It can be scary to turn an idea into a reality, but the good news is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to do so. Here are my 6 steps to help you start your business venture.
Come up with ideas and make them better
MyIDP is a great tool for evaluating yourself. At first, I made a list of my technical and transferable abilities and then combined these with my love of writing and teaching to come up with a list of services. I thought of three things:
Pick one idea and get really involved in the business.
Choose one concept from the list you made. Sign up for some free forums or discussion groups. Talk to your peers, ask questions, and learn from them. I chose medical writing because I love putting ideas into words and my research showed that there is a lot of need for it. Learn how people in your niche industry think and act, how they get clients, decide how much to pay them, and get through tough times in the market. Make real relationships and grow your network.
Make your professional profile as good as it can be and keep it up to date.
Look at profiles you like and ask people you trust for input. Keep an eye on visitors, find potential clients, and talk to them. A client might take months or even years to buy your service.
Assemble a portfolio
As you work on the steps above, put together a portfolio of your best work. Think about what your clients want and choose three or more of your best samples that show what you can do. Add a link to your portfolio on your professional profile. This will give your potential customers a taste of what you can do.
Set up a Webpage
Having a website makes you look more trustworthy. Building one has grown simpler lately with various downloadable step-by-step tutorials. I suggest choosing a free hosting platform, such as WordPress. A good site has skills, experience, a portfolio, contact information, and a few testimonials.
Get the word out about your service
Make a pitch that gets people’s attention. Consistent marketing is indispensable for your business. You need to stay in the minds of potential customers so they think of you first when they need the service.
Your university gives you access to great resources and free memberships as a graduate student (for example, Udemy). Many platforms include free basic plans or free trials for tasks like research, writing contracts, making bills, tracking billing hours using Controlio, and managing projects. The skills you are learning in grad school about managing time and projects will help you do well in your business. If you have a good plan (like a free course on project management) and stick to it, you can get started by putting in a few hours a week.
You now know the essential steps to starting a business without spending any money up front. But putting in a little money, like the cost of a month’s worth of lattes, can pay off big time. I spent $20 on hosting my website (and a domain name) and $80 to join a professional group in my first year as a freelancer. This tiny investment helped me gain knowledge and trust.
