best, what needs to be improved and if anything needs to be added or removed. In my experience, it’s usually the simplest things that our customers value and without their feedback we often ignore it and focus our energy elsewhere. The more you offer what your customers want, the more they will find value in your offer, become repeat customers and also refer your business to others.

Don’t think your survey needs to be complicated. You can ask 1-3 questions and make your questions direct. Example. How would you rate your overall experiences VS What did you enjoy the most about______ (fill in the blank based on what you offer)? Make your question very specific.

Before brands are taken to market, they go through a testing phase. When you walk into a store and you try that outfit on and it fits you perfectly, it wasn’t a coincidence. The designers have models that they try these items on to see how they fit based on the purpose of the outfit. If it doesn’t work they make changes. 

Be purposeful about your offer.

Insufficient market research

Having a good sense of the environment you are operating in, will give you some insightful information on how you can strategise your entry into the market.

Your research will tell you if there is a need for what you are offering, who needs it, and the demographic, among many other things. You will also be able to clearly identify your competitors and see how you measure up. The internet and especially social media has made this so much easier for us. 

Conducting your research will enable you to assess whether there is a market for your offer, whether is it saturated, and if there are players in the market, is there anything missing?  Research will help you to refine your target audience and get very specific.

Not doing your research can see you building a product/service that will not serve anyone.

Your research can be done online by typing in keywords that relate to your business. You can also ask questions on social media as social media users are willing to engage with your content.

I am not sending you to hire a research company, but it is important to have an idea of the market space you are operating in.

Inadequate resources for supporting product/service delivery

If you want to turn away your customers for good, break a promise. In the start-up phase, you want to over-deliver at all times. Ensuring that you are set up to meet the promises you have made to customers is critical. Ask yourself:

• What resources, in terms of time and personnel, will be required?
• Is a system necessary for my venture?
• Do I need funding to support my initiative?
• Is transportation essential for product/service delivery?
• Where will I arrange meetings with my clients?

 When deciding on the resources & systems you will need, put yourself in your clients’ shoes. Think about every aspect of the touch point and make a list of who or what will happen at each step. That will give you a good idea of what is needed.

Example. If you are a doctor, think through what will happen when your patients walk through the doors. Will they be completing a form, who will give them documents, can it be completed online, will you need a nurse, will you have a monitor with entertainment while they wait? All these questions when answered will provide you with the details needed to build out a process and provide you with the details needed to adequately deliver on your promise to your clients

Operating without a well-thought-out sales plan 

This is where your actions come alive! Having a sales plan is another crucial aspect as it helps you to see exactly where the sales will be coming from and this provides direction for you. You are able to set goals, track your progress and take corrective actions where needed. 

Consider these key aspects when crafting your sales strategy:

• Define your overarching financial objectives (e.g., revenue, profit).

• Specify your target audience, whether by demographics or a particular market segment.

• Outline the number of clients you aim to engage to achieve your objectives.

• Detail the activities required to connect with these clients and set clear deadlines.

• Identify team members responsible for executing these activities and contributing to your sales plan.

Trying to grow without collaboration 

Lastly, build a community and connect with experts within your ecosystem. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who can support and guide you on your entrepreneurial journey. Have you ever heard the saying, “No man is an island?” It means we can not exist by ourselves, no matter what area of life you are thinking about.

When you have a community, you go faster, you learn and you also have a wider community to share your product/service with. Be very involved by sharing your journey, what you offer and give/receive help where needed. Your groups also allow you to get advice from experts that you might have had to pay for. 

Being an entrepreneur means you also have to be mentally strong. It can get hard and you can begin to question your journey. Choose communities where you can be vulnerable and share your emotions honestly without being judged.

In your community, you need a coach, a mentor or a business advisor. Find someone who can support you with doing all the above. While having a mentor/coach was not highlighted, having this role will allow you to have someone who can ensure that all the points noted above are completed most effectively.