The time to start is not later. It’s now.
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The fact that hard times have come doesn’t mean you have no chance to open your own business and become an entrepreneur. Believe it or not, the best time to start thinking about it isn’t tomorrow, in a week, and certainly not after next Christmas. The time is right now.
5 reasons to start business even if you have no money
- Knowledge is free now. Long ago business was like a private club, or some secret art. In order to understand the intricacies of the business, it was necessary to spend a lot of money to attend seminars and buy books. All this can be done now, but today it is possible to learn entrepreneurship differently. You can find the real stories of successful and unsuccessful businesses everywhere. Free webinars, as well as detailed instructions about how to develop your startup from zero revenue to the pay off business are available for free. All the knowledge about the stages of development is publicly available on the Internet.
- ‘Cloud’ storage and web apps allow you starting without expenses. A great amount of funding was needed for software and hardware to start business ten years ago. Software for internal use costs a lot, moreover there was little choice. Developed systems of open source software and tools are for our service today, as well as cloud drives. ‘Startup weekends‘ became possible and available thank to the progress in software development. It is a three-day working session with the support of IT experts, where the raw idea can be turned into circumspect project.
- Place doesn’t matter. These days, you can run your business from any place in the world and become well known everywhere. Modern companies in the world can work in various locations in the USA and abroad. Take a look at Balsamiq, WooThemes, or see where Backupify is located. The ability to have access to customers is now available globally. Work at home, go out for a walk in the morning and look at standing in traffic jams office workers with a smile. Such feelings are priceless. Again, the absence of binding to the office allows you to hire people no matter their location is.
- Use free content-marketing. According to content marketing agency Luckyposting and thousands of marketers’ experiences, you can promote your business without huge budgets. Use the power of blog posting and social networks:
- LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter to find investors in the region in which you are going to fulfill your dream;
- Use the possibilities of e-mail and legal mailing to databases of businesses and their managers;
- Write guest posts and comments on websites and blogs of companies from your area. Try to talk with the leaders and representatives of companies dealing in your local market, because their experience and bring you benefits.
Nowadays, a good product with a good composed story could become famous overnight and attract the attention of leading mass media.
- Easy to find clients via the Internet. Looking for clients was always difficult. In order to make money you require clients because they turn the engine of your business. Observe a variety of channels to get clients. There is PR, inbound marketing, marketing by using search engines, events, private life, outreach on a free platform, direct sales, cold calls, affiliate programs, and many other channels. They can be used strategically, without spending a lot of initial funding. Why is it important? It’s like an ability to have more additional ‘lives’ in a video game. The more channels you use, the more opportunities for success you get.
Of course, you can be an engineer or a great trader. You can find an excellent job, perhaps even with a salary of six figures. Add to this other advantages, and everything looks fine.
But here’s the thing: no work is secure in this world. Wall Street crumpled almost overnight, and many large companies go down the tubes without warning. Creating a startup, at least gives you some control over your resource of income.
If you are fired, then, as a rule, the end of your story comes. When in the startup world the equivalent of ‘dismissal’ happens to you, you can stand against. You show perseverance and continue to work. If something tells you to start your own company, you have talented people around, and you really believe in it, then do it.
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Photo: Flickr/Steven Zwerink