1. Outsource activities that do not require much input from you
As a startup founder, you are in most cases working on a shoe string budget, hence you may naturally be drawn to the easiest option of wanting to save money. Activities that do not require a high level of decision making from the founder(s) can be outsourced. For instance, if the founder needs to develop an app or a website and they do not have the technical skills to do so, then outsourcing could be the best option. Outsourcing activities may be slightly costly in the very beginning; but saves time and money in the long term as the founder(s) invest their time on core activities ensuring quick growth and development for the business.
Find good companies and freelancers with a good reputation and outsource your painful tasks while you focus on activities that will drive traffic and growth to your business. As a startup, perhaps operating in a market that is already saturated with similar businesses, the differentiating factor for your business could be the speed at which you implement new and exciting ideas.
Here are items that you could outsource; social media management and marketing, book keeping etc. Every business has different needs, look at what activities take up much of your time and free yourself to focusing on core business areas.
2. Hire the right people
Hiring your first employee(s) is a huge step for any startup looking to expand their company’s growth. Do not hire people simply because they are good on paper, hire them because they demonstrate passion for the role your startup intents to fill. There is useful advice on the internet on how to best answer common interview questions like “why should we hire you?’’, anyone who has researched and practiced well enough could give a good answer giving the hiring manager false confidence in the candidate. The best way to selecting the best candidate is to give them a practical task to demonstrate their ability to do the job. If you are hiring someone to be managing your social media business accounts, give them a chance to demonstrate their ability to execute the job.
3. Invest in good content
Investing in good content is a good way to build trust with potential customers. The more you help people by giving them practical tips on how to make their lives better, people will see you as an authority in your niche. When people say content is king, it is everything! But hang on, how do you start? You will need to research hot topics in your niche and narrow it down for your target market. Be sure to do more research, interviews, videos, etc. The bottom line is your business needs to be providing valuable content consistently.