Advice for starting your small business

Starting a small business can be a lot to take on, so we've asked some of our fantastic followers of the Shop Small Society to give their best advice on starting a new small business, to give you a head start.

Whether you've accidentally turned your hobby into a small business, or you've jumped straight in with the intention of building your business from scratch, there can be a lot to consider from who your target market will be, where you'll sell your products, how you'll market yourself and more. Often asking some advice from small business owners that you know can be a great way to get some expert advice.

When we asked our followers for their best tips, much of their advice was to 'just go for it', so don't worry too much about what people will think, however, do take into account what your customers will make of your brand. Heather, from Heather Anne Home Fragrance, had said Talk to customers, even before you start selling", which is a great way to gauge how the public will react to your ideas. It might even be worth asking family or friends to trial your items first to get their thoughts and reviews. Olivia from Lakes Wax & co has also said "Don't worry about what other people think of you, the right people will support you", so if some friends aren't excited about your venture, don't let it put you off.

It's not unusual when you start a business to change your plans once you've got more information available. Leanne, from Hey There Sugar Bakes, has said it's always "trial and error" but "what have you got to lose, give it a go". It's also worth considering how you'll make things work with your time. If you know from the offset that you're tight on time, then trial and error for some things may not be the way forward. Events by Nashe suggests that "automating tasks that you don't enjoy or are done a lot can save you more time than you think". Often looking into virtual assistants for tasks like monitoring your mailbox, posting on social media or responding to enquiries can be a really useful way to allow you more time to make your products or sell at markets.

Websites can also be a difficult thing to get started with, particularly if you don't have any experience in running one. This is something that could be useful to outsource to allow you more time to focus on business growth, however it's useful to have your business set-up from the get-go, which is what Freya from Freya Adventure Jewellery had recommended when we asked for her best piece of advice.

The small business community is always a supportive one, so asking other small business owners for bits of advice isn't a scary prospect. We'd suggest getting your ideas down on paper and making the big decisions from there.

You can also follow our Instagram page @shopsmallsociety for small business advice and tips.