Given the rise of “COVID-preneurs” (individuals who’ve decided to launch startups during the pandemic), here is a special guest post written by Chelsea Lamb at Business Pop!

The pandemic was a crisis that nobody ever thought would come to be. This crisis has also revealed a need for people to have a secondary means of income. Not only were numerous entrepreneurs confined to their homes, but a recession was bound to occur with the pandemic. Setting up a venture might be one of the best things you can do during this crisis, but it’s important to know how to get your business off the ground as we enter this promising post-pandemic phase.

Ensure You Have Financial Backup

Allocate a part of your savings toward necessities and emergency needs, but make sure to also set aside money to fund your business. Analyze the risk of incurring an overall loss and decide how much funding you need to allocate to your business to start — this way, your savings are still available for you to create an enterprise. You can also look into other funding options, such as business loans, angel investors, and so on. 

Research Your Product and Audience

Consider the possibility of creating and distributing your product or service — this means getting to know your offering’s sourcing and ecological imprint. For instance, if you make homemade goods, you need to know how long it takes to create each item. Also, if you source your product from a manufacturer, you need to know the complete process and reversal time from product design to distribution. Production time is an incredibly valuable investment for a business owner, so leave sufficient time to accomplish an adequate amount of customer orders while also making sure you don’t exhaust yourself with work. Besides analyzing what you offer, you should also find your audience to know whom you need to market to.

Draw the Marketing Aspect

Even before starting up, you need to develop a business plan encompassing the marketing strategies that best promote your product or service. Because we’re still fighting a global crisis, many businesses are on edge, with more than 40 percent of small businesses currently uneasy with their cash flow. However, as we approach the end of the pandemic, there are a few things you can do to improve your current and future sales.

Creating a business website will help you get noticed, look professional, and appeal to your audience as a serious venture. A website will also help sell your products and let people know your mission and philosophy, which will attract more customers. 

To show professionalism all the way through, consider hiring a graphic designer who will ensure that your website’s visual assets are attractive and fit for a successful marketing campaign. You can find countless freelance designers on online job platforms, so make sure to read reviews and compare delivery times and rates. Usually, freelance graphic design pricing sits somewhere between $15 and $35 per hour, but the costs may be higher if the professional has more experience and knowledge.

Improve Your Strategies

By enhancing the user experience on your website, you’ll get to build a successful company. Optimize your pages for use with mobile devices and desktop computers as people visit your website using both these means. Also, consider placing a live chatbox on your site for easily accessible customer support. Using SEO will make your business website more appealing to search engines like Google and enhance the number of clicks you receive.

If you’re only selling your products on your site, consider selling them on other platforms, too, such as Amazon. The website is well-recognized by consumers, and many people worldwide are shopping from there — it would be incredibly advantageous to have your products listed on its pages. Another strategy you can use and later improve is the automation of the sales system — this will allow you and your staff to focus on more important aspects, including content creation and advertising projects.

The Bottom Line

A crisis may seem like a challenging and risky time to run a business, but it is actually a good time to start. By using these techniques, you can get started on the right foot and increase the chances of your venture not only succeeding now but also into the future.

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