So you’ve had an amazing business idea, and you’re bravely stepping out to give it a go. First off, congratulations! But let me return you back to earth because now there’s work to be done. Getting your business set up isn’t as simple as picking a business name, having an idea and away you go. There’s a lot of stuff you need to get going. So, I’ve put together this handy little checklist for getting your business up and running. Are you ready? 

Making Things Official

First things first, it’s tempting to start selling your wares right away, but it’s worth doing things properly and making it all official. Yes, I’m talking about getting set up with the tax office.

Before you groan and click off the page, hear me out. The likelihood is that, in your first year or two of running your business, you won’t owe the tax office anything anyway. And there’s even a chance you’ll get a rebate, so it’s worth doing.

I also believe that, by making things official, you’re much more likely to take your new venture seriously. And that’s a good start to having a business that’ll succeed. 

A Website

With the age of the internet, setting up a business has never been easier. You can have an online presence in no time and start generating leads and making sales pretty quickly. 

A website might not seem like it should be high on your list of priorities right now, but it’s sensible to start working on this early on. Having a central place for your business on the internet will make things so much easier for you. It’s a place where you can share your expertise, show what you do and give people an easy way to get in touch with you.

Social Media

There are plenty of arguments for and against social media these days. But it’s pretty hard to do business without it, especially if your business is brand new.

Social media is a way of getting your business visible. You can build a brand through images and words and quickly get more eyes on your new enterprise. 

As a new business owner, I would suggest not trying to launch on every social media platform you can find, though. Choose two or three at most (because you’ll need to be able to manage them, at least in the beginning!). Do your research and decide which platforms would most benefit your industry and where your ideal clients are most likely to find you.

Professional Photographs

Of course, I’m going to say you need professional photographs for your business! As a branding photographer, this is part of what I do.

Professional photos, again, may not be top of the to-do list right now, but it’s worth having on the list for when you’re able to get them.

Professional photos will elevate your business and brand. They’ll show you mean business, and they’ll totally upgrade your online presence. For all the reasons why you should have professional photos taken, read this post! 

A Marketing Plan

It’s all well and good having an idea and getting set up with your new business. But how are you going to market yourself? How are people going to find you? 

This is a crucial element many new small businesses overlook. They assume it’ll be a case of hopping on Facebook and saying, ‘Hey, here’s my new business!’ but it takes a lot more than that. 

You need a consistent plan that incorporates various marketing avenues, like social media, blogging, advertising (online and offline) and more. 

Marketing Materials

The world may mostly be online these days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create physical marketing materials to hand out too! There’s still a place for things like business cards, flyers and brochures and so on. Depending on your industry and niche, you may even need more of these than other businesses! 

There are also some great tools out there that allow you to design your own materials. I give Canva a big thumbs up for this sort of thing. And you can download the files and send them off to wherever you get your business cards printed. 

You already know I’m a branding photographer, but did you know I can help you with lots of these other elements of setting up your business too? When you’re running a business, it may feel like you have to do all the things in the beginning, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Outsourcing some of the things you don’t understand or struggle with will give you more time to work on the important stuff and the bits you enjoy doing!