FIVE STEPS TO STARTING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

Starting a business is tough. But applying sound principles will increase your chances of success. Five key areas you should focus on before you get your startup running include: financing your business; creating an effective marketing plan; managing your cash flow; conducting market research; and being committed to excellence.

It is absolutely essential to develop a plan of action before you open your doors and begin your enterprise. Once you've come up with a good plan, the other details will fall in place. It could mean the difference between having a hobby and being a successful entrepreneur. If you understand and apply the following five steps, you will already be headed down the path to success.

1. Finance your business

Insufficient financing is one of the top reasons businesses fail. Whether your business is just starting or beginning to grow, you should be aware of the different ways to finance your business as well as the pros and cons of each. A good rule of thumb is to try not to put aft your own money at risk. Also, don't limit yourself to seeking just one source of funding. Consider venture capitalists, commercial banks, angel investors and friends and family. In any case, having a solid business plan is a must. This includes realistic revenue and market share projections and a clear, understandable business model.

2. Create an effective marketing plan

Once you decide to start your business, getting the word out about your company is a priority, regardless of the size of your marketing budget. But promoting your business doesn't have to be expensive. There are cost-effective ways to attract new customers and make every penny count in the process.

Marcia Layton Turner, a start-up business expert and author of The Unofficial Guide to Starting a Small Business (Wiley; 1999), points out that marketing is critical for startups. Unless you invest in promoting your business, you'll have difficulty attracting customers. "The fact is, some of the most effective marketing tools cost little or nothing to implement," says Turner.

The first step toward achieving marketing goals for your startup is to create an effective written plan you can follow to avoid wasting time and money. Whether you decide to send a press release to a local newspaper or announce your business by placing flyers on the windshield of parked cars, an effective marketing campaign requires careful planning in advance. Devote some time each day to develop marketing ideas and tailor your promotion strategy to your targeted audience.

3. Manage you cash flow

Cash flow is simply the money going into a business and out again: cash on hand and/or in a business account used to pay company bills, salaries, and other expenses. Companies that are cash flow negative are spending more than their revenues bring in. Improving cash flow involves many techniques, the simplest of which is managing payables/receivables. You want to improve the speed with which your product or service generates cash, while slowing down the rate at which you spend it's critical that you prepare cash flow projections and a cash flow statement. An accurate cash flow projection can alert you to trouble well before it strikes, while a statement is used to analyze the cash inflows and outflows during a specific time period--something most lending intuitions ask for You should also consider hiring a financial adviser. Referrals cart be obtained through the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (www.napfa.org) and the American institute of CPAs (www.aicpa.org).

4. Conduct market research

There are a number of ways to conduct research on an industry or a particular market before starting your business. Research can be as simple as asking family or friends about a specific business idea or it may require hiring a professional research firm to perform comprehensive market research and analysis.

To get a clear picture of what's happening in your industry and where the opportunities are, consider getting the information you need by conducting research on the Web, joining trade associations, attending conferences, and subscribing to trade journals.

The Internet can provide you with countless information sources about any industry. What you can't find online will probably be available in a local library.

5. Be committed to excellence

Your business is more than just the production of goods and services. Recognize that you need to be committed to the whole experience of conducting business to make people's lives better, fixing problems, and providing solutions. Mediocre and unsuccessful companies start out only to make money. But the most successful businesses strive to be greater than their competitors by delivering superior customer service and experience. Before you decide what type of products or services you want to provide, find out more about your customers. Create a strategy to consistently exceed customer expectations and you will have customers for life. The commitment must be ingrained in your company's culture and integrated in your overall business strategy.

MBINU SITA ZA UJASIRIAMALI

Ni mbinu gani au ujuzi wa namna gani ambao mjasiriamali anapaswa kuwa nao?
Zipo mbinu nyingi ambazo mjasiriamali anazipata kadri anavyotumika katika shughuli za kijasiriamali, lakini zipo mbinu chache ambazo kila mjasiriamali anapaswa kuwa nazo kabla hajafungua "milango" ya biashara. Soma mbinu hizo hapa na ikiwa kama utaona mbinu ambayo unahitaji kuifanyia kazi basi hakikisha unashughulika nayo wakati unaandaa utaratibu wa bishara yako (Business Plan).  Sehemu nyingine itanipasa kuelezea kiingereza kwa kuwa ni ngumu kupata tafsiri ya moja kwa moja ya kiswahili.


1. Kujituma (Self Motivation)

Kitu cha kwanza kabisa ambacho mjasiriamali anapaswa kuwa nacho ni uwezo wa kuamka mapema asubuhi na kufanya kazi zake, kama umekuwa na kawaida ya kuchelewa kazini au masomoni kwa muda wa dakika 10 kwa kipindi cha miaka mitano iliyopita, ni dhahiri kwamba itakuwia vigumu kuweza kubadilika kama utaanzisha biashara yako mwenyewe, hapa suala sio kuamka mapema tu, suala ni kuamka mapema, kuanza kazi kwa muda unaopaswa na kumaliza kazi kwa muda huo huo. Panga ratiba yako ya siku nzima, na uifuate ratiba hiyo ipasavyo.

2. Kujiamini (Self Confidence)

Kila mjasiriamali anapaswa kuwa na imani juu yake mwenyewe, bidhaa zake na biashara yake kwa ujumla, yakupasa kuwa na ufahamu kuwa ni kweli bidhaa zako zinawasaidia watu na kwamba kiasi cha fedha unachowatoza ni kizuri (fair) kwako wewe na kwa wateja wako.

3. Maadili (Morals and Ethics)

Maadili ni msingi wa kila mjasiriamali mzuri, mwanzoni kabisa mwa biashara yako unatakiwa ufahamu wewe na biashara yako mtasimamia nini na wapi itakuwa ni mipaka yako, wajasiriamali wengi wanashindwa kuendesha biashara zao kwa sababu ya tamaa ya fedha, kama utashindwa kusimamia maadili utajikuta wewe pamoja na biashara yako mkibatizwa majina mabaya kama "Mafisadi" n.k, hakuna mteja au mtu yoyote ambaye angependa kufanya bishara na mtu asiye na maadili mema.

4. Kutunza Muda (Time management)

Kama nilivyosema kwenye kipendele cha kujituma, unapaswa kupanga ratiba yako na kuhakikisha unaifuata, Wajasiriamali hususani wapya, wanapaswa kufahamu kwamba kila dakika uliyonayo ni ya thamani kwako, wakati wa kuanza biashara utajikuta huna majukumu mengi ya kuweza kukufanya utumie masaa 8 kwa siku, lakini jambo hili halimaanishi utumie masaa 3 kupata chakula cha mchana ukiwa na marafiki zako, tumia muda huu ambao unaona ni wa ziada kutafuta mbinu za kutanua biashara yako, tafuta namna za kutangaza biashara yako na kufanya mawasiliano na wateja wenye manufaa zaidi kwa biashara yako.

5. Mauzo (Sales)

Kila biashara ni lazima ifanye kazi kwa mauzo, kila biashara ina namna ya kipekee ya kuweza kufanya mauzo ya bidhaa zake, wewe kama mjasiriamali ni jukumu lako kutazama ni aina gani ya mauzo ambayo unaipendelea kwa ajili ya biashara yako, kama ushawahi kufanya biashara ya rejareja, utakuwa na ujuzi wa wafanya biashara wengi wenye matumaini. Kufaidika vyema na hili, wajasiriamali watapata ujuzi kwa kupitia semina za mauzo, vitabu na programu mbalimbali za kutiana moyo (motivational programs).

6. Fedha (Finance)
Wakati unapokuwa katika biashara, ujuzi wa fedha hauepukiki. Kufahamu jinsi ya kuwizanisha (kubalance)  "checkbook" na kuweka orodha ya ankara zilizokwisha kuhesabiwa (numbered invoices), ni jambo ambalo mjasiriamali mdogo anapaswa kuanza nalo, kitu muhimu kuliko vyote kwa wajasiliamali wadogo ni kupangilia muda, hususan kwa ajili ya kusimamia fedha, na kuutumia vyema huo muda. inafaa sana kuwa na uwezo mzuri wa kutumia software ya usimamizi wa fedha iitwayo QuickBook , japo ujuzi huu sio lazima uwe nao.

Kuzifanyia kazi mbinu hizi kabla hujaingia katika biashara kutakuhakikishia matokeo mazuri ya biashara yako. Kufikia hapo kama una mawazo mazuri ya  biashara, hakuna kitakacho kuzuia kuwa na mafanikio.

Katika kuandaa "Business Plan", ni vyema ukajifunza kutumia software mbali mbali na moja kati ya nilizopitia,  na ambayo nimeona inafaa sana ni software ya palo alto

Natumaini makala hii itawasaidia kwa kiasi fulani Watanzania wenzangu.