The Hard Part of Starting a New Business

Introduction

Starting a new business is no easy feat. It requires juggling numerous tasks and responsibilities, from finding suppliers to designing a logo, from securing leases to hiring employees. With so much to focus on, it’s easy to get distracted and lose sight of what truly matters. In this article, we’ll explore the hard part of starting a new business and why it’s crucial to prioritize it for success.

The Endless Tasks

When embarking on a new venture, there seems to be an endless list of tasks to tackle. From creating a compelling logo to expanding the supplier roster, it’s easy to get caught up in these necessary but insufficient tasks. While they may be important, they alone won’t create enough impact to drive real change. And change is essential for every new project to thrive.

The Hiding Behind Tasks

Focusing solely on these tasks can be a form of hiding. We tend to gravitate towards what is known and doable, as it gives us a sense of accomplishment. We might find ourselves spending excessive amounts of time perfecting a logo or brainstorming ways to make our terms of service more interesting, all while neglecting the hard part of the business – customer traction.

Customer Traction – The Real Challenge

The hard part of starting a new business lies in gaining customer traction. It’s about finding enough customers who are not only willing to pay a fair price for your product or service but also excitedly spread the word. When customers become advocates and bring in new customers, generating more income than expenses, your project becomes viable and successful.

Outsourcing vs. Hardness

Interestingly, the hard part of starting a business isn’t necessarily the task that costs the most money. Tasks can often be outsourced to experts, effectively relieving the burden on the founder. For example, rather than building your own email server, you can simply rent one. In the realm of book publishing, printing, typesetting, copyediting, and legal work aren’t actually hard – there are professionals eager to handle these aspects for you.

The true challenge lies in customer traction, in building a loyal customer base that will not only support your business financially but also spread the word organically. It is where founders must invest their time and energy.

Allocating Time and Resources Wisely

It’s crucial for founders to understand that every minute spent not working on customer traction may be misallocated. While other tasks may seem important in the moment, they pale in comparison to the impact of attracting customers who will become loyal and generate more revenue in the long run.

By focusing on customer traction from the outset, entrepreneurs can set their projects up for success. It requires a shift in mindset from the day-to-day tasks to the broader picture of building a customer base that will sustain and grow the business.

Closing Summary

Starting a new business is a complex undertaking that involves numerous tasks and responsibilities. However, it’s essential for founders to recognize that the hard part lies in gaining customer traction. The ability to attract enough customers who are not only willing to pay but also evangelize your business is what sets a project up for success. By prioritizing customer traction and allocating time and resources accordingly, entrepreneurs can ensure they are focusing on what truly matters in the journey of building a thriving business. So, don’t get lost in the endless tasks, but instead, put your energy into finding and delighting those customers who will drive your business forward.