One of the most important phrases to remember when starting your own business is that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’

Very few businesses immediately begin to make huge amounts of profit, but there are certainly a few tips that business owners can follow to encourage a strong start to their company.

By adopting strong codes, conventions and ethics such as those lifted below from the first day of a firm opening, company owners are less likely to have to enforce drastic changes in order to improve their business.

Be organised

All business owners should have a business plan written down. This should include the hopes for the business will achieve in the short, medium and long-term. Also, a written list of goals and tasks to be completed makes it much easier for a business owner to keep track of what needs to be done.

Furthermore, it is important for companies to adopt a strong business process management scheme, so that all staff from the managing director downwards are always aware of how certain procedures should be completed. It is much easier for staff to be aware of business processes if they are written down and available to view.

Company owners should keep detailed records of everything involving their business. It is impossible to measure the success of your company without detailed records.

Marketing

It is never too early to begin marketing your brand. The better the marketing strategy, the more people are going to hear (and more importantly remember) about your business.

For businesses just starting out, it is important to have a strong brand image and to concentrate on marketing to the correct target audience. There are tonnes of inexpensive marketing techniques for businesses that are just starting out.

Develop an online presence

One of the cheapest and arguably most effective marketing techniques is to develop an online presence. The amount of money being spent on online shopping is at an all-time high, as social media has become an essential tool in order to market a brand.

Seek advice

There are hundreds of books, articles and websites dedicated to tips for those new to running a business. The best tip of all would be to do as much research as possible.

Seek advice from an established business owner and copy the habits which made them successful.

Anyone can mirror the results of a successful businessman if they can mirror the habits that drove their success.

Image by vintagedept

With the announcement that the iPad 2 will be launched in the first quarter of 2011, the tablet war is in full swing. While tablets have been around for years, Apple’s initial launch of the iPad brought the devices into high demand. With the holiday season upon us, you may be considering purchasing a tablet – convincing yourself it will help you build your business when, deep down inside, you really just want it to play Angry Birds.

Either way, a tablet can be a good investment for your business. And while the iPad is a perfectly acceptable tablet, it’s not automatically the best one for you. Even if you think Steve Jobs walks on water and that Apple can do no wrong, other brands of tablets actually exist and some may even be better for what you need (blasphemy, I know). Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Price This may be the biggest factor when making a purchase, and may be reason enough to put off buying one until the prices go down.
• Size If you’re going to be doing a lot of presentations, you may want to get a bigger one so everyone can see. But if it will be mostly for personal use and don’t mind squinting occasionally, you may want to go with a smaller one.
• Interface Be sure you test out the various different tablets before you buy. You want to make sure they’re easy to use and understand.
• Connectivity Tablets offer wi-fi, Bluetooth, USB ports, and other options (or combinations thereof). Be sure it can do what you want and need it to do.
• Battery Most tablets can go 7+ hours without recharging, but if you’re going to be using it a lot and won’t always have access to a power source, you may want one that lasts longer.
• Camera While you won’t likely use your tablet to take pictures of your vacation, you may use it to take pictures of invoices or receipts.
• Storage Tablets have a limited amount of storage, and some don’t allow you to add more or change them out.

A tablet can be a great tool for your business; they’re portable, easy to use, and versatile. Just be sure that you do your research and find one that works best for you.

Your About Us page may also include a mission or vision statement. This statement should include the purpose of your business and that your business is customer service-oriented. You may also want to list important intangible values that you believe in.  Tell your visitors how they can expect to be treated as a customer of your business.

Validate the quality of the products and/or service you offer. Including manufacturers or brand names of products you sell builds credibility. You are able to capitalize on the manufacturers’ credibility and brand recognition. Professional organization memberships or awards, certifications for the industry your product is related to, and reference to the length of experience within that field can build credibility. Don’t worry if you don’t have experience in the industry! Sell your strengths from the beginning and then update your About Us page as your experience grows!

The principles behind Twitter remain the same – 140 characters, retweets, hashtags, etc. – although the interface for these features has improved immensely. The user is able to effortlessly switch between their followers, get background information on people mentioned in tweets, and instantly see how the conversation on a given topic is going. It even allows some media – photos and videos – to be viewed without ever leaving the site.

This massive overhaul is definitely an improvement and may be – at least in part – in response to the various online and desktop applications which help people manage their social media. But at its heart, the “New” Twitter doesn’t change anything.

Twitter is still a place geared toward conversation, connecting, and interaction. It’s still a way to share everything from the most important to the minutiae. And it’s still a place where businesses try desperately to generate business without actually knowing what they’re doing.

That being said, Twitter is still a place where you can continue to add value. The site is about networking and community, and while you certainly can grow your business through social networking sites, your initial purpose should be to add value – with any residual benefits being secondary.

Yes, the ultimate goal is to serve customers, grow your products, and build your business, but if you go into it with that mindset you’ll end up alienating followers and annoying users. Instead, use the new features of New Twitter to add more value to the conversation. Making it easier to use hashtags, reply to people, and scroll through past tweets makes it easier to build your social media presence which will, in turn, build your business.

• Accept Legitimate Criticism It can be tough to hear skepticism from those you love, but they may have a point. Their criticism should never be enough that you scrap your idea altogether, but it may help you tailor and improve your business.
• Avoid Delusion Sometimes people will get such a hold of an idea or product that they’ll never let go. Passion and positivity shouldn’t turn into being out of touch with reality. Friends and family may actually help keep you grounded.
• Stay Positive It can be discouraging if those you care most about aren’t supporting you, but try to stay positive. If you need to, spend less time with those individuals; if you do spend time with them, keep the conversation about something other than your business. Avoiding confrontation is best.
• Stick To The Real Facts There are plenty of facts out there about how unlikely it is for your business to succeed. Instead focus on all the data out there about why you will succeed, and realize that you’re going to be able to avoid all the downfalls of those other businesses because you have a proven system in place.
• Good Business Plan Every business should have a comprehensive business plan. Preparing and studying the plan will help you answer any criticism your family and friends may have, which is an added reason to have a good one.
• Prove Them Wrong So your family and/or friends doubt your ability to succeed – so what? Use that as motivation to work even harder and prove them wrong.