The Meat and Potatoes Guide to Setting Up Your Business

Glitz, glam, celebrity openings and A-lister gatherings – reading a business blog can sometimes feel like flicking through the latest issue of Heat Magazine.

Instead of practical business advice, many blogs focus on the NEXT BIG THING. Their writers want you to salivate over your keyboards at the latest breakthrough in digital technology, or they’ll source advice on communication from a public speaker worth millions of dollars.

They know that these tips don’t matter very much to most businesses. That’s not their function. Their real purpose is to draw the reader in with a lifestyle they can’t possibly hope to achieve, a peek behind the curtain to whet the lips and let your imagination run wild.

‘What if I could reach that level of high-rolling business entrepreneurialism?’ you’ll think after a cursory glance at the latest advice column. ‘What if I was the Richard Branson of my day?’

This is aspirational writing at its finest, luring you into the fold like you were a cat following a piece of string. And it’s not exactly useful.

While it’s fantastic to have aspirations, it’s also important to walk before you can run. And articles like those cited above will have you sprinting quicker than Mo Farah on race day before you can even toddle.

So let’s set the record straight with this mini guide for startups.

This isn’t a metaphorical luxury meal, but a meat and potatoes guide giving you all the help you need to set your business of to a flying start.

Maybe then you can start thinking big.

Know your tradespeople

What are you going to do when you’ve got a burst pipe that’s leaking into the business downstairs? And how about a ceiling that needs insulated? Or an electrical fitting that looks as though it was wired by an experimental artist more interested in aesthetics than plug sockets that, you know, work?

You could check your local directory and contact someone at random OR you could get on the blower with a tradesperson you’ve known since your business started.

We’d recommend a brand like CJ Connally for your electrical needs and a site like CheckaTrade to see client reviews of any tradespeople in your local area.

Get yourself connected

No one wants a business turf war on their hands. But you don’t have to sit in a bed all week like John and Yoko to achieve peace between the businesses on your street. You can simply hold out an olive branch by inviting them around for a coffee.

Making connections in your local community can be vital for a fledgling business and could net you extra exposure. An entrepreneurial pal might give you a shout out on Instagram to make their customers aware of you. Or they could lend you important supplies. Either way, a friend is never a bad thing to have.

And that’s our list. Have you got any other business tips you want to share with our readers? Then let us know in the comments below.

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