5 VERY Important Things You Should Know Before Starting Your Own Business

By Kibet Tobias
We all desire to be rich and wealthy in our lives, right? But do you think salary alone can make you rich? Obviously not!
It is for this reason that many people are engaging in businesses to supplement their income.
Probably you have a business idea and now you want to make it a reality. Yes, you are on the right path towards becoming a millionaire.
Your business idea has the potential to succeed only if you answer the following questions.

Here are the Things to Consider Before Starting a Business In Kenya

1. Do you have set goals?
This is a very important question to any business-minded person. There is no way you will achieve doing something without prior goals. What are your investment expectations?
The saying that “He who fails to plan, plans to fail,” is true when starting a business. You don’t have to get unwanted frustrations just because you don’t know where you want to be and how to get there. Setting smart goals will keep you on track during the daily operations of your business.
The simplest way of doing this is to have both short and long term goals. For example, what do you want to accomplish within 5 months of starting your business or after 5 years. What are the specific steps that will help you get there?
Once you have this in mind, then you are ready to go.

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2. How much capital is needed to start the business?
Obviously starting business needs money. Some businesses require a lot of capital while others require little or no capital.
Remember you do not have to fund your business with only one source of money.  One of the mistakes entrepreneurs do is taking loans to start a business without clearly defining the goals. What if it fails?
Just start small and market your services or products to make it grow with time.
3. Do you know your target market/customers?
Once the business idea is already hatched, it is time to identify the demographic location.
This is one of the most important parts where you do market research to identify your customers, where you can find them and how they will react to your products and services.
Remember, the basic aim of starting business is to provide solutions for people while they pay you.  You can effectively do demographic research by testing the popularity of the product you want to sell within a chosen community.
Find out their purchasing power. What is their average disposable income? Who are your market competitors? What are the current trends in your product-related market?
Once you answer these questions, you can decide if the market is favorable for your business or not.
4. Do you have enough time?
Time is one of the greatest barriers to starting a successful business. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you must understand that time is a key resource. Are you starting the business on full-time basis or as side hustle?
As a business owner you will be required to make sacrifices and face challenges head-on with dedication and commitment.
5. Are you able to follow laws and regulations?
For any business to operate, there are legal processes to be considered before it starts. These include registering a business name, obtaining necessary licenses and permits, compliance with business taxation among others.
You will have to pick and register your business name as it will play important role in all aspects of the business. You research and pick a trademark that isn’t in use.
However, the challenge is that all these legal processes require money. Find out more business ideas you can start with low capital.
That said and done, always remember that success doesn’t happen overnight. Implement the business plan you’ve established and consistently work on your business.  You will eventually increase your chances of success.
The writer is a content writer at Career Point Kenya. For any related queries contact tobias@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke Or comment on the section below.