Starting a small business in the 21st century is common as the appeal for a more individual lifestyle rises. There are several mistakes new business owners can make, here are a few of them and how to avoid them.

Having Poor Cash Flow

Uneven, unstable, or nonexistent cash flow is the #1 killer of a small business. New business owners often run into this problem because they have few or no paying customers. Another reason is because they must overcome an onslaught of new expenses to keep their doors (usually metaphorical doors) open. Depending on the type of business, the impact can be severe.

Before trying to predict income, sit down with an accountant to forecast your expenses. This will help you to navigate cash flow as it starts to come in. An accountant can help you create a budget so you understand your specific cashflow. 

Lack of Managerial Experience

Say that you have decided to open a specialty bake shop because you’re an incredibly talented pastry chef. You may know how to pipe a macaron better than the old French masters, but that doesn’t mean you know how to run a bake shop. Many talented individuals are fantastic at the service or product that their business offers. The problem is, they lack the business insight they need to make it succeed. Running a small business requires the ability to manage!

Asking for help and advice on managing a business early on will save yourself frustration later on down the line. 

Not Providing What The Market Wants

There’s a reason that small business ownership is just a dream for some people; often, a person’s dream career just isn’t realistic because it does not have a market.

Whether businesses target local or general markets, the inability to find a customer base is often what causes them to fail.  Before you get started and make investments, research the market to make sure there is a need. Such research takes time, but it can prevent a major loss or reveal an opportunity in a different place or another line of work. Find an effective niche and dig into it. 

Not Keeping Up With The Pace of Growth

It is common to experience burn out when your small business doesn’t feel so small anymore. When a business grows, it eventually needs to hire help to keep up with the number of customers. If this doesn’t happen, the business will start to lose money. Invest in people who are likeminded! You can’t do this all on your own. 

With business growth comes the demand of new equipment either for yourself or your employees. Using old and out dated equipment and software will only set you back; make the investment for updated tools.

Not Learning From Failure

Even the wealthiest business owners in the world have had failures. A lot of them probably started as a small business at one point. The reason they are successful now is because they learned from their failures.

Based on the common causes of business failure, if the market doesn’t want your product anymore, you must adapt. If a lack of time or poor-quality equipment are holding you back, you must hire help or invest in faster computers and more efficient machinery. It’s only truly a failure if you do not learn from your mistakes.

You can do this!

By getting a proper handle on your finances and properly managing of all of your resources (including labor), you can drastically increase the chances that your small business will succeed. Sometimes, the market is just fickle, requiring you to adapt to changing demands and technologies. If you are interested in small business coaching or help with cash flow and finances, don’t hesitate to reach out — this is the stuff we like. Go to our contact us page & fill out our form, or give us a call.