There are things you can do to make sure your startup has a great chance of succeeding. Here are a few tips to help you make your startup the success that you have dreamed it can be.

Free Resources for Your Startup

There are some very useful resources out there for new business owners who need a little bit of a leg up while getting started. Try some of these useful sites if you are gearing up for a life of success in business:

US Small Business Administration (sba.gov)

This is an invaluable tool for anybody who is running any kind of business in the United States. This site has a treasure trove of various kinds of ways to give your startup an edge. Here are just a few of the ways this resource can assist your startup on the road to success:

• Launching Your Startup: You can find help with so many things when starting out. Here are just a few of the ways you can get help from the SBA: assistance with drawing up and organizing a business plan, calculating what startup costs might be, such as how to borrow money to buy equipment, assistance with valuable market research (as well as competitive analysis), guidance with choosing a business location, directions on getting both federal and state tax ID numbers that you will need, assistance with the applications for both state and federal licenses and permits for any type of business (brick and mortar, or online) needed to legally do business, assistance in choosing the right insurance for your business, how to register a business with needed state and federal agencies, tips on funding some of your startup costs, and information on how to buy a franchise or a pre-existing business.

• If You Have An Existing Business: There are a lot of ways the SBA site can give you a hand if you currently have a business, too. There is help with: marketing your startup, budgeting, hiring staff and managing your team, staying legally compliant as you face growth, income tax assistance, help with obtaining needed equipment and other business assets, preparing for emergencies, help with internet fraud and other cybersecurity issues, help if you have been affected by a natural disaster, and the hiring of employees with disabilities.

• If Your Business is Expanding: Assistance with expansion issues like opening new locations can be found at SBA, as well as info on how to become an exporter, how to merge with another company or acquire a new, existing company, and how to become a federal contractor.

Docracy.com

If you need a legally binding document but don’t have the funds for a lawyer or the legal knowledge to write one yourself, you might be able to find what you need on Docracy. This site offers a searchable database of blank legal documents for a multitude of needs. This is a very useful site for small businesses and start-ups to use before they are able to afford a lawyer for minor issues.

TRUIC.com

This site offers a very large selection of resources for small businesses. Full of useful information, TRUIC has local and federal resources for new startups to utilize. TRUIC has a searchable local resource section for locating business-related services close to you. It also offers a handy logo-making app for new businesses.

Fiverr.com

Fiverr is a database of private contractors who can help you with small jobs for graphic artists, illustrators, content writing, web design, and lots of other jobs that most people don’t have a huge knowledge of but can’t do themselves. If you need a creative professional, place a bid for the job you need to be done, and someone who likes the price will help you out.

SquadHelp

The SquadHelp marketing team helps you find the perfect name for your startup. The world’s largest community of experts on successful business names can help you choose the best name to bring your startup success.

Fifteen Things You Can Do To Improve Your Chances of Success

Here are some things to try to speed things along on the road to success.

1. Never give up: Some startups don’t fail, their founders give up. Make your startup successful by doing one thing — staying in the game.

2. Prepare for the future: Increase your chances of success by always staying aware of trends and anticipating what comes next.

3. Adapt: There are never any guarantees in life, and there are limits to what people can do. The best we can do is to be prepared for adversities and to respond to unexpected situations before they become huge problems. Don’t follow the steps of Blockbuster, who recently closed due to being unable to adapt to the changing market.

4. Be devoted: A startup requires your full attention. Unfortunately, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week probably won’t cut it anymore. The payoff will come, but not until after you work hard to get it there.

5. Do what you love: Doing what makes you motivated and excited makes it much easier to succeed than plugging away half-heartedly at something you don’t believe in. something that you love, you’ll have much more motivation to keep persevering.

6. Know what your customers want: Don’t make assumptions about what your customers want. Research your target demographic and get a firm idea of what they need and want. Research their needs on social media, by surveying, searching in forums, and any other way that pops up.

7. Welcome criticism: Learn from constructive criticism, and welcome it as often as possible.

8. Always believe in yourself: Stay positive and believe in your ability to achieve your goals.

9. Get rid of negative influences: Always try to surround yourself with positive, motivated people.

10. Stay focused: Never get so lost in the hectic lifestyle of building a startup that you forget your primary goals.

11. Don’t stay in the planning phase forever: Just because planning keeps you busy, that doesn’t mean you should stay focused on that for too long. Always accept new challenges head-on and strive for progress.

12. Don’t neglect marketing: Even in the early stages of your startup, marketing is important. Getting your brand out there is essential. Don’t miss an opportunity to advertise your company.

13. Pick an effective name: Don’t just choose anything — put great thought into your company name and what the best fit is.

14. Surround yourself with motivated people: It’s important that the people around you, especially any employees you hire, are motivated about the future of the startup.

15. Make time to relax: Don’t burn out before you’ve reached your goals. Taking some time off now and then is also really important.

Your startup should be successful if you put as much of yourself into it as possible, and you get a good grasp of your clientele and what they need and want. Always be willing to try new ways to make your business and product better and more appealing. Always take advantage of opportunities to market yourself, and never be afraid of success. If you follow the right formula, you will achieve your dreams and all of your hard work will be as fruitful as you have always dreamed of.