More and more people are going down the entrepreneurial route and starting their own businesses. Many feel dissatisfied with their working life, while others want to pursue their passions and enjoy a great work/life balance. They turn their passion into a business idea. However, they may not be aware of the common small business challenges ahead of them as they start a business.
These challenges faced when starting a small business can make a difference if you will stay in business.
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Overcome Small Business Challenges When Starting a Business
Thanks to the internet, starting an online business is easier than it would’ve been several decades ago. From starting an online store via a platform like Etsy to set up as a freelance accountant, there are a lot of ways to get started online. But because it’s so easy becoming a business owner, many people are unaware of some of the business needs and risks faced by new business owners.
Understanding the risks can help you get your business off to a great start, avoiding some of the issues that can cause new businesses to fold in their early days.
Take a look at some of the 5 biggest challenges facing your small business plus one more and how to overcome them to become a successful business.
Cash Flow Small Business Challenges
Cash flow is an area that many businesses struggle with as they run a business. For a new business that’s finding its feet, it can be very difficult to find the right balance and stay in the black to become more profitable.
Finding an effective cash flow strategy can help ensure your business is able to manage its finances and make it through those first difficult months.
From invoicing on time to choosing payment dates carefully, there are different ways you can manage your cash flow to ensure the best outcome for your business. You can also seek expert advice to help ensure all of your finances are in order as you build your business.
Insurance And Liability For Running A Business
When you work for yourself, all liability for your business rests with you when opening a new business. You might not be able to envisage issues with your business right now, but you never know what could happen in the future.
From disgruntled clients to issues with suppliers, as well as hiring employees, there are risks to your business that could cost you financially and damage your reputation.
Having the right small business insurance can protect your business in a number of situations, limiting the damage that could be caused by a lawsuit or other emergency.
Data Protection For Small Entrepreneurs
As a small business owner, it’s also up to you to protect client and customer data. Data breaches are becoming more common, and small businesses are also at risk.
You can protect your business from data breaches by ensuring your cybersecurity measures are robust. Small businesses may not have the need for in-house IT services for this purpose due to their size, but you can look online for a reliable IT provider to outsource support.
This will help ensure you have the right protection in place, while also benefiting from emergency support when you need it as you experience business growth.
The Reality of Working Alone As Small Business Challenges Mount
Going from working in a team to working for yourself can be a difficult adjustment. Entrepreneurship is a lot different than working for a company.
When you work for a large company, you benefit from having colleagues, as well as support services to manage areas like finance, HR, and marketing. It can be stressful taking this on alone, but there are different ways you can get the support you need, including outsourcing some of these core business functions.
To help you with the social element, you could consider working out of an office. Having an office space for your small business can make things feel more legitimate, and help motivate you to get work done. It may be easier for you than working from home.
Even if you opt for a low-cost coworking space, for now, you’ll be able to benefit from the buzz and convenience of an office, even if you are working alone. Setting up your own space can be fulfilling at the same time.
Finding and Maintaining Clients: One of The Small Business Challenges
When you first set up your business, it’s easy to think that the clients will roll in thick and fast. Even if this is true at first, you need to be prepared for what happens in casework dries up. Growing your client base can take time, and you’ll need to dedicate some time to this as you handle your existing clients.
Over time, you’ll come to learn when your busy and quiet periods are, and how you can make the most of your working time during self-employment.
Having an emergency fund will be particularly useful here if you find yourself without work for an extended period of time and owe business tax. You may need to invest in licenses to register your business and for branding your new business.
Challenges Faced When Starting a Small Business – Staying Productive
Another significant small business challenge is working for yourself is maintaining your productivity. Without someone setting your targets and checking in on your progress, it’s up to you to manage your workload and stay productive. These challenges faced when starting a small business can be overcome.
Some useful tips for staying productive when working for yourself include:
Learn To Separate Work and Home Life
It’s easy to lose your work/life balance when you start working for yourself. It’s important to put proper separation in place to ensure you don’t work too hard, while still being professional especially during live online metings.
Set yourself working hours and have a hard cut-off time to help break up your day,
Keep On Top Of Your Calendar When Up and Running
Maintaining your schedule will help you keep on top of everything you need to do, as well as manage your meetings and appointments. Sync your calendar to your tablet or phone to help you keep up with where you need to be and work hard to stay organized for the sake of your business.
Don’t Succumb To Bad Work Habits
It’s easy to fall into bad work habits when dealing with the stress of running your own business. A poor diet due to grabbing food on the go, not giving yourself breaks, etc., can all contribute to poor mental and physical health.
Take care of yourself and remember to make time for the simple things – the last thing you want is to become sick when you work for yourself. That is one of the biggest small business challenges for owners today.
In Conclusion: Small Business Challenges To Overcome
Despite these small business problems, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your business to help you get things off to the best start. Familiarizing yourself with the challenges of starting a business is a great first step, helping you to prepare for what may lie ahead.
The early days of running your own business will be a significant learning curve, but your drive and determination will see you through these small business challenges.
What challenges for small business owners have you faced or are facing now? Did you think starting up a company would have these challenges? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.
If you need some motivation, check out these quotes for small business owners to overcome problems.
Thanks Lisa, I think this will help me alot when starting my small business. Thanks for sharing this Lisa
You are most welcome Linda. Welcome to Small Biz Tipster. What is your biggest challenge?
Bad business habits can be business killers Lisa. I try to turn around any bad biz habits I developed. Sometimes I lack awareness. But other times I see my self-sabotaging ways. Everything depends on how honest I intend to be with myself. Fabulous post.
Ryan
Hi Ryan, oh yes, bad habits can ruin lives and businesses for sure! Reminds me to get up and move around. I sit for too long and then have back issues which hinders my growth at times. Thanks Ryan and Happy November!