We started with a checklist and lots and lots of sticky notes.
You may wonder why those two? Easy.
The sticky notes were to visualize individually since we are a co-owned business. We like to keep them right in front of us at our desks. That way we don't lose focus, it's easy to track but also very satisfying to get rid of them the moment the task is completed. No better feeling than to rip that sticky off the desk and discard it.
The checklist, on the other hand, is a great tool for us to have ready wherever we are and on the go. We can keep everything important reachable in one place and synced at all times. We found a great software for that called Asana. You can either just pull it up on your internet browser from anywhere or as an app on your phone or tablet. Like any other app, you have a free version and added options for a fee but for right now the free version has so much to offer that we personally do not have a need to upgrade just yet.
It can be very overwhelming when starting a business on your own, no actually it IS very overwhelming.
You constantly ask yourself if you are doing the right thing? Are you forgetting something? Will you dear friends even like what we have to offer? Are we doing our artisans' justice? What can we improve on? The list is long...
This is when it becomes very helpful to write down ideas, thoughts, and questions along the way. At least that's what helped us tremendously in the very beginning.
We started off by categorizing our checklist and adding items we could think of right off the top of our heads. Then the search on the world wide web started and even though there is a lot of helpful information, you can easily get sidetracked with not so helpful or even false information, which then needs further exploring. (Now reaching 7 months post-launch we still have those sticky notes in place. The colors keep changing, but the to-dos are never-ending)
Pre-launch it became very helpful to categorize our checklist and prioritize certain items:
Official business documents (in our case LLC and articles of organization)
EIN number
Sellers permit
Business bank account
Brand identity
Designing our own logo
Web host
Web builder
Building the actual website
Professional Email
Products
Contracts
Social Media
Marketing
Branded marketing material
Accounting
Accounting software
Quarterly Sale's Taxes
and so much more
(This was after we already established our business name and made sure it was available both with a domain of our liking and with the LLC filing department)
We are actually really proud that we have accomplished everything so far on our own and we want you to know that when you feel like you have an idea that can lead to your own business, you shouldn't feel discouraged with all the leg work that needs to be done first.
Obviously, that doesn't mean that you can't reach out for help if wanted or needed.
We definitely are aware that none of this is possible without the support of our family, friends, and community and it shouldn't. We are here to help and support each other. In any way we can.
Are you planning to start your own business? Then do it! Trust us, you will figure it out along the way! And if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. We have been there and would love to help!
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