How to start a business

Akukho inyathelo lokuqala elifihlakele. Kukhona ukulandelana, futhi ingxenye enkulu yalo incane futhi ibiza kakhulu kunalokho okubukekayo ngaphandle. Le yilokho okulandelana - okubalulekile esigabeni ngasinye, okulindelekile, kanye nengxenye eminingi yosizo lokuyeka.

Start with a problem you can already reach

Imibuzo ekhetha okuningi okulandelayo akuyona ukuthi iyiphi imakethe ekhulu. Kuwukuthi ngubani ozophendula umlayezo wakho. Imibono ongayifinyelela ibaluleke kakhulu kunemibono engcono ongayenza, ngoba ekuqaleni awunabalandeli, awunamali yokonga futhi awunabuhlobo esigabeni - konke okutholayo yibanga phakathi kwakho nomuntu onenkinga.

Izinto ezintathu ongazithola ngaphambili ziyinhlanganisela esemthethweni. Ukungena: abantu abafunda umlayezo wakho ngoba bayazi igama lakho. Ukwethembeka: izinto ezidinga ukuqalwa ngokuqinile ngaphandle kokwesaba. Ukuphinda: into ongayibona ihamba kahle kaningi, emisebenzini, ekuzijabulisa noma ebhizinisini lemindeni. lapho lezi ezintathu zidlula khona uthola ibhizinisi ongayiqala ngoMsombuluko ebusuku endaweni yesinye esidinga ukuqalwa.

Uzothola ukuthi ungakwazi ukucabanga ngezinto ezisebenza kuphela ngosayizi. Noma yini efana ne-"i-platform enkulu, kodwa ye-niche" idinga amalungu angaphezu kwamawaka ngaphambi kokuba i-first one ithole noma yikuphi inzuzo, futhi umuntu ngamunye akakwazi ukukwenza. Ibhizinisi elisiza abantu abalishumi ngokuqinile lingakhiwa emavikini futhi likhule ngokuzimela; ibhizinisi elisiza abantu abamakhulu amane angeke liqale ngaso sonke isikhathi.

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.

Ukuhlola izidingo ngaphambi kokwakha into

I-version ephansi kakhulu yebhizinisi lakho yizingxoxo. Phambi kokuba ubhale ikhowudi, ucele i-stock noma udwebe ilogo, chaza imibono kubantu abayishumi abafana nomuntu ongaziwayo okhuluma amagama amabili futhi ubuze ukuthi bakwenzani ngenkinga namhlanje. Awukulalela ukukhangisa - abantu bakhululekile. Ulalela ukuzama. Omunye umuntu owenza ispreadsheet, waqasha umholi noma wakhokha ngethuluzi abangeke bathandane nalo uvele utshele ukuthi izinkinga ziyimali efanele kubo.

Ukuhlolwa okulandelayo okuncane kakhulu kuwebhusayithi eyodwa nentengo. Bheka ukuthi yini into, ngubani idinga nokuthi izindleko, futhi ubuze ngento encane ebuyayo: ikheli le-imeyili, inkokhelo, umnxeba obhukishelwe. Ikhasi ayikho umuntu obhalisa kuyo kuyisici esincane kakhulu kunalokho okuthengwa yimikhiqizo ayikho umuntu othenga, futhi isilinganiso sobhaliso siyinombolo engokoqobo ongasebenza kuyo kunengqondo ongakhathazeka ngayo.

Ungayishiyanga intengo. Imibono eqinisekisiwe ngaphandle kwenombolo ayiqinisekiswanga. "Uzosebenzisa lokhu? " ithola impendulo ethi yeya kusuka kuwo wonke umuntu; "Uzokhokha lokhu, kukuqala kwenyanga, kusukela manje? " ithola impendulo ethembekile, futhi ukungqubuzana okubuyayo kuvame ukuba yisinqumo esisebenzayo somsebenzi wonke.

Ukuhlolwa kufanele kunikezwe isikhathi sokuphelelwa yisikhathi kanye nezinga lokufinyelela, elibhalwe phansi ngaphambi kokuba uqale: ukuxhumana okungu-20, noma amaviki amabili wekhasi eliphilayo, futhi lezi impendulo eziningi zibalwa njengeyebo. Ukucabanga ukuthi yini ephumelelayo ebukeka ngayo ngaphambili kuyinto eyodwa kuphela yokuvikela okungokoqobo ekufundeni imiphumela emibi njengento ekhuthazayo.

Ukumbiza ngegama, nokuthatha idilesi

Izinhlamvu zibalulekile ngaphezu kokungabaza abasunguli, futhi ukuzikhathalela ngendlela engalungile kubiza amaviki. Igama elilungile lincane, lizwakala ngaphezu kwelayini yefoni ebi, libhalwe ngumuntu owaziyo kuphela, futhi alikho elikhethwe ngumncintiswano kulowo hlobo. Lokhu kuncane kakhulu. Igama alidingi ukuchaza i-product; kufanele lihlale liqhubeka liphindaphindwa.

Ukuhlolwa ukuthi igama alikho i-trademark ebhizinisini lakho nezwe lakho - i-register esemthethweni ezindaweni eziningi itholakale ngokumahhala, futhi imizuzu emihlanu ingagcina i-rebrand ngemuva. Nokuthola ikheli olizimele kwi-intanethi. Ikheli liyilinye lamasinqumo ambalwa ebhizinisini elincane elibuhlungu kakhulu ukubuyisela emuva, ngoba wonke ukuxhumana, i-invoyisi, ikhadi lebhizinisi ne-imeyili iphothifoliyo iphele ngokusho kwayo.

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.

Umphathi ophansi, ngokuqinisekile

Le ngxenye ayiyona incazelo yomthetho noma yezimali, futhi ifuna ukuchaza ukuthi akukho izingcindezi, ama-fee, amafomu noma ama-dates. Lawa ahlukahluka ngokwezwe futhi avame ukwenziwa ngesifundazwe noma isifundazwe, futhi ashintsha. Okuphathekayo yisimo semibuzo — thola lezi kuwebhusayithi yakho yebhizinisi elincane le-government noma ku-accountant lapho uhlala khona.

Umbuzo wokuqala ukuthi ngabe uvunyelwe ukuhweba njengomuntu wakho. Ukubhalisa inkampani akuyona indlela ezenzakalelayo. Ezindaweni eziningi ungahweba ngaphansi kwegama lakho ngenkathi uthola ukuthi ngabe ibhizinisi likhona, futhi udale inhlangano uma kunemali engenayo noma izindleko ezifanele ukuhlukaniswa; kwezinye izimo ubhaliso luvela kuqala. Inhlangano ethenga wena ngokuyinhloko ihlukaniswe phakathi kwengozi yebhizinisi neyakho, kanye nobuhlakani nabathengisi nabahlinzeki — akuyona, ngenye indlela, into eyenza ukuthengisa kube yimthetho.

Okulandelayo uhlukanisa imali, futhi kuyinto eyodwa impendulo ebanzi kule khasi: uvule i-akhawunti ekhethekile yebhizinisi futhi uqhube konke okuyo kusuka ku-transaction yokuqala. Imali yomuntu siqu nebhizinisi exhunywe yiphutha elikwenza yonke inqubo elandelayo inzima - ukubuyiselwa kwemali, ukugcinwa kwencwadi, umphathi, isicelo somshwalense, ukuthengisa kwebhizinisi - futhi ithatha ngemuva kokudla ukuvimbela futhi iminyaka ukulungisa.

Ingxenye yesithathu ifakazela ukuthi yini ongayikhokhi, nokuthi yini ongayikhokhi ngaphambi kokuba ukhokhe. Kukhona inhlangano elawula izimali ezweni lakho enekhasi elichaza ukuthi yini ongayikhokhi ibhizinisi elisha ezweni lakho, futhi nini. Funda leli khasi ngaphezu kwesihloko esikhuluma ngalo: amamithetho ashintsha, futhi inguqulo exhumana nawe iyinto esemthethweni. Uma izimali zokuhweba noma i-VAT zisebenza kulokho okuthengiswayo, bheka imithetho yobhaliso kuqala, ngoba zivame ukushintsha isilinganiso ongayidlula ngaphandle kokuqaphela.

Isigaba sesine sibhala ngezansi lokho okushoyo. Izimo zokuthengisa, imithetho yokubuyiselwa imali kanye nesaziso sobumfihlo akuyona i-corporate theatre; ziyidokhumende ozoba nethemba lokulithola ngesikhathi somthengisi wakho onzima wokuqala, futhi ziyisizathu sokuthi umenzi wemali uzoqhubeka nokusebenza nawe. Uma uqoqa idatha yomuntu siqu, thola ukuthi yiziphi izimiso zobumfihlo ezisebenza kumakhasimende akho - zivame ukulandela indawo yomthengisi, hhayi yakho.

Ukufinyelela ku-inthanethi: ikheli, ibhokisi lokungenayo, indlela yokukhokha

Udinga izinto ezintathu futhi zincane kunalokho okushoyo: indawo lapho abantu bangafunda khona mayelana nawe, indawo lapho bangafinyelela khona, futhi indawo lapho bangakukhokhela khona.

Iwebhusayithi ayidingi ukuba imangaze; idinga ukuba icacisiwe. Umngane ofika kuyo kufanele afunde ngaphakathi kweskrini esisodwa ukuthi yini oyenzayo, ngubani oyenzayo, yini ebiza ngayo nokuthi uqala kanjani. Izindawo eziningi zokuqala zilahlekelwa yizinto ezimbili ezidlule: intengo efihlakele emuva kocingo, futhi akukho msebenzi olandelayo ocacile. Amakhasi amane athembekile - yini, ngubani ophethe, yini ebiza ngayo, indlela yokuxhumana - yiwebhusayithi egcwele, futhi iwebhusayithi egcwele ishaya enye ebukekayo ngaso sonke isikhathi.

Ibhokisi leposi lidinga ukuba likhona kundawo yakho. Ikheli kundawo obhalisile kuyo lisho ukuthi ibhizinisi likhona; ikheli lomsebenzisi okhululekile ku-quotation noma ku-invoice lisho ngokucophelela okufanayo, futhi ukuxazulula lokhu kuthatha imizuzu.

Imali ikhokhwa yingxenye abantu bachitha isikhathi eside futhi bakhathazeke kakhulu. Setha ngaphambi kokuba uzive ukulungele. I-akhawunti yokukhokha ngegama lakho, exhunywe kwibhange lakho, isho ukuthi umuntu okhetha ukuthenga angathenga ngesikhathi abakhetha - futhi ibhizinisi livela ngokusemthethweni ebhizinisini lokuqala, hhayi ekukhuleni kwayo. Gcina i-akhawunti ngegama lakho, hhayi njenge-balance ngaphakathi kwe-platform yomnye umuntu, ukuze imali, ama-records amakhasimende kanye ne-historic yemali ibe yakho.

Uma i-block izwakala njengeviki ongeke uline, lokhu kuyiviki esiwukwakha lokhu ukusisusa. 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. Bona ngokucacile ukuthi isebenza kanjani.

Abatshalizimali abakhulu

Iningi leziqondiso liyeka ku-"launch", lapho ubunzima obukhona buqala khona. Abavakashi abakhulu aba-10 abafikanga kulabo ababukelayo, ngoba awunawo omunye. Bavela kubantu ongabiza.

Ngakho ubhale uhlu. Abantu abakhona abakwazi ukuxazulula izinkinga — abasebenza nabo, abantu eqenjini lokuhweba, umnikazi webhizinisi eliphakathi kwezindawo ezimbili, umuntu okhala ngalokhu ngokucacile emphakathini ngowezi-2013. Ukuthumela i-imeyili kubo, ngasikhathi sinye, mayelana nesimo sabo, hhayi mayelana nokuqashwa kwakho, futhi ubuze umbuzo ofuna ukuwuphendula. Umbiko ongeke ubhalwe kuphela kulowo muntu uthola izimpendulo ukuthi ukusabalalisa akuzokwazi.

I-charge the first one. Umphathi omahhala ukufundisa okuningi, ngoba akukho muntu ogcina into emahhala noma ekhala ngayo ngokuvumelana. Umthengisi okhokhelayo, ngisho ngentengo ebuhlungu, utshela ukuthi impahla kufanele ikwenze futhi unikeza umbhalo osetshenziswa kumuntu olandelayo. Ngemuva kwalokho ubuza labo abathi cha ukuthi yini abayenza endaweni - lezi impendulo ziyisithombe sempi yakho engokoqobo, evame ukuba yispreadsheet noma i-addiction ngaphezu kwenkampani.

Ukudla izikhulu eziqaleni ngokucacile kahle, ngaphezu kwento eqhubekayo. Lokhu kuphela isikhathi lapho ungakwazi ukukhokhela, futhi ithenga izinto ezimbili ezihlanganisa: amagama athile amakhasimende asebenzisa mayelana nenkinga, kanye nokuqondisa. Buza ukuqondisa ngokuqondile, eduze ngemuva komuntu okhuluma nawe ukuthi bafisa. Kuncane kakhulu umuntu owenza, ngakho-ke isebenza.

Ngakho-ke khetha indlela eyodwa kumakhasimende amasha futhi ukunikeza ukuhlolwa okulungile ngaphambi kokungeza omunye. Thola, umlingani okhona esiza ikhasimende lakho, iqembu wena ngempela ingxenye, ukuxhumana ngokuqondile, noma i-ad ekhokhelwa - ngayinye yalezi ithatha amaviki ukufundeka kahle. Ukushayela amahlanu ngasikhathi sinye kukhiqiza ama-5 unreadable izimpendulo kanye nomsunguli obuhlungu.

Ukuhlala kuphila, iviki ngemuva kweviki

Ukuqashwa kuyisiqephu sesonto. Iviki elilodwa leshumi liyingxenye enzima. Izimakethe kulolu hlelo zihlala zifile ngenxa yokuncintisana; ziphila ngenxa yokugcizelela, ngoba umsebenzi ogcina uphila uhlala u

Le misebenzi ifana kakhulu kuwo wonke amasayithi: shicilela okuthile ukuze kube nesizathu sokuthola wena, landela phambili izicelo ozenzayo, gcina isayithi likhona ngento oyenzayo, funda inani elincane elibalulekile, futhi uphendule i-imeyili yakho. Ingxenye ngayinye incane. Ngokufanayo ziyimisebenzi yesithathu, futhi ukhona owesibili.

Le yingxenye yokulandelana siwukwakha impahla, futhi yingxenye kuphela lapho sizothi siyiphendule. First Employee is a AI employee that works a shift on your business every night: it picks up where the last shift ended, does the week-to-week work, and leaves one page in the morning saying what shipped, what it learned and the single question it needs answered. Anything irreversible — sending mail to a real person, posting publicly, spending money — waits for you. Every action it takes writes a receipt with the tool, the timing and the artefact, so the work is auditable rather than asserted.

Isakhiwo simahhala. Izishintsho zemini zivela nge-plan, futhi i-plan iyi-bill ephelele engxenyeni elawulwayo: sithatha i-0% yemali yakho ne-0% yemali yakho ye-ad. Uma ufuna ukuqhubeka siqhuba i-business side kuwe, i-plan elawulwayo ithatha i-15% yento enkampanini etholayo. Kunoma yikuphi, abahlinzeki bakho bakhokha i-akhawunti ngegama lakho, ngakho-ke asikubambe imali yakho. Indlela esebenza ngayo · Imali ekhokhwa

Imibuzo abantu bebuza kulolu hlelo

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.

Ukwakha inkampani yami yamahhala

Ukuthuthukiswa kumahhala. Umsebenzi wobusuku uqala nge-plan.