Looking to make the jump and start your own business? It can be completely overwhelming when considering everything you need in place before announcing your company’s launch. The list is pretty endless but the more prepared you are and the more you have researched and planned beforehand, the better and easier it will all be.

Researching your market

Once you have your industry pinned down you need to consider your audience and the demand for what you have to offer. The best way to do this is to get out there and ask people for their feedback on your idea. You can do this online or perhaps look to set up focus groups to get all the information you need to review and refine your value proposition.

Scouting out competitors

It is important to see what your rivals are doing to be able to pull together some ideas and scout what does and doesn’t work. You can get ideas for your tone of voice and also the sort of offers and prices they put out there. You will also be able to find gaps in the market which you can target as your unique selling points.

Company name & trademarks

You may think you have this innovative name and brand that no-one has ever thought of, but don’t assume this. Do the research and check you won’t be infringing any copyright or trademarks. You then have to consider the availability of domains and social usernames to ensure options are out there.

Planning your schedule

If you’re building this company on top of working full-time or whether you’re diving straight in, you will need to structure your time wisely. Get your diary out and map out your blocks of time and what activities you can achieve each day. You need to check your plan is achievable and ensure all aspects of the setup receive the correct amount of your time and attention.

Once you’ve made the first few steps, the ball will be quickly rolling! If you have your plan solidly in place (with some flexibility for the unknown) then it will make life a lot easier when you have emails and events left, right and centre.

The Hive is the perfect place for startups to get started as you are surrounded by others in the creative industry. We also have in-house marketing advice free to all desk users which will be invaluable when starting up from scratch and when taking the next steps.