Of all the excuses I hear for not starting a business fear of administration tops the list. You know how to do your job but because you never had to win a job or invoice for it you suddenly think you can’t do business. Here are some tips.
Invoices/bills – check out your phone bill, internet bill, or any kind of bill. Copy key elements from the content and layout.
Contracts – Google terms and conditions from the industry you’re in. Find good examples, stitch them together and take it to a lawyer for comment. There are also industry standard contracts. Larger clients will have their own standard terms and conditions for purchase orders.
Collecting taxes (VAT, state tax, GST, etc.) – every other business out there does it, so there are a lot of easy to understand FAQ advice on the web. If in doubt- ask your accountant.
Bookkeeping – hire one part time to help you out .
Accounting – most of them are happy to provide ad hoc advice as well as filing your returns.
Logo – go hire a graphic designer. If you are braver then go and have a logo design competition on one of the many websites that enable this form of crowdsourcing.
Website – get a domain name or two (it’s cheap), go find a hosting company and then ask about their websites too.
Server – if you are database driven then a commercially hosted server will do you fine. The monthly fee seems a lot but when you look at all the admin and IT costs you are saving then it is a pretty good deal.
Office – try renting a serviced office to start. Sure the rent per square metre is high, but you can choose a small space to fix your total rent bill, and you also can use the administrative staff on an as needs basis which is a lot cheaper than hiring a PA.
You aren’t the first person to get into business so you don’t have to invent or reinvent anything. Just look around and go ask when in doubt.
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