How to start a business in 2023: A beginner's guide

Starting your business is a big step, so it requires proper planning. How do you start a business from scratch? What are the tips for running a successful business in 2023? In this article, we answer these questions and walk you through the steps to be your boss in 2023.

Why you should start a business in 2023

Starting a business in 2023 is a perfect idea, especially if you want a new source of income! Although running a small business involves a lot of effort, it brings a lot of rewards when done right. Some reasons you should consider starting a business include the following:

1. Online business has made things easier

The internet has made starting and owning a business easier. With the internet, you can launch a business from anywhere worldwide. You also have an excellent opportunity to gather a lot of customers without stepping outside!

In addition, many tools are now available to run your business operations, track your finances, make transactions, and market your business, all from a click on your laptop. There has never been a better time to be an entrepreneur!

2. Opportunity to explore your passion

One of the great things about owning a business is that you can turn your passion into a money-making project. If there’s something you’re passionate about, you can make a business out of it and become one of the few people doing something they love.

3. Low cost, high rewards

With the many resources and opportunities available for small business owners, people can start their brand from scratch without breaking the bank. All you need is an idea and the right strategy, and you can kickstart your business.

Also, starting a business now comes with minimal risk. For example, you don’t have to spend money on getting a brick-and-mortar location. Also, you can decide to drop ship instead of buying physical products.

4. Additional income

One of the most important benefits of running a business is that it brings about financial freedom. Owning a business offers the opportunity to be your boss and make more money. Also, running and managing a business comes with so much flexibility and freedom, thanks to today’s technology.

How to start a business in 2023?

Whether you’ve already had a business idea or you’re still figuring out what business to start, you are in the right place. Here are some steps to start your business in 2023:

1. Figure out a business idea

The first step to starting any business is figuring out a business idea. It’s essential to discover a business that will be profitable for you.

There are a lot of business ideas out there, so try to do upfront research to find what will work for you. You can start a personal merch, develop your product, start a business through dropshipping, or look for existing products you can sell to your audience. A good idea is to work on a business you’re passionate about or start something that requires your skills.

2. Conduct market research

Researching your target market will show you whether a business idea will be profitable and if there's a market for your business. One of the first stages of market research is gathering information about your target market and audience. Some of the questions you need to ask when conducting market research include the following:

• Is there a demand for your product?
• Who are the people that will be interested in what you are offering?
• Where will customers find your products, and what is their location?
• Who are your current competitors in the market, and how much do they charge?

There are many ways to conduct market research; you can run a focus group discussion, launch a survey, or investigate your competitors.

3. Identify your target audience

Your target audience refers to the group of potential customers likely to buy from your brand. Identifying and defining them is crucial to help you make smart marketing and branding decisions. For example, if your target audience is full of young people, it would be wise to invest in social media marketing. Also, if your target audience is primarily based in a particular location, it would be best to open a store close to that location.

Two main things to note when defining your customers include:

• Demographics (age, gender, location, occupation, etc.)
• Psychographics (buying habits, most preferred social media platform, likes, and dislikes, etc.)

4. Write a business plan

Once you’ve decided on an idea and conducted market research; the next thing is to write a business plan. A business plan documents your goals for your business and the steps you will take to finance and get started with your idea. It includes everything from a business summary to your marketing plan.

Here are some questions your business plan should answer:

• What are your goals?
• Who is your target audience?
• How will you finance your business?
• Do you need to hire people?
• How will you market your business to the world?
• Where will you sell your products? Online or retail store?

5. Pick a business location

How do you plan to sell your products? Online or through a retail store? You need to decide on your business location because it will determine your business cost, structure, and success rate. Meanwhile, starting an online business is a good idea, especially if you don’t have the budget for a physical store.

6. Calculate your business costs

The next step in starting a business is figuring out how to finance your idea. How much do you need to start your business? Where will you get the money? From your pocket or through a loan?

Some factors to consider for an accurate calculation of your business costs include the following:

• Products
• Marketing
• Employees
• Business Insurance
• Operating costs
• Legal fees

Calculating your costs helps you know how much you need to kickstart your business and also enables you to determine your profit margin.

7. Make or source your products

Once you get the capital to start your business, the next step is to start sourcing for your products. Will you be manufacturing them yourself? Do you need to partner with a supplier?

If you plan to make/manufacture the products yourself, you’d need to source the materials. If you are going to source from a supplier, it’s essential to take your time to find a reliable supplier.

8. Build your brand

“Brand” describes the identifiable elements of your business. This includes your business name, logo, website, packaging materials, brand voice/tone, brand store, etc. Building a strong and memorable brand is vital to reach a wider audience and to grow a successful business.

Some major components of branding include:

• Your brand story (why did you start your business)
• Unique selling proposition (what sets your business apart from your competitors?)
• Brand voice (what tone and language will you use to communicate with your audience)
• Brand identity (business name, logo, font style.)

9. Register your business

Many countries require all businesses, including small businesses, to register their business officially. Check out your local laws on registering your brand and getting a business license.

10. Market your business

Marketing is essential before and after you launch your business. That’s how you get people to know about your brand and attract more customers. Also, your marketing strategy can make or break your business because it determines how people will respond to your brand.

Your business plan should have a marketing strategy to get your products in front of your target audience. Some popular marketing ideas you can consider are:

• Content marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Engage customers on social media
• Host a grand opening event to draw people to your location
• Run giveaways
• Create fliers and posters to announce your business
• Explore different marketing channels like Instagram, email, Facebook, TikTok, and e-commerce.

11. Launch your business

You are here at the final stage of building a successful business! You can now launch your business and let people know about your brand.

7 tips for a successful business

More than 50% of business owners call to quit within five years of launching their business.¹ This stat may look discouraging, but it also means 50% of businesses surpass the five-year mark. One of the best ways to run a successful business is by following the best practices and tips. Let’s get into some of them:

1. Invest in a website

You could run a great business many years ago without needing the internet.

The story has changed.

You need a solid online presence to succeed with your business. According to a statistic, 64% of business owners have a website for their brand², so no matter how small you think your business is, creating a website is something to consider.

A website is perfect for potential customers to discover your brand and learn more about you. Your website should be simple, well-designed, user-friendly, and contain all the necessary information a likely user will need.

2. Consider working with influencers

Influencer marketing is one of the most powerful ways small business owners can reach a broader audience in 2023³. As a small business, you can consider working with a micro-influencer, usually someone with a following of 1k to 10k on one or more social media platforms.

When getting into influencer marketing, ensure that you work with someone in your niche. In other words, the influencer should frequently post on subjects related to your business and have an audience likely to be interested in your business. For example, if you sell makeup products, a perfect influencer would be someone in the makeup or fashion industry.

3. Set the right price

If your price is too high, you risk losing potential customers, and if it’s too low, you may not pull in enough revenue to sustain your business. The key is finding a middle ground that allows you to profit without losing customers. A good way to set a price is by researching your competitors, learning more about your audience, and calculating your operation costs.

4. Manage your money well

One of the best tips for entrepreneurs is to manage their finances well. You don’t want to overspend or mismanage your finances. Ensure you have a business bank account, calculate your profit margin, and set reasonable product pricing. Also, create a budget and stick to it, cut unnecessary costs, and only take good debt. For example, you don’t need to hire a full-time staff if you can hire a freelancer for the same job.

5. Measure and analyze your marketing performance

Marketing your brand without understanding its performance may result in a waste of money and time. Analyzing your performance will help you realize how to improve your business and serve your customers better.

So, take your time to measure the performance of your marketing campaigns by conducting an audit. You should integrate analytics tools like Google Analytics to understand your marketing performance. Meanwhile, many social media platforms have an analytics dashboard to track the performance of your post.

6. Focus on customer experience

One of the reasons businesses fail is that they refuse to focus on improving customers’ experience. The impression you leave on customers from the moment they come across your brand to when they make a purchase can impact your business. Also, according to a study, customer experience is a major differentiator for businesses and is as vital as your product and prices.⁴

7. Build a community

One of the best business tips is building a community out of your audience. A study showed that 92% of marketing professionals believe that having a community significantly impacts their businesses success.⁵ Also, building a community can increase your engagement by 21%.⁵ Make your customers feel like a part of your business by connecting and engaging with them across all channels.

Sell on Alibaba.com

Starting a business may involve a lot of steps, but there are many opportunities to succeed in 2023. One of the biggest opportunities to grow your business is leveraging a global marketplace like Alibaba.com to reach a wider audience.

With Alibaba.com, business owners can:

• Set up a storefront and display your products
• Reach a wider audience from different countries
• Leverage marketing tools to promote their product
• Source for suppliers from other B2B sellers
• Interact and communicate with potential customers through the stand-by messaging center
• Build your entrepreneurial skills through the resource center
• Accept payment easily in any currency from your customers

To get started on Alibaba.com, all you need is to open a seller account, set up a storefront, and wait for your first order.