How to start a business

Kò ní àkóónú àkóónú ìtàn. Ó ní ìṣàfarawégbèyè, àti àwọn púpọ̀ rẹ̀ ní ìdáràn atí ìdáràn jú bíí àwọn tí a rí ní inú lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́. Ó jẹ́ ìṣàfàwégbèyè yìí - ohun tí o yẹ̀ nínú àkóónú kan, ohun tí o lè gbàgbọ́, àtí àwọn ààyè tí a tí n gbọ́dọ̀ nínú àwọn ìṣàfilọ́lẹ̀.

Ṣí ní àwọn àwọn àkóónú tí o lè gbà

Àwọn ibeere tí a fi pinnú gbogbo ohun tí o tẹlé kò jẹ́ irú ọja wo ní o jú lọ. Ó jẹ́ ẹni tí yoò dáwọ́ sí ifiranṣẹ̀ rẹ̀. Àwọn àwọn

Àwọn ohun àláyégbè mẹ́tà tí o ti ní ní àwọn àgbéwọlé tòotọ. Ìjáde: àwọn eniyan tí yoo ka àkọlé láti inú rẹ̀ nitorí pé wọn mọ́ àwọ́ rẹ̀. Ìdáráyégbè: àwọn àgbègbè tí a bá gba àwọn àgbègbè rẹ̀ nípa àwọn àgbègbè. Ìpàlẹ́: ohun kan tí o tí wò lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́ lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́, nínú iṣẹ́, nínú ìfẹ́, nínú iṣẹ́ ẹ̀yàn. Nínú àwọn àwọn ohun àláyégbè mẹ́tà yìí tí o bá gba iṣẹ́ kan, o lè bẹrẹ nínú aagò Tẹ́ẹ̀tà, kò nínú ohun kan tí o bá nífẹ́ lati fi ṣí.

O yẹ ki o jẹ alainigbagbọ nipa awọn ero ti o n ṣiṣẹ ni iwọn. Ohunkohun ti o ni oju-iwe ayelujara nla, ṣugbọn fun aaye kan, ni igbagbogbo nilo awọn ẹgbẹẹgbẹrun awọn alabapin ṣaaju ki o to gba iye kan, ati pe ẹnikan ko le ṣe eyi. Iṣowo ti o ṣe iranlọwọ fun awọn eniyan mẹfa ni a le ṣe ni ọsẹ kan ati pe o le dagba ni ibi; iṣowo ti o ṣe iranlọwọ fun awọn eniyan ẹgbẹrun mẹfa ko le bẹrẹ ni gbogbo.

Finally, be honest about the difference between a business and a project. A business is something a stranger pays for deliberately, more than once. If you cannot describe that stranger in a sentence — their job, what their week looks like, the moment they would go looking for a solution — you have a project. That is a fine thing to have, but do not put a company around it yet.

Àwọn ààyè-iṣẹ́ àwọn ààyè-iṣẹ́

The cheapest version of your business is a conversation. Before you write code, order stock or design a logo, describe the idea to ten people who match your one-sentence stranger and ask what they do about the problem today. You are not listening for enthusiasm — people are polite. You are listening for effort. Somebody who has built a spreadsheet, hired a temp or paid for a tool they dislike has already told you the problem is worth money to them.

The next-cheapest test is one page and a price. Say what the thing is, who it is for and what it costs, and ask for something small in return: an email address, a deposit, a booked call. A page nobody signs up to is a far cheaper failure than a product nobody buys, and the sign-up rate is a real number you can work on rather than a feeling you can argue about.

Do not skip the price. An idea validated without a number is not validated. "Would you use this?" gets a yes from nearly everyone; "would you pay this, on the first of the month, starting now?" gets an honest answer, and the objection that comes back is usually the single most useful sentence of the whole exercise.

Fi àwọn ìṣàmúlò-ètò náà ní àwọn àkókò àti àwọn ààyè-ìwé, àwọn tí a kọ̀ nígbà tí o tí bẹrẹ: àwọn àkọlé àwọn àwọn àkọlé, àti àwọn

Fi orukọ pamọ́, ki o si gba àdírẹ̀sì

Àwọn Orúkọ kò ní ìbàmú jú bí a tí ǹró, àtí ìròyìn wọn nípa àwọn ọna àìdájú ló mú àwọn ààyè. Orúkọ tí o dara ní aago, àwọn tí a lè sọ̀rọ̀ nípa àwọn laini tẹlifoonu àìdájú, àwọn tí a lè sọ̀rọ̀ nípa ẹnikẹ́ni tí kò tì mọ̀ rẹ̀, àtí kò tí a fi pamọ́ sí olùgbà nínú irúfẹ́ kanna. O tí jẹ́ àwọn tí a tí ǹró. Orúkọ náà kò ní ìfàyé ohun-iní; o ní ìpàdé nípa ìṣàfarawé.

Awọn iwulo meji ti o wulo ṣe pataki. Ṣayẹwo pe orukọ ko ti jẹ ami-iṣowo ni ile-iṣẹ rẹ ati orilẹ-ede rẹ - awọn iwe-aṣẹ ti o fọwọsi ni awọn ofin ti o fẹrẹ jẹ gbogbo wọn jẹ wiwa fun ọfẹ, ati awọn iṣẹju mẹrin nibẹ le ṣe ipamọ rebrand lẹhin. Ati pe o le gba adirẹsi ti o ni lori intanẹẹti. A domain jẹ ọkan ninu awọn ipinnu diẹ ninu iṣowo ti o nifẹ ti o jẹ ibajẹ lati yipada pada, nitori gbogbo asopọ, faaji, kaadi iṣowo ati ifiranṣẹ imeeli ti pari ni ifihan si rẹ.

Prefer a domain you own outright to a name inside somebody else's platform. A page on a marketplace or a social network can be suspended by someone who has never met you and owes you no explanation; a domain you registered stays yours as long as you renew it. If the exact name you wanted is gone, a shorter or slightly altered form on a domain you control beats the perfect name on an address you rent.

Àwọn ààtòjú àtòjọ-ẹ̀yàn, ní ìṣàfarawé

Ààyè yìí kò jẹ́ àwọn àṣẹ àti àwọn àṣẹ́, àtí ó kò sọ̀rọ̀ nípa àwọn

Ìyàn tí òjúkọ́ ní pé ó lè fi ìmọ̀ràn bí ara rẹ̀. Ìṣàmúlò-ètò kò jẹ́ igbè akọkọ̀. Nínú àwọn ààyè diẹ́, o lè fi ìmọ̀ràn lórí àwọn àwọn àtílẹ̀ rẹ̀, nígbà tí o bá mọ́ pé iṣẹ́ náà jẹ́ gidi, ki o si kọ́ ẹ̀yàn kan nígbà tí o bá ní owó tí o lè fi pamọ́; nínú awọn mìíràn, àwọn ìmọ̀ràn náà nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn nípa àwọn ẹ̀yàn mìíràn.

Iwọ keji ni lati ṣe afẹyinti owo, ati pe o jẹ idahun ti o ni gbogbo agbaye kan lori oju-iwe yii: ṣii akọọlẹ kan ti a ṣe fun iṣowo ati pe o ṣe gbogbo ohun ti o wa ni pẹpẹ lati ifowopamọ akọkọ. Owo ti ara ẹni ati iṣowo ti a ṣe ni aṣiṣe ti o ṣe gbogbo igbesẹ ti o kẹhin ti o nira - ipadabọ owo-ori, awọn iwe-ifowopamọ, awọn iroyin, awọn ohun elo ifowopamọ, ifunni ti iṣowo - ati pe o gba ọjọ-ọjọ lati yago fun ati ọdun lati dẹkun.

Òkè kẹta ní pé ò lè mọ̀ ohun tí o tí ní ẹ̀yà, atí nigbá tí o tí ní ẹ̀yà. Ó ní ajọ́bá owó nínú orilẹ-ede rẹ̀ pẹlú ojú-ìwé kan tí ó sọ̀rọ̀ ohun tí iṣẹ́ tuntun nínú ipó rẹ̀ ní lati fi pamọ́ nípá nigbá tí ò bá jẹ́. Ka ojú-ìwé náà lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́ jú nkaǹkan tí o bá jẹ́: àwọn ofin tí a tí yipadá, atí àwọn ìṣàfarawé tí o tí fi hàn pé ò jẹ́ aláṣẹ. Tí owó ilé́ṣẹ́ tabi VAT bá jẹ́ ohun tí o tí n tà, wòyè àwọn ofin ìforúkọ́kọ́ nígbà tí ò bá jẹ́, nitorí tí wọn tí n pàdé nínú ìgbá tí ò lè lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́.

Àwọn àwọn ààyè tí a fi kọ́ nípa ohun tí o tí sọ̀rọ̀. Àwọn àwọn ààyè tí a ń tà, àwọn ìṣẹ́dálẹ̀ ìpàlẹ̀ ìpàlẹ̀ àti àwọn àkọ́kọ́ ìdárànṣé kò jẹ́ àwọn àwọn àkọ́kọ́ tí a fi kọ́; wọn ní àwọn àkọ́kọ́ tí o tí fẹ́ nígbà tí o bá jẹ́ pé o tí jẹ́ olóòótọ́ nígbà tí o bá jẹ́ olóòótọ́ nígbà tí o bá jẹ́ olóòótọ́. Tí o bá fi pamọ́ àwọn àwọn àkókò àwọn à

Fi ojú-ìwé pamọ́: adirẹsì, àwọn àkọlé inú, àwọn ìṣàmúlò-ètò tí a fi pamọ́

O nilo ohun mẹta ati pe wọn kere ju ti wọn n sọ: ibi kan ti awọn eniyan le ka nipa ọ, ibi kan ti wọn le de ọ, ati ibi kan ti wọn le san owo fun ọ.

Ojú-ìwé náà kò ní ìgbà tí ò fi hàn; ò ní ìgbà tí ò fi hàn. Ẹ̀yà kan tí o bá lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́ lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́ nínú ojú-ìwé kan nínú ojú-ìwé kan nínú ojú-ìwé kan nínú ojú-ìwé kan nínú ojú-ìwé kan. Ojú-ìwé akọkọ́ nínú ojú-ìwé kan nínú ojú-ìwé kan nínú ojú-ìwé kan. Ojú-ìwé mẹ́tà tí ò jẹ́, tí ò jẹ́, tí ò jẹ́, bí ò ṣe lè fi ìbàlẹ̀ hàn nínú ojú-ìwé kan nínú ojú-ìwé kan.

The inbox should be at your own domain. An address at the domain you just registered says the business exists; a free consumer address on a quote or an invoice quietly says the opposite, and fixing it takes minutes.

Ìfìdálẹ̀ nínú àwọn ohun tí a fí gbàwọ́lú nínú àwọn eniyan tí n pàṣẹ́ jú lọ, tí a si fi hàn pé o tí wa níbẹ̀. Ṣàtunkọ́ o nígbà tí o bá tí wa níbẹ̀. Àwọn iroyin ífìdálẹ̀ nínú àwọn orukọ rẹ̀, tí a bá sopọ̀ sí banki rẹ̀, nínú náà nínú ojú-iṣẹ́ tí o bá fẹ́ ráwọ́lẹ̀, lè jẹ́ pé o tí wa nínú iṣẹ́ rẹ̀ nínú iṣẹ́ rẹ̀ tí o bá jẹ́. Fí aagò rẹ̀ pamọ́ nínú àwọn orukọ rẹ̀, kò nínú àwọn aagó rẹ̀.

Tí àwọn ìṣàmúlò-ètò náà bá jẹ́ bi àwọn ààyè àwọn ààyè tí a kò ní, ò jẹ́ ààyè tí a tí kọ̀ láti yọ̀. First Employee takes one sentence about the business, researches the market, chooses a name, and puts a live multi-page site with its own inbox online in about three minutes. Building it is free, and every step it took is written down as a receipt you can read and export. Wòye ohun tí o ń ṣe.

Àwọn ọrẹ àwọn ọ̀pọ̀lù

Àwọn ìṣàmúlò-ètò ìdáràn-ìdáràn ní pàtó nínú "ìṣàmúlò-ètò", tí àwọn ìṣàmúlò-ètò tí a fi ṣẹ́dá. Àwọn oló̀pọ̀lù mẹ́tà tí ò fọwọ́sì àwọn oló̀pọ̀lù kò ní ìjánú nínú àwọn oló̀pọ̀lù, nitorí pé o kò ní. Àwọn oló̀pọ̀lù náà tí a fi ṣẹ́dáràn-ìdáràn-ìjánú nínú àwọn eniyan tí o lè fi àwọn à

Ó lè kọ̀ àtòjọ náà. Àwọn eniyan tí a tì fi hàn pé a ní àwọn ààyè yìí—àwọn olórí iṣẹ́, àwọn eniyan nínú ẹgbẹ́ iṣowo, olùbánì iṣẹ́ kan nínú àwọn ààyè mejì nínú, ẹnikan tí o tì gbọ́dọ̀ sọ̀rọ̀ nínú ìjọba nínú oṣù tò kọja. Fi àkọ́kọ́ wọn pamọ́ nígbà kan, nipa àwọn ààyè wọn nípa tí a kò bá wọn sọ̀rọ̀ nípa ìṣàfarawé rẹ̀, ki o si bí wọn nípa àwòrán tí o fẹ́. Àkọ́kọ́ kan tí a lè kọ̀ nípa ẹni náà nípa àwọn à

Fi o kan tí ò tílẹ̀. Ólàràyé ọ̀fẹ́ kò kọ́ ọ̀kan nínú rẹ̀, nitorí pé kò si ẹnikẹ́ni tí ǹpa ohun tí ò wa ní ọ̀fẹ́ láti fi hàn pé ó jẹ́ ẹ̀yàn. Óláràyé tí ò ǹpa, paapaa nínú iyé tí ò ǹpa, sọ́ fun ò ní ohun tí ohun-iní náà yẹ́ ki o ṣe, àtì ò si fun ò ní ọrọ̀ kan láti lò nínú ẹni tí ò ǹpa. Lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́, bí a tí ǹbàwò àwọn tí ò sọ̀rọ̀ pé kò ní ohun tí wọn ǹṣe nígbà níbẹ̀ - àwọn

Fi awọn ti o ti bẹrẹ lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́, jú tí o bá jẹ́. Ó jẹ́ igbà kan nípa tí o ti lè gbá, àtí ò ń tà ohun tí o tí ń gbá: ọrọ̀ kaǹkan tí a lò nípa àwọn ọrẹ̀, àtí àwọn ìṣàfilọ́lẹ̀. Fẹ̀ẹ̀ fun àwọn ìṣàfilọ́lẹ̀ nípa àìdára, lẹ́ẹ̀kaǹ nípa tí ẹnikan bá sọ́ fun ọ̀rọ̀ rẹ̀ pé wọn ní ifẹ́. Kò si ẹnikẹni tí o ṣé, eyi nípa tí o tí n ṣiṣẹ́.

Lọ́wọ́ lọ́wọ́ lọ́wọ́ kan sí awọn olórí tuntun, ki o si fi òyé kan fun ó nígbà tí ò bá fi pamọ́. Ṣàwari, ágbẹ̀gbẹ̀tà tí tí ń gbọ́dọ̀ gbọ́dọ̀ rẹ̀, ájọba tí o tí jẹ́ àpàdé, ìmọ́ràn, tàbí ìwé-ìpàdé - gbogbo wọn ní gbàwọ́̀ kan láti ka nípá. Ìpàdé mẹ́ta nígbà kan yió mú àwọn àwọn ààtòjútó mẹ́ta tí a kò lè kà, àtí àtíjọbà kan tí o tí ìpàdé.

Fipa bára, ọsẹ nínú ọsẹ

Ìṣàfilọ́lẹ̀ ní ọjọ́ kejì. Oṣù kẹtándinlogun ní àwọn àwọn ààyé tí a tí n ṣẹ́. Àwọn ile-iṣẹ́ nínú ààyé yìí kò lè kù nínú ìgbà ìdájọ́; wọn kù nínú ìpàlẹ̀, nitorí iṣẹ́ tí a fi pamọ́ lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́ nínú wọn ní kò lè jẹ́ ayọ̀, kò lè jẹ́ ayọ̀, àti ní gbogbo igba ní ohun tí a fi pà nígbà tí a bá fẹ́ ohun kan lórí ọjọ́ yìí.

Ó jẹ́ iṣẹ́ kan ni gbogbo ibi: fi ohun kan jade ki o si jẹ́ idì kan láti wa ọ, fi ẹsẹ̀ tẹlé nípa àwọn ibeere ti o ti ní, fi ojú-ìwé pamọ́ nípa ohun ti o ti n tà, ka àwọn nọmba kékeré ti o jẹ́ pataki, ki o si dáhuń si àwọn ìwé-ìwé rẹ̀. Ohun gbogbo ní kekere. Nípa pọ̀, wọn ní iṣẹ́ ké, o ti ní ohun tí o tí bẹrẹ̀.

Ó jẹ́ ààyè tí a tí kọ́ àwọn nǹkan fun, àti ààyè kaǹ nípa tí a tì sọ̀rọ̀ pé ò jẹ́ àwọn First Employee jẹ́ oṣiṣẹ́ AI tí n ṣiṣẹ́ nípa ìṣàmúlò-ètò kan nínú iṣẹ́ rẹ̀ ní gbogbo àjò: o gbá ibi tí o tí parí iṣẹ́ rẹ̀, o ṣé iṣẹ́ ọsẹ-si-ọjọ, o si fi ojú-ìwé kan lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́ nínú aagó kan, o si sọ̀rọ̀ ohun tí a tí fi pamọ́, ohun tí o tí kọ̀ nínú rẹ̀, atí ibeerè kan tí ó tí fẹ́ gbágbọ́. Ohunkohun tí kò lè yipadá - fi àkọsílẹ̀ ranṣẹ sí ẹnì kan, fipalẹ́ nípa ìjọba, fi owò lọ́wọ́lọ́wọ́ - tí o tí n gbọ́. Gbogbo iṣẹ́ tí o bá ṣè kọ́ ẹ̀yàn kan nípa àwọn ààtò, àwọn àkókò atí àwọn à

The build is free. Nightly shifts come with a plan, and the plan is the whole bill on the self-managed side: we take 0% of your revenue and 0% of your ad spend. If you would rather we ran the business side for you, the managed plan takes 15% of what the company earns. On either one your customers pay an account in your own name, so we never hold your money. Bii o ṣe n ṣiṣẹ · Àwọn àwọn ìrànwọ́ àwọn ìṣàmúlò-ètò

Àwọn ààyè tí àwọn eniyan fi beerè nínú ìpele yìí

Do I need to register a company before I can sell anything?

It depends entirely on where you live and what you sell, and this is not legal advice. In many places you may trade under your own name while you find out whether the business is real, and form an entity once there is income or risk worth separating; in others a registration comes first. The reliable answer comes from your government small-business site or an accountant in your own jurisdiction, not from a guide written somewhere else.

How do I know whether my idea is worth pursuing?

Attach a price to it early. Asking people whether they would use something gets a yes from almost everyone; asking whether they would pay a specific amount on the first of the month gets an honest answer, and the objection that comes back is usually the most useful sentence of the whole exercise. Decide in advance what result counts as a yes, so a mediocre one cannot be read as encouraging.

What is the minimum a new business needs online?

Three things: a page that says what you do, who it is for, what it costs and how to start; an inbox at your own domain so replies land somewhere that looks like a business; and a way to take payment in your own name. Four honest pages beat a beautiful site with the price hidden behind a call.

Where do the first customers actually come from?

From people you can name, not from an audience. Write a list of individuals who have the problem, message them one at a time about their situation rather than about your launch, and ask the ones who say no what they are doing instead. Pick a single route to customers and give it a fair test before adding a second one.

Can First Employee handle the legal and tax side for me?

No, and it will not pretend to. It builds and runs the online side of the business — the site, the pages, the research, the work that repeats every week. Choosing a structure, filing anything, and knowing what you owe are for a professional in your own country, and no receipt we write is a substitute for that.

What does it cost, and do you take a percentage of what I earn?

Building the company and keeping the site online are free. Nightly shifts come with a plan. On the self-managed plan we take 0% of your revenue and 0% of your ad spend; on the managed plan, where we run the business side for you, we take 15% of what the company earns. Either way your customers pay an account in your own name, so we never hold your money.

Ṣẹ̀dá ile-iṣẹ́ mì ní ọ̀fẹ́

Ìṣàṣè ní ọ̀fẹ́. Àwọn iṣẹ́ alẹ̀ tí ń bẹrẹ̀ nínú àwọn ààyè.