Top 5 Money Saving Tips for Business Start-ups

Anyone can start up a business, but not everyone succeeds. Consider these five critical questions before setting up shop. They can save you money in the beginning and make money for you over the life of your endeavor.

1. Is the business itself viable?

Many new businesses fail not because the idea was poor, but because the would-be entrepreneur didn’t do his homework. Your town may well be able to support two organic food markets, but not right across the street from one another. Remember to consider:

- market size
- ease of entry
- potential market share

Mark the competition’s location on a map and look at the radius of the town. A centrally located business will outperform one on the edge of a community. If your competition is on the eastern edge of town, is there a place for you on the western edge? Would customers rather do business with you than drive across town? Do you have access to better or equivalent inventory and a good location to seize that part of the market? The old saw, “Location, location, location” is crucial to a new business.

2. What are your short term and long term goals?

What do you hope to accomplish in both the short and long term? You may simply want to reach a “break even,” point in your first month, selling as much inventory as you purchase with a plan for a profit of X% in the second month to be increased by X amount each subsequent month. Evaluate your progress at documentable intervals, generally three, six, and twelve months. Have you set aside money that will carry you through a bad first month? If so, how will you adjust your goals for the remainder of the period in question?

3. How will you keep your records?

Successful businesses keep records. Some are necessary for day-to-day operations and tax payments. You can use a financial package like Quick Books with modules to assist you in figuring payroll as well as Social Security withholding for your employees. A spreadsheet like Excel is excellent for tracking inventory and sales, with built-in graphing capabilities will allow you to see a “picture” of your business performance. If you don’t think you can handle these tasks on your own, plan to hire a bookkeeper or an in-house employee who can keep everything accurate.

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