Advice to New Business Owners: Dealing With the ‘What Ifs’

What Ifs Of A New Business

Opening a new business is thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

There are so many different things to be excited about, and so many different things to be worried about.

We want to talk about some of those ‘what if’ scenarios that might be poking around in your brain that have you nervous about starting a business.

If you have an idea you are passionate about and you think would be useful to consumers, definitely go for it! But before you dive in, be sure to consider these things:

What if I Make a Mistake?

If you are a human, you’re bound to make a mistake at some point in your life. Actually, you’ll probably make quite a few, that’s normal! However, when running a business, your mistakes affect a lot more than just you, so it’s wise to be careful.

Don’t beat yourself up too much if you make a mistake, that’s how you learn and improve your business model. Mistakes happen, they are normal, and most of them are fixable.

The one thing you want to avoid is making a costly mistake. These can come from making risky or uneducated decisions. If you’re at the crossroads of a decision and one way seems like it’s too risky, it may be wise to go the other direction for the sake of your business.

Taking extreme risks can be good if you’re an established, more experienced business. But a risky choice for a new business can be costly to the point of shutting you down.

Write out the pros and cons, consult your partners, and give yourself a few days to consider a risky decision before committing to something.

What if I have Product Hiccups?

Any new business will have product hiccups once they have launched. Sometimes, when creating a product, we get in our heads and stuck in our own bubble. Once it hits the market, consumers come back with what worked and what didn’t.

You can avoid product hiccups by working with a really strong and knowledgeable product design team. Each person should have their own expertise and help move along the product creation process to get it ready for launch day.

Having multiple people working on a product together will ensure that everything has been looked at from every angle.

What if There’s an Area I’m Not an Expert in?

Even if you are a jack of all trades, when starting a new business, there’s going to be something you’ll need an expert for.

Need a logo designed? You’ll need a graphic designer. 

Need help creating a business budget? An accountant would be great. 

New businesses are often working on a tight budget. So do what you can that you know you are capable of doing. But some tasks should be left to someone that’s more seasoned and experienced in that specific field, and that’s a worthwhile investment to make.

You may be spending more money now on hiring an expert or freelancer, but it will be worth it in the long run for you and your business as a whole.

What if I Don’t Have Enough Money?’

This is a common question for most people starting out their businesses. Starting a business is no cheap task! There always seems to be little (and sometimes large) expenses here and there that you didn’t expect to come up. Before you know it, the savings you had are depleted.

Before you even start a business you should absolutely assess your financial situation and see if running a business is possible. Save up as much as possible. Have a backup fund, a rainy day fund, and money under the mattress. Save every penny.

If you already started a business and didn’t do the first step (or you did but miscalculated), it’s important to have a plan B. Know where you can go to get a good business loan with low interest rates to help keep your business running until you can begin to make a better profit.

Best of Luck!

We hope this short and sweet guide with the ‘what ifs’ of owning a new business can be helpful to you in your journey. Running a business is exciting and thrilling! Handle your ‘what ifs’ one step at a time, don’t let them overwhelm you, and always remember the reason you started your business.