Do these five things when launching your startup

When I left my startup, I reached a vital crossroads. I invested over two years of my life in Habidy.com, a struggling social media company. I discovered myself in a spot where many entrepreneurs before me had been: no business prospects, no income, and a bucket filled with responsibilities (including supporting a young family and paying rent in New York).

I needed to make some decisions. I could proceed to excel within the startup world or return to the company rhythm I left in 2008. Life in a startup meant stress and uncertainty, and an emotional boomerang barometer between elation and disappointment. On the opposite hand, a day job can offer you a gradual salary and a little bit of achievement. But it might also mean leaving the life-style that had allowed me to carve my very own path to success.

For me, the selection was easy: I stayed with startups.

But this time, I made a decision to seek the advice of with startups, take what I learned through trial, error, and misdirection, and apply it to my work with other early-stage founders with big brains and even larger ideas.

Here’s a take a look at how I built and scaled a consulting business in a single month – and in the method, I went from zero to 4 amazing startup clients

Step 1: Define your brand

What services do you sell and why will people select you as an experienced provider? Defining your brand means first defining yourself. Determine what you’ll be able to do for those that they cannot (or do not have time) do for themselves.

Given my background in marketing and PR, my area of interest was easy to discover and present to others. I help early and mid-stage startups improve their content and market. I assure you that their message, approach to implementation and product come from the identical songbook.

Find what sets you apart and what promise you’ll be able to deliver to your customers, and get to work.

Step 2: Refine your message

Once you have found your area of interest and feel comfortable selling your services to others, it’s essential develop a straightforward message that clearly communicates why you are here.

Defining your brand and consolidating your message could appear relatively easy, but for each company crucial thing is the primary, strong impression of your company. Get it right the primary time and you will be on your way.

Step 3: Activate your network

The importance of a terrific network can never be underestimated. No matter your background or industry, you may be surprised how far the essential network will take you.

Send personalized messages to everyone you understand and end with a particular “ask.” Who can your connection introduce you to? Can you meet for a 10-minute chat or coffee to debate the subsequent steps in your profession? If you do not ask, you won’t ever receive. You won’t ever stop to be amazed by the generosity that folks show with their time if you happen to show interest and gratitude.

But don’t sell yourself short – networks will be built and strengthened day-after-day. Start small, be consistent with your reach, and good things will come.

Step 4: Price to transfer

Consulting is a difficult business, especially within the startup world. While the ad agencies I worked for within the mid-2000s charged clients $150 an hour for my time, for cost-conscious startups it’s more realistic to make around half that quantity.

Start low, offer discounts, and work as much as cash-based plans to send the message that you’ve got some skin in the sport. Also do not forget that a vital but low-paying role at a small startup can result in a more enriching, long-term relationship if your efforts open doors and attract customers to your client.

Step 5: Do the work

One of my early mentors once told me, “Create reasonable expectations for each client, and then significantly exceed them.” This has been a mantra for me throughout my skilled profession.

Value is the secret for any owner. If your value is clearer, your successes will follow. In my case, this led to an early referral, which was an enormous boost for my practice. While my first two clients got here through referrals through my network, the third got here on the suggestion of a client I had only worked with for 2 weeks.

If you do a terrific job, the outcomes will speak for themselves.