Blog Detail Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce

These days a lot of people are considering business ownership. Whether you buy into a franchise, start your own thing, or begin building an ecommerce website, doing it on your own has never been more accessible.

Before you hang that open sign ensure you know the answers to the following questions.

What Makes You/Your Business Unique?

Unless you hold the patent to a never-before-seen product, it's likely you're opening a business that already exists. So, how do you entice customers to come to your business instead of your competitors? You need to identify and communicate what makes you different. Your unique selling point could be your environment, a guarantee, something about how you perform your service, or what's included with the purchase.

Who Are You Selling To?

There's at least one group of people—hopefully more—who understand, need, and want what you're selling. Marketing to everyone else is a waste of resources. Focus on those you know you’ll have success with (your target market) before you consider converting others.

What Problems Are You Solving and Are They Worth It?

Focus on a customer problem and present your business as the solution. But that’s only the beginning. It’s challenging to offer solutions to a problem people don't realize they have.

Who Is Supporting You?

It's important to answer this question from a financial perspective, but it's more important to think about this from a mental health and business resources angle. You will be more successful in business if you have support of friends or family, in addition you need help to connect you with resources and introductions to people who can make a difference in your business. Your chamber of commerce is the perfect solution. The chamber offers learning opportunities, networking events, and advocacy for businesses. In your quest to find support, it should be one of your first stops.

If you're looking to start your own business, answer these questions first. If you're someone who's already started a business, how can the chamber help you?