1. A Dedicated Marketing Company
A dedicated marketing company is not just for larger businesses that operate in fancy buildings. Every business needs a marketing company, even yours. Marketing companies will help to assess your business and figure out what you need to develop a presence online. As the majority of people now search for businesses and shop/enquire online, it’s in your best interests to start this as early on as possible. You shouldn’t be attempting this in-house, at least not while you’re small.
2. Managed IT Services
Managed IT services will help to reduce downtime. Downtime can cost even small businesses untold amounts of money, and it can be very difficult for them to bounce back from. You can learn more about these services and what they can do for your business - you should also increase productivity.
3. A Professionally Designed Website
You shouldn’t use free templates to build your website. While your site doesn’t need to cost a huge amount of money, you should consider investing in it to have one designed that will make an impact. It needs to be unique, and it needs to work well on the search engines. Having a search engine ready site built costs money. It’ll also say a lot about your brand, so unless you want to become known as a brand that doesn’t really care, you should make sure you plan to have your site professionally designed.
4. Social Media Pages
Yes, you even need social media pages if you’re a small business. Now, you should only start as many as you can handle, but in theory, having the most popular platforms is a good idea. Hiring a social media manager may even be a good idea, especially since managing social media can sometimes be a full time job. Social media pages will strengthen your online presence, support your website, and allow your audience to interact with you. They can also be a great source of social proof for those who want it.
5. An Accountant
Accurately measuring your financial situation from the off is also extremely important. You don’t want to be hit with a huge tax bill that you’re not ready for, or make any silly mistakes. An accountant can help you and advise you on the best steps to take when it comes to your cash.
6. A Business Plan
A business plan is not the most glamorous part of starting a business, but it is extremely important if you are planning on getting financing. It can also help you to move forward when you need a little extra clarity or guidance.
Make sure you have the above 6 things - can you think of anything else small businesses need?