Succeeding as a start-up in 2021

With the uncertainty surrounding this year, starting a new business is a very brave venture to go into. With the added challenges brought in by an unprecedented pandemic, it’s vital that new start-ups begin life the right way and implement the correct methods to help them succeed.

Here’s a look at some of the key factors a new business needs to think about to succeed.

Employee engagement

Getting your employees to be engaged in their roles and responsibilities is vital for a new start-up. Not only will this foster a positive work environment that can help boost your fledgling reputation, but an engaged and motivated workforce is one that is more productive and, therefore, profitable.

In addition, good employee engagement can make staff feel more fulfilled and can also help prevent burnout, keeping them healthy. There is a multitude of ways that a business can improve engagement, with many successful start-ups turning to online platforms to help them boost engagement for the long term. These platforms include services such as employee recognition programs, mental health support schemes, and other perks, and these can help employees feel more valued within the new start-up, which should positively impact productivity.

Digital marketing

Integrating your business with digital marketing isn’t just a good thing to do; it’s essential. With so many customers and clients using the web to find companies and products, you need to do all you can to ensure that you’re visible online. Digital marketing encompasses a lot of practices, but in short, it focuses on search engine optimisation and social media marketing that helps your business rank on search results and garner an audience online.

A new start-up for 2021 can’t overlook digital marketing, which is why many businesses have their own marketing departments to better advertise the brand. If that is something that can’t be done, then outsourcing your digital marketing to an external agency can be a great option as it will place your marketing in the hands of experts and will save you time to better manage the operations of the new venture.

Remote-first

The Covid-19 pandemic has essentially destroyed the traditional office-based workspace of the last decade. In its place, remote working has risen, and over the past year, this way of doing things has become more legitimate and has potentially shown signs of being a better way of doing things.

When starting a new business in 2021, you need to think of a remote-first model so that you’re prepared for the future. However, this model can also be a great way of cutting costs as you’ll save money on office space and utilities without sacrificing connectivity and collaboration, thanks to sophisticated tools. To prepare for a remote-first business structure, you need to ensure that you have the infrastructure in place, such as creating a cloud space and accounts where staff can share work.

Use freelancers

Having dedicated, in-house staff is a good thing, as you have more control over their workday, and they’re more integrated with the company. Still, it’s always wise to consider utilising the services of a freelancer. This is particularly good if you have short-term projects that need to be completed and don’t want to commit to giving someone a salary. For example, a new start-up will need a brand logo and perhaps a website. You could hire a graphic designer to be on your team to create this, but once they’re done, there may not be any pressing work for them to complete. Instead, you can hire a freelancer to complete the project for a one-off payment, making your business leaner and more economical.

Following these points should get your start-up on a great path as it grows. The business world has changed over the last couple of years. Make sure you’re ready with these pieces of advice.