Starting your own business has many benefits over working for another company. To start with, working for yourself rather than someone else means that you have more freedom and control over your time and the direction of your business!
It is no surprise that many people are interested in starting their own businesses. However, most people who consider starting a business do not actually end up going through with it for many different reasons, some don’t even know what business they should actually start.
The best kind of business for you to start and run is dependent on who you are as a person. In this article, we will outline some questions for you to think about and some guidance on what type of business might be best for you!
What Are Your Skills and Interests?
It would seem to go without saying that it is best to start a business in a sector that you have some experience in. This does not have to be a professional experience—for example, you may be an avid fishing aficionado with plenty of knowledge on fishing tackle and equipment, in which case opening a fishing tackle store may be a good choice for you.
Not only should you be interested in what your business will be selling (after all, you will be spending most of your days thinking about this!), you will need to make sure that you have the necessary skills to run the business of your choice. For example, if you are considering starting your own restaurant or bar, you will need to make sure that you are friendly, enjoy meeting new people and dealing with the public, and can multitask and cope under stress.
Where Will Your Business be Based?
You may already have a location in mind for your business—most people want to work near enough to where they live for travel to be convenient. However, you may be open to moving anywhere that is beneficial for your business. You should work out what your target market is, and where your potential customers will be based. Factoring in the price of rent is also very important, and you may need to balance proximity to customers with the price of renting premises.
If you are setting up a business where you can work from home, such as a consulting or writing business, you may be able to skip this step. On the other hand, if you are starting a manufacturing business, the premises that you rent will be perhaps the most important choice for you to make! If you need to house factory equipment such as conveyors and tools, you will need very spacious premises, most likely on an industrial estate.
Will You Hire Employees or Work Alone?
Many businesses, such as handyman, plumber, or writer, can be carried out just by yourself. Self-employment has many benefits, such as flexibility and the lack of need to manage people or delegate tasks. However, industries such as hospitality and manufacturing will almost definitely require you to hire other members of staff to help. It is best to do some research into employment law and management skills when considering this route!
There is no business that will suit everyone—however, with some research, you might find that there are more types of businesses that you could run than you may have thought!
