Do business owners really need business documents and financing?
A business owner may think they don’t need business documents or financing, but without them, their business can quickly fall apart. Businesses are made of many different parts–from the company’s name to the way it is registered with government agencies. All these parts work together to make a successful business. If one part is missing, then it affects the rest of the business. It all starts with planning and understanding what documents and financing you’ll need for your specific situation.
Registering Your Company
There are a lot of business documents you should have, but one of the most important ones is registering your business name. This entails becoming incorporated as a business so that you can legally sell products as a business entity. It’s important to follow your country’s laws in regard to registering a business. If you’re starting a business in Hong Kong, for example, you should submit your business as an employer to the Hong Kong Business Registration Office so you can compete with other companies in the business. Or if you were going to start a company in Serbia, you would need to make sure you register appropriately for a company formation in Serbia. This would, of course, be different if you were in a different country, but everywhere local laws may vary.
There is a lot of paperwork at the beginning of any business, and it is imperative you get it right. Explore business registrations so you know what your business needs to be successful.
Get Enough Starting Capital
Starting any business is an expensive venture, and since starting your own business means you don’t have the security of an employer, you need to make sure you can afford to survive business months without making enough money. The SFC (Securities and Futures Commission) recommends that business owners save around $1 million in Hong Kong dollars before becoming incorporated.
This will greatly be affected by what your company does. A service provider usually needs much less starting capital in equipment than a producer of goods, but it’s always best to overestimate just in case.
To Lease or Buy an Office?
There are many business essentials you need to know before starting your business, and one of the more important is whether you should lease or buy commercial real estate. It’s a business requirement that you have an office, so this is something business owners must think about when starting their business.
One benefit to leasing commercial space in Hong Kong is that with short-term leases (usually seven years) you can easily move if business takes off elsewhere, which would mean you don’t have any part of precious capital tied into owning a physical building.
Again, it depends on what kind of business entity you plan to start–a business primarily devoted to providing services needs far less space than a business primarily devoted to manufacturing goods and selling them.
Get Connections
You know how it is when you’re looking for a job–you network with business connections because it’s much easier than applying for positions online or through other means. This works the same way with starting any business, so if you know anyone who has something to do with business, make sure you get in touch with them.
Not only does this mean that you could find business contacts or employees through these connections, but you will also have a business mentor who can tell you what business opportunities are available.
Explore business networks so that when it’s time to succeed, success will come to your business!
Marketing, Marketing, Marketing
No business plan can be finished without a marketing strategy–without marketing, you won’t reach customers and no business gets off the ground. It’s also important to research business essentials before starting a business.
There are many strategies for business marketing, but it’s important that you build up your business one step at a time. You need to first create an online presence for your business by creating accounts on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. These sites will allow you to reach people worldwide who may be interested in buying what your company is selling! From there, you should look into growing relationships with other businesses so they can promote your products or services through their website or blog.
Advertising locally is also important, especially if you plan on offering a street service and have a brick-and-mortar store. Flyers, business cards, and even hiring a local public relations specialist can help get the word out about your business.
It’s easy to get lost in business planning and forget about the day-to-day tasks. But, you can avoid potential disasters by establishing a business plan that includes everything from your business name to what type of business entity you want (or need) to be under. You should also consider how much money you will need for startup costs, where it will come from, and when these funds are needed. From there, you can determine if your business is viable without outside financing or whether it makes sense to seek investors through an equity round or angel investment group. The more time spent on this upfront work could save hours down the road!