Part of being a business owner (and being human) is making mistakes along the way. Blunders happen to the best of the best, and learning from them can help you grow as an entrepreneur. And chances are, you’re not the only one making business mistakes. In fact, there are a whole bunch of common mistakes business owners make when starting out. You just need to know what they are so you can avoid them.
Business mistakes small business owners make
Business mistakes happen to each and every owner out there. Making mistakes is inevitable in business. But, you can cut down on the mistakes you make as a business owner by knowing which ones to avoid in the first place. So, what’re some of the mistakes you can make while starting out? We’ll give you 10.
1. Not having a solid business plan
Your商业计划can help lay a solid foundation for your startup. But if your plan is incomplete or all over the place, it won’t be a helpful roadmap to success. And if you fail to plan, you are essentially planning to fail.
未能拥有坚实和彻底的商业计划可以以多种方式伤害您的业务。毕竟，您的计划应该从资助到营销时覆盖一切。为确保您的业务计划尽可能清晰，包括以下信息：
- Executive summary
- 公司介绍
- Market analysis
- 组织和管理
- 服务或产品
- 销售和营销
- Funding
- 金融预测
The more information you include in your plan, the better. However, don’t add words just to add fluff. Your plan should be detailed, but it should also be easy to read and digest. Be thorough in each section, and break up text with images (e.g., graphs) and bullet points.
Creating a solid, in-depth plan can help your business start off on the right foot and lead you down a path to success.
On the importance of doing thorough research and coming up with a solid plan, Vincent D’Eletto, founder and CEO ofWordAgents， 说：
Don’t underestimate the need for proper planning. As excited as you might be to get started with your new business, don’t make the mistake of rushing in too quickly. If you take a leap of faith without planning in advance, you run the risk of being blindsided by unexpected setbacks and hidden costs. Instead, make sure you know where you stand, and conduct thorough research to understand your competitors, target audience, and operating costs. Don’t leave yourself in the dark. Otherwise, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise when your business doesn’t work out.
2.价格不当定价
根据一项研究，77% of business owners将他们的失败归因于未正确设置他们的价格。设定价格为您的业务成功哦非常重要。如果您过度产品，您可以以高价格驱动潜在客户。如果您的介绍，您可能会错过大量的额外现金流量。
Not sure where to start when it comes to pricing your offerings? Here are a few ways you can ensure you set prices that work for both your business and your customers:
- Calculate costs
- Look at the market
- Know your customers
- 了解边缘和标记
- Consider time spent
Don’t set prices all willy-nilly. Instead, do some research to determine what a fair price is for your offerings. Just like Goldilocks and her porridge, you want your prices to be just right.
3.超支
启动企业意味着许多费用和意外成本。但是，你想要做的最后一件事是超支。不幸的是，不坚持下去business budget和支出太多太多的业务是一个错误ss owners make when starting out.
为了避免超支，并在口袋里放置更多现金，可以：
- Stick to a set budget
- 减少不必要的费用（例如，订阅）
- 在购买之前的咬嚼号码
- Negotiate deals
- 监控现金流量
- 研究更便宜的替代品
- 跟踪支出
- Set financial goals
Monitor your expenses and cut down on costs to help keep your spending in check. That way, you avoid overspendingand随之而来的压力和问题。
4.不知道您的理想客户
一个大blunder you can make as a first-time entrepreneur is not knowing who your ideal customer is. And if you don’t know your ideal customer, you could wind up targeting and marketing to the completely wrong group.
那么，企业所有者要做什么？为确保您针对合适的客户，您必须愿意做一些研究。你可以（和应该）：
- 调查人口统计和精神
- 查看竞争对手的理想客户
- Identify existing customer groups or segments
- 分析您拥有的任何和所有信息
- 创造客户个人
- Conduct surveys
- Use insights (e.g., Google Analytics)
你想成为一个浪费时间，金钱和能源的企业主人，针对错误的客户吗？当然不是！而不是整个“目标市场”的东西，做一些功课来查明真正对你的产品感兴趣，而且是什么让他们打勾。
5. Failing to research laws
Business owners have a lot of things to stress over: Funding, accounting, hiring, keeping up with laws … the list goes on and on. But some things are worth stressing over, like staying compliant with laws. Why? Because failing to research and comply with laws can cost you a lot more than you think in the long run.
Roughly 25% of small businessesoperate with workers’ compensation insurance, yet it’s a requirement in many states. Not getting workers’ comp when your state requires it can result in penalties and fees. This is just one example of how lack of knowledge on tax laws can be a major mistake and get you in a bind later on.
要避免此业务错误，请刷新以下法律：
- 工资税法
- 就业法律
- Business tax laws
- 工作场所法律
6.没有会计过程
如果您希望您的财务留在轨道上并具有准确的报告，您需要将书籍保持最新状态。跳出选择会计过程并利用它可能对您的业务及其财务产生很多问题。因此，不要犯错误，尽快找到会计过程。
When it comes to accounting, you generally have a few options:
- 做手动更新（例如，电子表格）：最便宜的选项，房间错误
- Hiring a tax professional: Most expensive option with peace of mind that your books are accurate
- Usingaccounting software：幸福的媒介，较少的会计错误的机会（并且您可以向您的会计师报告）
无论您决定做什么，不要错误地将您的会计书籍放在Backburner上。推迟会计可能导致您的业务的不准确的总计和报告，错过的交易和财务混乱（没有人想要处理）。
7. Making poor hiring decisions
At one point or another, you will probably hire an employee (or a few) to help you out around your business. But, a major mistake many business owners make is making poor hiring decisions or hiring too soon.
在你离开之前雇用您的第一个员工, make sure you’re ready for the expenses and responsibilities that come along with it. As an employer, you are responsible for following workplace and payroll laws and withholding taxes from employee wages. If you’re unsure whether or not it’s time to hire, make a list of pros and cons.
Making a bad hiring decision can lead to a waste of your time and money. Once you decide it’s time to hire, steer clear of making poor hiring decisions by:
- Taking your time when hiring
- 确保候选人是合格的
- Asking others for their opinion
The more research you do on a candidate, like reviewing their resume and getting to know them via interviews, the better your hiring decisions will be. Instead of rushing the process, take your time to find the ideal candidate that fits in well at your business.
8. Setting unrealistic goals
目标，目标，目标。作为企业主，您已经在您的创业梦中之一之一之一开始了。而且，在击败您的业务后，必须设定目标的必要性不会消失。但如果你真的想达到说的目标，他们需要逼真和聪明。
避免的另一个营业犯罪之一是为自己和贵公司设置无法到达的目标。帮助避免犯下这个错误聪明的目标for your business along the way:
- Specific
- 可衡量的
- Attainable
- Relevant
- 时界
Use SMART goals to set all of your goals from planning your budget to increasing your customer count. That way, you don’t miss out on any details along the way and can set goals that you can realistically achieve in an appropriate time frame.
9.没有明确的营销策略
Marketing is a must for small business owners, especially when you’re trying to get your startup off the ground. But if you waste time using the wrong marketing tactics, you will make a big mistake.
Set out to have a clear marketing strategy when starting your business. This means having all of your marketing ducks in a row by:
- 完成A.market analysis
- 研究你的市场
- 确定您将用于营销的内容（例如，社交媒体）
- 设置营销预算
- 建立目标
- 列出技术
- 测试营销策略以查看有关的作用
- Creating a marketing plan
10. Trying to do it all
It’s no secret that business owners are basically professional jugglers. You’re responsible for balancing a number of tasks each day. But one mistake business owners make? Trying to juggle all of their responsibilities on their own.
As The Beatles said, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” And, you should, too. If you want your business to thrive, you need to get help from others and not be afraid to delegate tasks.
Instead of making the mistake of trying to do it all yourself, embrace help and ask for it when needed. Hire an employee or ask your friends or family for assistance to get some responsibilities off your plate. Don’t burn yourself out attempting to do everything on your own.
This is not intended as legal advice; for more information, pleaseclick here.
