Want to start a business but don’t know where to start? Maybe you already have a business, but you feel it’s not taking off the way you want it to.

If you’re not clear about what you are  trying to accomplish, getting there can be very frustrating.

Starting your business can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.  The key to starting a successful business is to be super clear about your vision and about what you are wanting to create and achieve.

If you’re going to start a small business, you don’t need to write a long and complicated business plan. However, you do need clarity about what you are going to do and a plan for how you are going to achieve your goals.

Clarity is power!

Know that in the beginning stages of your business, you are testing things out. Make sure you are open for feedback and tweak things along the way based on the feedback you receive.

Here’s a quick and easy guide to get clarity on the foundations for your business

What

What is the core of your business? What would you like to offer your ideal customer? Is your product or service something that already exist and if so, how is your service/product different or better?  What makes your business idea unique? Hint, it’s often you and what you bring to the table. Is what you are offering something people want and are willing to pay money for?

Who

Who do you want to serve in your business? Are there specific people you enjoy working with? Who do you feel you have the most to offer? Be specific when answering this question and think about demographics such as gender, age, income level as well as psychographics; what are their interests, values, goals and dreams are.

The more specific you can be about who you will be providing your services to, the easier it will be to reach your target market. It’s important to have a good understanding about who your ideal client is as well as their problems, challenges and needs  so  you can connect with them in a way that appeals to them.

Where

Where will you be selling your services/products? This will usually depend on who it is you are selling to and how you can best reach them. If you are going to be doing some kind of consulting or service based business, think about how you are going to deliver your clients your service.

Will it be offered in a certain geographic region? Will you be working with your clients face to face or virtually? If you are selling a product, will it be sold via a store or online? Are you going to travel to your clients or sell internationally?  

Think about the costs associated with the different options as well as what feels most in alignment and exciting for you.

When

When will your business open? It’s important to set down specific goals to have something to work towards. Starting a business can feel overwhelming as there are so many things that need to be done. Unless you have specific goals and timelines that you commit to, most likely your business is going to be a dream that never gets put into action.

In addition to deciding when your business is going to start, you also should have an estimate for when you expect the business to make a profit.

Why

Why are you starting this business? This is a very important question and I wouldn’t take it lightly. Owning and running a business takes a lot of energy and effort. If you don’t know why you are starting your business, you probably shouldn’t be starting a business.

There should be some sort of purpose for starting this business. Maybe you are passionate about helping people in a particular way, or you have a great solution to a problem that nobody else seem to offer or maybe you simply feel you can do something a lot better than other people and you are passionate about doing it.

Maybe the idea of running a business is just what feels right. Either way, make sure there is another reason than to make money. If you’re not internally motivated and inspired to start your business, chances are you will either get burnt out or give up in the process – and honestly, people will feel your lack of passion and won’t feel attracted to your business. In other words, it’s highly unlikely it will work in the long run.

You also need to ask yourself why what you are providing in your business is of value to your ideal clients. Put yourself in their shoes and ask what’s in it for them that will  make them want to purchase your product or service? How will it impact their life? Be super specific and write down all the ways your business will benefit them.

How

How are you going to market your services to your ideal clients? Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can open a business and that the customers are magically going to appear. You need to develop some kind of a marketing strategy so people know you exist. How you market your services will depend on what kind of business you’re in, your ideal clients and what your own marketing genius and passion is.

Where are your ideal clients? How can you best reach them? Another question you need to answer is  how are you going to get paid for your products and services? You need to have some sort of offering to sell. What will that look like? How will you deliver the product or service to the consumer?

Once you can answer all these questions and you feel confident that you have a solid business idea, it’s time for you to move forward and make your business a reality.

Thinking that you need a detailed business plan is often a subconscious trap that will make you stuck. Unless your idea requires funding or investors, having a detailed and formal business plan is not necessary. I’ve worked with a lot of people from corporate who gets stuck in this trap that everything has to be so very official. Usually, it just keeps them from moving forward.

If you are starting a business as a consultant, healer, coach or other service type business, answer the questions above and you’re in pretty good shape to begin.

After that, if you need additional assistance, you may want to work with a coach who can help you through the process, because often, more than anything your subconscious mind is going to be playing games with you and create obstacles to prevent you from moving forward. As you are starting your business you’ll likely be challenged to face some of your biggest fears, and it’s good to have someone by your side while you’re going through it, to assist you in staying on track.

To understand more about how your mindset and your subconscious mind will try to hijack you when you start your business and how to stop it from sabotaging you, you may be interested to also read these articles:

How to outsmart your subconscious mind.

Are you letting your subconscious mind steal your dreams?

How to stop the subconscious mind from sabotaging your success.

Your subconscious mind: The number one thing stopping you from success.

To help you get super clear on your soul vision and desires and how you really want to create your most soul fulfilling business and lifestyle, I invite you to get started with my Success-soul® Living Starter Kit.

It will assist you in getting in tune with your true heart’s desires and step into living them. You’ll also get tools to help you overcome your fears and subconscious sabotage as well as tools to start manifesting your ideal business and lifestyle with more ease. Just click here for instant free access.