Make your Startup believable with these 3 simple steps

Startup businesses in particular are usually faced with speculation and doubt in the early stages of business by those who wonder if their business is real.  Although, you may be the only employee in your company right now, it is still important to take all the right steps as if you were a large organization.  Not only will these actions allow other business people to take you seriously, it will also allow you to access funding, land big contracts and increase visibility for your business.

The following are three simple steps that all startup businesses must take to make their business believable:

1.     Registration & Formalization – In any jurisdiction there are laws relating to how businesses must operate.  Whether you choose to operate as a Sole Proprietor or Limited Liability Company, it is important to register with the government-mandated institution in that country.  Formalizing your business also means paying the relevant taxes, fees and licenses.  This will allow your business the same access and opportunities of your larger counterparts.  In my local jurisdiction, no unregistered business can access government contracts… and remember, the government of any country is usually the largest employer.

Image borrowed from DealDey

2.     Get an official street address & (virtual) office space – These two actions are critical to making your business believable.  The use of virtual office spaces has increased significantly as it gives entrepreneurs, in particular startups, an official space to use for meetings, receiving telephone calls as well as official business mails.  Virtual office spaces also offer additional services with dedicated telephone lines for your business as well as a professional to answer the phone and take messages.

3.     Get professionally done collateral material – Your business card, company brochure and catalogue, and all the other printed/online material that represents your business must be professionally designed.  These items must define your business precisely, with a clear and attractive message.  At the startup stage, businesses have a unique opportunity to define their business, outline the solutions that they provide and who they provide it to … this information must inform how company materials are designed.  Importantly, the presence of this type of material in a new business legitimizes the business in the minds of potential partners and investors and tells them that you are serious about business.

Another area that may be considered in the later stage of startup is the incorporation of a business website.  Your business’s website gives customers, potential business partners, investors and other stakeholders 24 hour access to your business.

These steps will also make marketing your startup easier.  Because there is no uncertainty about the type of business, the product or service it provides, its location and capabilities; you are now able to craft a marketing programme that attracts your targeted customer group.