The 5 Early Mistakes That Can Destroy a Startup

Entrepreneurship is exciting and challenging at the same time. The interest in starting a business has increased, especially amongst the Millennials and Gen Z. They are more interested in having control and freedom over their work. However, starting a new venture is never easy. Just knowing your industry or product category is not enough. You also need to focus on other critical aspects, such as human resources, sales, marketing, and legal. Many entrepreneurs face challenges and end up quitting in a short time. Here, we have listed some critical mistakes that most entrepreneurs make at an early stage that have the potential to destroy the functioning of your startup.

Failure to plan properly

Many startup owners skip this step and start marketing their idea without having a proper plan in mind. You cannot simply begin your business and go with the flow. If you are not well-versed in your goals and the direction that you want to move in, there are chances that you will make mistakes. A business plan will help set the foundation of what you want to achieve and how you can do it. A plan will also help you understand the critical details of the business operations.

Benefits of having a business plan

• Provides clarity – Having a business plan will ensure that you have clarity on the goals (short-term and long-term) that you wish to accomplish. 
• Roadmap – When you have clarity on the goals, you can easily create the roadmap or blueprint for the business.
• Support for funding – If you’re planning to seek investment or take loans, you will certainly have to present the business plan. It will serve as evidence that your ideas match the goals.
• Provides structure – A business plan will help you identify the proper format for your business. Additionally, it will help you track expenses and prepare for risky situations.

How to make a business plan?

Here are the steps that you must follow to make a solid and robust business plan.

• Write an executive summary of the idea and objectives for your business.
• Write down your company description and brief.
• Conduct market research and competitive analysis. Note down the results of the study.
• Describe the details and USP of your products and services.
• Develop an overall strategy for your business.
• Describe the organization and management structure.
• Write about your financial goals and projections.

Failure to set SMART Goals

Another common mistake that startup makes is not being clear on their goals and expectations. It is vital to set clear and realistic goals. Earning profits and generating revenue should never be your ultimate goal. Moreover, you should set goals that are realistic and achievable. You need to understand the market and its scope of it. Based on that, you need to create and follow the principles of SMART goals.

What does SMART stand for?

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-based goals

Setting SMART goals will help you understand what you really want to achieve. You cannot expect your startup to make 10X profit from the beginning. Hence, you need to create measurable and achievable goals according to the stage of the business.

Considering the product is for everyone

Many entrepreneurs and startup often fail in terms of identifying their right target audience. When you’re not targeting the right set of people, you are losing out on significant opportunities. It may impact the overall growth and profitability of your business. Therefore, you need to sit down and determine your target audience. You cannot consider that your product is for everyone.

How to identify your ideal target market?

Here are the steps you should follow to find your target market and audience. 

• Analyze your product or service.
• Analyze your customer base.
• Conduct market research.
• Try to understand the industry and the patterns.
• Create personas and groups of audiences that may be interested in your product or service.
• Determine who may not be interested in your product or service.
• Use Google Analytics to determine who is using your services.
• Revise and update your target audience.

Creating the wrong flow

This is another common mistake that most entrepreneurs and startup make when deciding on the wrong flow. Every step should trigger the right action. When you fail to set the correct flow, you won’t be able to keep your users engaged. This may impact the overall functioning of your business. Therefore, it is necessary to set the proper flow and work on refining it. Your first step should be to build your audience and increase the traffic to the website. However, you should have clarity on the funnel or actions you want the audience to follow. The flow should be clear whether you want them to follow, click on the app, or make a purchase.

How do you determine the flow?

• Determine the components or steps involved in the process. 
• Order the components or activities in order of priority.
• Make sure the path to each activity or step is clear.
• Ensure that there is a connection between each step.
• Identify the right beginning and decide on the end step of the process.
• Review the entire chart and flow of the process.

Failure to leverage technology and market

With rapid advancements in technology, it is becoming necessary to leverage technology and market on the proper channels. You can simply start with digital platforms to market and advertise your ideas. Leverage digital transformation and ensure you can communicate your ideas effectively. Many business owners often lack the knowledge of what to market and fail to choose a suitable medium. Therefore, you should also consider conducting market research and analysis to understand the right way.

Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive. There are various ways you can leverage technology and market your products or services. You can create a website, use social media channels, and create campaigns to reach your target audience. However, you should ensure that the flow of the funnel is appropriate. Besides these, one of the biggest mistakes business owners make is thinking they can do it all. No, we don’t have knowledge of every aspect. It is always a good idea to seek help from experts who know the field. Therefore, if you feel stuck, you should consider approaching experts and asking them for help.