The foundation of a proper start for your business (startup) lies in the most important investment—time in yourself (and your project). Thus, it is crucial to begin your business with hard work while relying on a minimal set of tools. This approach helps develop good habits, a consistent schedule, and clear goals to gradually achieve them. The strategy of spending funds on new equipment and advertising in 90% of cases leads to poor results because resources are quickly exhausted, leaving the impression that nothing more can be done. This approach, as it is evident, is doomed from the outset. There are exceptions when very experienced businesspeople take on a project, but in this article, the goal is to show how to start a business without experience or significant resources.
If you want to open your own bar, an online project, or perhaps sell something, all beginners usually have a lot of energy and inspiration at the start. At this stage, client acquisition primarily happens through communication, friends, acquaintances, cold calls, social media advertising, etc., and it seems like it will always be this way—but it won’t. Here’s why:
- You’ll receive a one-time profit from friends and acquaintances, and that’s it.
- Cold calls and advertising, after properly calculating costs, will turn out to be unprofitable.
- Constantly searching for and communicating with potential customers will lead to emotional burnout.
This will first affect the group leader; imagine what happens to the rest of the team. Employees are often used to “chasing the carrot” month by month. It’s certain that the team will lose interest in the project even faster than its founder.
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Return to the beginning of this article—starting your business with labor won’t lead to high expenses or a need for a team.
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Minimal monthly expenses for your business won’t significantly affect your budget. (Choosing a passion project that you wish to dedicate your life to is the key—this is the case in most instances.) Doing something you love with minimal expenses won’t exhaust you, and the habits you develop will continually advance your project, slowly but surely.
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This approach gives you a chance for numerous attempts. For instance, creating your own website and writing articles about your niche will attract clients without advertising costs. With consistent updates, the site can become popular over time.
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It’s important to build a business specifically in your field. In the beginning, you’ll receive related requests outside your area of expertise that will dilute your professionalism. Set boundaries here. By refusing unrelated requests, you can use that time to create content in your field, such as launching YouTube or RuTube channels to attract additional traffic. Your acquaintances might often tell you, “What difference does it make what you earn from?” It makes a big difference—earning in your field develops you and your business, enabling you to tackle more complex tasks. Reduce the time spent with such acquaintances, as you’re trading valuable knowledge for chatter—a bad habit. You’ll stop communicating with them eventually, so why delay? Part ways consciously.
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Don’t waste time looking for like-minded people. Chances are, there aren’t any in your current environment. If there are, they likely share your desire to ease the path, reduce fear, or simply cling to something. A reliable team will appear later, when you achieve independence and initial results—roughly five years down the line.
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Position and status matter more than income. You’ve probably heard stories of acquaintances who quickly got rich but returned to their starting point, often not even changing their primary job. When transitioning from employment to business, you undergo a profound transformation, which is only qualitative if slow. As you establish yourself, you’ll align more and more with your new status and ultimately settle into it permanently. This marks a new level where everything in your life changes: your residence, friends, and spouse. Quick success, luck, or coincidences usually remain just amusing stories, while fundamental life changes often don’t occur. Socially, you rise; financially, you stabilize—the foundation matters.
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Alignment. Upon achieving stability, we often overlook our environment and end up in unnecessary circles. It’s better to communicate with similar people. If you’ve been in business for 15 years, your circle should include people with similar experience. The same applies if you’re content with employment—for example, if you’ve always worked in IT companies, your circle should also consist of dedicated professionals. Don’t undervalue your work.
You’ve likely heard people say they don’t care much about money but simultaneously complain about disliking their job. The conclusion is clear—they lack confidence in themselves and their environment, and they remain in their jobs solely for the money. By pursuing your passion, you solve this problem, which is beyond the capability of most people.
Finally, don’t try to sit on two chairs. By doing so, you betray yourself, and success becomes unattainable. You can’t be both a caterpillar and a butterfly at the same time.
Our project was founded in 2009, and we’ve gained substantial experience in online business. Synay is freedom—work from anywhere, stay where you feel comfortable, and develop your online project using our infrastructure.