- To Move Your Small Business Forward Take A Step Back Door
- To Move Your Small Business Forward Take A Step Backwards
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Startups are small but mighty -- that's no secret. They fight for their marketplace positions by being scrappier and nimbler than their behemoth corporate counterparts. But that doesn't mean they're impervious to the need for support.
Related: A Surprising and Unlikely Place to Look for Product Ideas
Make Sure Your Small Business is Prepared for the Holidays. The holiday season is quickly approaching. And small businesses need to prepare early. In this Plousio post, Bryanna Larrea shares some steps you can take to make sure your business is ready for the busy holiday season. Use Visual Content to Impact Your Social Media Presence. We take the time to learn about your business and industry so that we can react to changes in the marketplace and anticipate your business's evolving banking needs. Your Relationship Team can also connect you with other specialists at TD to help move your business forward.
Until 2008, there were about 100,000 more new startups than business failures every year, but that ratio has nearly reversed itself in the last seven years. This steep decline in entrepreneurship makes it clear that startups require support -- but in fact that support can also come from within.
While securing backing from the government (or even from large franchisors) may seem good solutions, one of the best ways to help your small business thrive is to go back to the basics. By building a strong foundation, you can make internal problem-solving a cornerstone of your business model.
Take these four simple steps to breathe life into your company:
1. Start with the problem, not your product.
Write down the problem you are trying to solve. For example: 'Traveling business people don't like how long it takes to get through airport security.'
Notice I didn't say to write down your idea. As an angel investor and tech startup founder, I find people constantly spamming my LinkedIn account, looking to pitch their next 'billion-dollar idea.' The hard truth, though, is that 'great ideas' are worthless. Big problems that need to be solved, on the other hand, can be worth billions.
So, avoid thinking small -- a mindset many wannabe founders fall into. Successful entrepreneurs aren't in it just for the money; they want to make the world a better place. That kind of drive leads to growth.
2. Talk to 100 people in your target demographic (without pitching to them).
Set up meetings with potential and existing customers to solve problems for smaller groups of people rather than a whole demographic. Narrow your target by getting solid feedback from the 20 percent of consumers who'll purchase 80 percent of your product. Strategically targeting that particular niche will help you to dominate it.
Focus on one key goal: listening. Your focus shouldn't be on pitching; it should be on keeping a sharp ear out for pain points and asking, 'Why?'
Related: The Real Reason Companies Are Looking for Your Product Ideas
3. Look for pain-point patterns, and be intentional about addressing them.
Look for repeated patterns in your customers' behaviors to identify what you're doing wrong.
When we launched at SXSW, we saw 1,500 people sign up in just five days, which blew my mind. But, soon, customers were leaving more quickly than we could acquire them. So, we invested heavily in UX, listened to why people were leaving and rebuilt our app -- thereby cutting churn in half.
4. Validate that customers are on board.
According to 42 percent of founders writing post-mortem accounts of their business failures, the top reason startups fail is that their products aren't actually needed in the marketplace. No matter how well you think you know your customers, it's important to understand whether they actually want what you're selling. To ascertain the answer, create a one-page website that defines, in uncomplicated terms, what problem you're solving, and for whom. Include a call to action asking customers to provide their email addresses, to receive 'early access.'
Create an ad on Google AdWords to drive traffic to the site. Until you have at least 50 email addresses, from the first 1,000 unique views of your website, I recommend that you keep talking to more customers to determine changes you'll need to make to your product.
Every entrepreneur hopes that his or her idea will be revolutionary, game-changing and subsequently profitable. My company, SocialCentiv, was no exception. We launched it on a so-called 'brilliant idea' that ended up costing us $2.5 million.
The result was a product no one wanted. We had to admit we were wrong, and then educate ourselves. Through a lot of trial and error -- and eight rebuilds of our core product -- we eventually managed to interest people in SocialCentiv.
The truth is, 'easy' businesses do not exist; and 25 percent of startups fail before reaching their first anniversaries. So, instead of focusing on shortcuts or external support sources, zero in on the difficult yet straightforward task of making something people actually want.
Running a business is hard work, but if you're willing to invest from the inside out, the payoff can be well worth the grind.
Related: You Have A Great Idea For A Product, So Now What?
Keeping your financial records in order is hugely important to the success of your business. Not only does it keep you up-to-date on your profits and losses, but legally speaking, it's necessary to have your records straight. It makes the close of your fiscal year easy to execute by ensuring that all of your required statements are in the right place. This is especially important for dealing with the IRS.
Understanding just what exactly goes into a fiscal year close can be confusing, however, especially for new business owners. Even if you have an accountant on staff or retainer, it's still important to keep track of your finances yourself. It just makes good business sense for you, as the owner, to understand what exactly is happening with your money.
Let's examine the steps you should take when closing out your small business' books for the end of the fiscal year.
Steps to Take Before the Last Day of the Fiscal Year
1. Review your profit and loss statements
Your business' profit and loss statements will help you get a snapshot of its financial performance. What does your revenue look like now that the year is almost through? Do you anticipate any other large expenses to hit your books? If not, evaluate how much money you have available, and see if it might be wise to make a larger purchase before the end of the year so that the item can depreciate.
2. Verify Your Vendor and Lender Files
It's important to review the paperwork—including 1099s—associated with any of your vendors, as well as information relating to any current outstanding loans. Make sure all of your vendor 1099 forms are up-to-date and accurate. You also want to make sure the 1099 information has been inputted correctly into your accounting system so that it'll populate the forms when printed.
3. Take Inventory
If you sell products, conduct an inventory assessment and compare the results to your last inventory report. Make any necessary adjustments so that you have an accurate account of how much capital you have wrapped up in your current inventory.
Even if you don't sell products, it's not a bad idea to take an inventory of elements in your office, such as equipment, computers, office supplies, etc. Make a list of any broken equipment or equipment in need of repair. If you lease any electronics, such as copiers, pull out the contract associated with it and make sure the terms are still appropriate for your situation.
4. Look for Benefits to Report on Your Outgoing W-2
As a business that issues W-2s, these benefits relate to the organization as a whole and can reflect things such as health and life insurance, transportation subsidies, educational reimbursement programs and more.
5. Create a Budget for the Following Year
It's never too early to plan. By reviewing your statements from the current year, you'll start to see a pattern in the things you need to budget and plan for in the next year. By taking stock of your expenditures from the current year, you'll have a better understanding of where to focus your efforts moving forward.
Steps to Take After the First Day of the New Fiscal Year
1. Print Out Your End-of-Year Statements
You should keep them as electronic files, of course, but it still might be helpful to print out your profit and loss statement and balance sheet at a minimum. Accounting software like QuickBooks can help generate these financial reports, or you can reach out to an accountant to do it for you.
If you have a sales staff, you might want to print out sales per salesperson. If you're curious about your clientele, you might also want to take a look at how much each client generated in revenue over the past year. As with most metrics, your end-of-the-year statements are as useful as you want them to be. Choose the data that will tell you what you need to know.
2. Make Depreciation Entries
Depending on how savvy you are with your finances, you may need some help from your accountant for this step. The benefit of listing depreciation is that it decreases the amount of taxable income you must report on your taxes. There are four key characteristics of assets that are considered depreciable by the IRS:
- The asset must be wholly owned by the company.
- The asset is used to produce income.
- The asset must have a determinable lifespan.
- The asset should last more than one year.
There is also a list of assets excluded by the IRS that you need to cross-reference.
3. Reconcile All of Your Accounts
Go through all of your credit and bank accounts for the business, and reconcile all charges and payments. Make sure the statements match with your records, and investigate any unexplained discrepancies.
4. Print and Mail Out Tax Forms
To Move Your Small Business Forward Take A Step Back Door
If your fiscal year coincides with the calendar year, you must print and mail certain forms by a certain time. If your fiscal year doesn't coincide with the calendar year, some of these deadlines may still apply, so be sure to double-check with your accountant.
To Move Your Small Business Forward Take A Step Backwards
- 1099s: These forms should be mailed no later than January 31 to any independent contractors you hired. Don't delay in case there are errors.
- 1096: This form must be mailed to the IRS no later than February 28.
- Payroll Forms (e.g. W-2, W-3, 940, 941): Print and mail these forms as soon as you can, especially if you're handling it yourself and not asking an accountant or firm to do it. Remember that your employees cannot file their taxes until they receive a W-2, and many people like to file as soon as possible.
The end of the fiscal year is a crazy time for any business, but smaller businesses feel the pinch even more due to limited staffing and skill-set availability. Prepare yourself and make sure to cross off all of the steps necessary for a successful and responsible end of your fiscal year.
To Move Your Small Business Forward Take A Step Back Bpm
Looking to reduce your bills in the new fiscal year? If so, here are seven ways to instantly reduce your business expenses.
