If you’ve been trying to grow your small business for a while now, and consider yourself a bit of an entrepreneur, then you might be missing the mark when it comes to effectively running a business. The trouble with spending too much time starting out is that you can get ahead of yourself, and forget to incorporate some important advice from the beginning that can keep your brand sustainable for a long time.
Not only do you need to have your wits about you as an entrepreneur in the world of business, but you’ve got your work cut out for you if you’re trying to get it off the ground in 2020. With your back up against the wall, there’s never been a better time than right now to start – but you’ve got to know what you’re doing. Let’s take a look at how to grow your business as an entrepreneur in 2020.
1. Say ‘Yes’ – and ‘No’
One of the most important things when it comes to being a business entrepreneur is not only learning when to say ‘yes’, but learning when to say ‘no’ as well. These are the two most important words to use right now, and you’ll have to get used to using them a lot. This means that you have to teach yourself to be really decisive about things.
While you can spare a little bit of time to think certain business decisions over, a lot of the time you’ll need to make a snap decision. Being clear on your decision making is going to help your business in the long run.
2. Secure Your Funding
If you’re almost ready to launch your business idea, but you don’t have the required funding, you’re very quickly going to burn through your cash before you’ve even made any. While it can be difficult to know how much money your business is going to need initially, the more you can plan for it, the better off you’ll be.
Not only do you need to secure funding from investors, but you need to come up with a plan B that can cushion the blow should the unexpected arise. Consider a short-term loan or a title loan for title cash now, so that you can bridge that gap and not sink before you’ve learnt to swim.
3. Trust Your Intuition
This might sound like nothing more than common sense, but if you want to do well with your business this year you need to learn how to read and trust your gut. When you have mastered the art of doing so, you will be able to use your gut as a valuable decision-making tool.
The key is to know how to access your instincts. Take a moment to mull an important decision over, and learn to listen to what your gut is telling you about it. Otherwise, you could end up regretting it, which can mean sink or swim in the world of business.
4. Defend Your Intellectual Property
There’s no such thing as being too early to protect your intellectual property around your business. There is a lot of competition out there these days, and as nobody knows exactly how 2020 is going to end, it’s pretty hard to predict whether your business will still be doing well in a year or two.
This is why it’s important to look into the process of patenting, copyrighting, and trademarking your intellectual property. If you have a product that includes an exclusive, original component, you need to make sure that nobody else can replicate it. While this is going to cost a bit of money, if you plan on taking your business as far as it will go then it’s definitely worth it.
It’s hard to be an entrepreneur and develop a business idea into a profitable brand at the best of times, let alone when we’re all in the middle of an epidemic. Take inspiration from the tips above, and protect your business this year.
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.
