It’s an exciting week for everyone here at Tidal as we welcome Ross, our newest franchisee and the latest addition to our growing specialist cleaning team! Ross will be providing domestic and commercial cleaning services to the lovely people of Lewisham.
If you need your windows cleaned, your gutters cleared or your UPVC Fascias and Soffits gleaming, don’t sit there wondering ‘where can I find cleaning services near me’. Support your local business and get in touch via our contact form or give us a call.
Now there’s no denying that starting your own business can be daunting. Whether you’ve always worked for someone else or have launched a venture before, you need endless grit and determination, a whole load of support, and some key fundamentals to help both you and your business perform.
So, if like many of our new Tidal Partners you’re in the early stages of being your own boss, here’s our best advice when starting a business.
Grow your community
We’re yet to meet a business owner that hasn’t experienced the feeling of being lonely. Running your own show can be tough, especially in the early days when you don’t have a team to share the highs and lows with. We recommend finding a network of like-minded people who are willing to offer you help and support.
Just search Google and you’ll find plenty of free events, Facebook groups, and online meet-ups. We’re also forming our own community for all of our franchisees here at Tidal. So rest assured, running your own business doesn’t need to be lonely if you’re willing to get out there and network.
Establish the systems and processes
When it comes to starting your own business, having the right infrastructure can make a difference. In the early stages, you might question whether you actually need all of these things in place, and our resounding answer would be YES!
Having the correct IT systems and operational processes to increase productivity and efficiency will enable you to deliver seamless customer service and prove invaluable when scaling your business.
Before starting, be sure to make this a priority and do your research. We’d suggest selecting a few suppliers so that you can compare packages and budgets according to prices. If you’re a Tidal Franchisee we have all of these in place to save you the leg work.
Financial literacy
This is a big one and something that you’ll need to get to grips with. Not understanding cash flow can be detrimental to your cleaning business or any venture for that matter. Knowing how to budget so that you can operate within your means and maintain your lifestyle along with saving to re-invest is critical to your success.
While we are not claiming to be financial gurus, in our experience, using an online tool to manage your bookkeeping can be useful as well as finding a reputable accountant and financial expert.
Marketing
Okay so you’ve started a new business, but how do you plan to get the word out there? Offering a great service is all well and good, but wasted if no one knows that you exist. Fortunately, we live in a time where marketing yourself via well-known platforms is easy to access. Set up a social channel, post valuable content frequently and you’re off. Oh, if only it were that easy!
The reality is that having the time to write posts and reach beyond your organic audience is time-consuming and comes at a cost. At first, you may be able to handle the work demands of that, but things will naturally be more challenging as you scale and grow.
One of our favourite pieces of advice when starting a business is to consider getting the help of social media freelancers or virtual assistants. Nonetheless, if you’re a Tidal Franchisee we handle all of your marketing and allocate a marketing budget in your setup fees.
Stress management
As we mentioned before, starting your own business is not for the faint-hearted. Although the positives far out way the negatives, there are times when you will feel overwhelmed and stressed. This can be all-consuming if you don’t have some coping strategies at your fingertips.
Find that person who you can trust and talk to. Whether that’s a friend, a family member, a coach, or a stress management helpline, identify who you can turn to when things feel too much. Lastly, don’t forget to make time for the things that you enjoy. When you’re passionate and you love what you do, the hardest thing can be to switch off.
Having a strong work ethic and putting in the hours is great, but equally taking some downtime to detach and re-energise will help you to find a work-life balance, bring your A-game and stay in business for the long term. After all, we’re assuming that building a lifestyle that works for you, was one of the reasons you went it alone.
As always, if you have any questions about our blog post or the services we provide, feel free to reach out. We’re always here to offer our support, chat, and network.
Stay safe and well from Team Tidal.