A basic help guideline to starting a new business

May 21, 2024
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Mitch Horton
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So you have decided to start and run your own business. Hopefully you are already to go with the products and services you want to offer but how do you go about setting up the business. We have put together a simple guide to explain the next steps in setting up and running a business correctly to ensure growth and a healthy business.

1 - Research: Industry and competitor research is vital for you to understand the current landscape, where the gaps might be in the industry. Pay particular attention to how these businesses appear to be marketing and winning clients

2 - Logo and Brand Identity: If you have the budget employing a branding expert is a solid way to go to creating your logo and brand identity. A well designed brand can go a huge way to establishing your business in the industry and giving customers confidence in your products or services. If your budget is light, consider using Canva logo templates and then customising them with colours, fonts and icons that work for you. Always ask your friends and family what they think of your branding, feedback is important.

3 - Create a basic business plan: This can feel like a daunting task but by following a simple template and going step by step you can get down on paper all the info currently circulating in your mind. The business plan will help give you confidence and know you are on the right path.

4 - Create a Digital Presence: Establishing a digital presence is vital now for any business. Depending on what industry your business is in you may want to focus on different digital platforms. For service businesses Facebook and Google (website) is usually the most important platforms to focus on.

5 - Build a Website: A website is an important tool to showcase your business and drive growth. Websites don’t need to cost the world anymore and if you are computer savvy try out a WIX or Squarespace website, both are great options.

6 - Sort out Finances: A professional bookkeeper can provide valuable insights into your business's financial health. This information helps you make informed decisions and plan for the future.

7 - Create a Marketing Strategy: Having a kick ass website and business is nothing without a good marketing strategy to get you in front of the right customers. Spend time exploring an array of options including social, google, outbound, word of mouth and emailing.

8 - Slow and Steady: Remember the saying ‘Slow and steady wins the race’ this is true for running a small business. It will take time to get established and find your customers but it will happen, hang in there and keep exploring new angles and marketing to find customers.

9 - Customer Acquisition and Retention: It is important that you keep a good CRM of your customers and keep them informed with monthly emails, special offers and even referral programmes.

10 - Give, Give, Take: When you are first starting a new business be generous with your time and knowledge. Often giving people some free advice etc can go a long way to them becoming clients. Blogs, newsletters and courses are all great ways to offer free content to build an audience of potential clients.

If you would like any help with this process or for a free chat give us a call.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about our bookkeeping and business support services.

What Services do you offer?

At Horton Taylor we customise our services to suit your business needs. Our team can help out with everything from bookkeeping, accounts, payroll, marketing strategy, websites and digital marketing. You can find out more info on our Services page or alternatively give us a call, we can find out about your business and we can set up the services that you need.

How much do you charge?

We operate on an affordable retainer model for the majority of our services. These are custom built around your needs and generally work out a lot better for you than an hourly rate model. We do offer hourly rate and project specific pricing for services such as website builds and one-off training.

What are your qualifications?

Erin has a bachelor's degree in international business and Mitch has a bachelor's degree in Science. Aside from these we have 25 years combined experience working in, owning and supporting a variety of small businesses with the services we provide.

How can I get started?

Let's start with a discovery call and we can get to know each other. We want to make sure we are a great fit and that we have a good insight into your business operations, goals and values. From there we can usually get started almost straight away.

Do you offer remote services?

We are based in Mount Maunganui but we work with businesses throughout New Zealand. We love to meet face to face but the majority of our meetings and correspondence are conducted over email, Zoom and phone calls.