Tempo

5 principles to jumpstart your business

- Chinkee Tan

HAVE

you been planning to start a business? What is stopping you? No capital? No confidence?

The start of a new year is a good time to put up a business. There is something about the New Year that gives us fresh ideas and fresh motivation­s.

I want to help you increase your income and having a business is a good source of exponentia­l and even unlimited income. Before anything else, you must first learn the basic business principles so you can be confident in taking that first step into exponentia­l profits.

1. Got a business idea? Execute it immediatel­y.

What is wrong with aspiring entreprene­urs is that they remain to be aspirants. You can call yourself a business person if you indeed have a business. So stop planning so much. 2020 is the year of making things happen. Execute now.

Easier said than done, you say. But, let me ask you: What really stops you from putting up your business?

Money? I have always believed that business is all about ideas. So long as you can solve the problems of your target market, you can be profitable. Because of technology, money is less and less becoming a problem for there now free online tools that can help you jumpstart your business.

I believe that the real reason that you are not taking the first step in putting up a business is fear. Fear paralyzes anyone. Perhaps you became overwhelme­d with what ifs, with doubts, with worst-case scenarios. So, you just let go of that idea and give up on your dreams.

But I urge you to toughen your heart for the sake of your dreams and that better life you have been wanting to have. Remember, no guts, no glory. Claim your glory this 2020!

2. No idea yet? Start with your strength.

If in case you really want to have a business but you still have no idea what kind of business to get into, try answering the following questions:

What is that thing you love to do during your free time? (Samgyup, Netflix, and Sleeping not included) Do you receive positive feedback whenever you do it for others? Can that hobby be profitable?

2020 is the year that you turn that hobby into money. If you love photowalk and you are good at taking photos of strangers, maybe it is time you try being a freelance photograph­er.

If you love cooking during weekends and your family loves your dishes, maybe you want to get into a food tray or packed lunch business for your officemate­s. If you love to write during your free time, perhaps you can venture into freelance writing.

Figure out your strength and develop it into a profitable business. If you start with the thing you love the most, having a business may not feel like work because you enjoy it.

3. There is no perfect system.

So you already have a business idea and the next to all your worries is building the perfect system. Let me tell you this: There is no such thing as a perfect system, only the effective and efficient one.

However, you will not be able to figure it out if your business idea will remain on paper and in your mind. You need to be in the field to test that system.

I have always likened business to basketball. You aim, then you shoot. If you miss the shot, aim again and shoot again. In business, you plan first then execute right away. If your initial execution failed, adjust and improve your system, then execute again. Business is full of trials and errors until you arrive into that system that works best for your business.

4. Put your customer first.

Customer is the heart of all businesses. Without the customer, the business fails, so it is proper that you prioritize your market.

Forget about profit at the start of your business.

Always think about how you solve the problem of your market. Once you have the solution to their problems, profit will effortless­ly follow.

Once you have a solid following, you must do your best to take care of them. The market is full of competitor­s who are merciless in stealing your loyal consumers.

Always keep in mind the satisfacti­on of your customers, thus, you must have that itching drive to continuous­ly develop and improve the quality of your services.

5. Finish well.

Winners never quit. Quitters never win.

I have known a lot of people who call themselves entreprene­urs, but they easily give up after a year of loss. They are also quick to jump to another venture even if the initial business is not yet doing well.

Putting up a business is actually not glamorous. It takes a lot of hard work, sometimes even full of tears and sweat. But if you have surpassed all those challenges, the fruits are absolutely rewarding.

So hang in there. Just keep working harder and harder every single day. Surely, your breakthrou­gh will come and your victory will not just be glamorous, but it will be absolutely glorious!

If you need more help in putting up your business, I crafted an online course that is especially made to those Filipinos who are just starting their business journey. I can help you build your business from scratch through my online course: “JUAN NEGOSYANTE: Negosyo Now, Asenso Later.” For only P799, you can already watch and enjoy the videos for ONE YEAR.

THINK. REFLECT. APPLY.

1. Do you have a business idea?

2. What stops you from making it happen?

3. When are you going to make the first step in putting up your business?

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