Home businesses have exploded in recent years, with people tapping into the idea that they can earn cash, right from their own home. Whether it’s as a side hustle or a full-time venture, home businesses allow people to get creative, have fun and earn money in a way that means something to them (rather than line the pockets of a big corporation). However, just because home businesses are common doesn’t mean they’re easy to execute, and if you want to earn enough money and make a success of things you need to go about it in the right way. Here are three common ways home businesses can let themselves down, and what you can do to avoid these mistakes.
They don’t invest in the right design
Aesthetics are so important in business, and everything down to the colours you choose, logo design, website design, and your app all need to look the part. Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean you should look amateur, don’t try doing these things yourself unless you’re an experienced designer. Go through a company, or find an experienced freelancer online who can create what you need to your specifications. Branding is crucial in business, don’t let it be something you’re overlooking.
They overlook marketing
In order to be successful in business, you need the right marketing- there’s just no way around it. With so much competition out there from similar business, you need to persuade potential customers to buy from you rather than them. You need to advertise and reach people who are likely to be interested in what you do- the internet is a big place, simply sending out random tweets won’t work. Not only will it look spammy but chances are you’re not going to reach enough people. You don’t have to be a marketing expert yourself, it’s easy to hire a third party company specialising in marketing for businesses like yours. They can tackle this side of things for you.
They don’t run things professionally
If you think that it’s ok to provide customers with a substandard product or service just because you’re a smaller business then you’re hugely mistaken. It doesn’t matter if you’re a huge enterprise with hundreds of employees or a small home business that you run by yourself when customers part with their cash then they’re going to expect a good standard of what they buy. They’re going to expect their goods to be delivered in a timely manner, and they’re going to expect good customer service. Run things in a professional way, and provide customers with what it is that they’ve paid for. Set yourself up a home office and get yourself organised. Use the right software to automate areas and make yourself more efficient. You could even set yourself working hours and stick to them- flexibility is a bonus when you work for yourself but you need to make sure you’re getting the work done. And set hours can help you to achieve this.
