Considerations for every startup (startup the right way)

“Internet startups are the fuel on which the fires of capitalism dance and lead the way” – Abraham Lincoln. OK, perhaps Abe didn’t go around making many prophetic quotes about the web. But he did say, “You have to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was”. And that’s a quote for all time that lends itself particularly well to business. You can’t rely on anybody.

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Not your investors. Not past market trends. Not even last week’s data. Good decisions made on good data will drive you forwards, but shaky decisions based on gut feelings will get you nowhere. Let’s look at considerations for your startup that shouldn’t be left to chance.

A note on brand awareness

Brand awareness is a semi-mythical beast that’s hard to keep hold of (find out more on Bynder.com). Why? Because no matter what your opinion of your brand, there’s always one more insight to take into account that could change everything. Brand awareness isn’t about knowing that you chose a dolphin themed logo because you’ve always loved dolphins since you were a kid. Brand awareness isn’t about knowing that the reason you picked yellow as the main colour on your website is that it was your grandmother’s favourite colour. These elements make up your brand, and you may be aware of the drivers behind your internal decision making, but true brand awareness goes way beyond reasons that the public can’t see or appreciate. You need to sell a feeling. Who are your demographics? Would your target audience spot itself in your products or services? Are you a family brand with family-oriented advertising? Or is your family brand fronted by a yellow dolphin that says nothing of your values to the onlooker? You have to create a home for your audience. And if you don’t know how you’re strategically going about that, you aren’t brand aware.

How’s that data storage looking?

Data is power. From data, you can learn who interacts with your brand and infer from your sales how and why spending power is being directed. Data is precious. That’s why storing it
shouldn’t be an afterthought. If you are storing data in-house on a segmented server (or even a dedicated server if you have the money), you risk a few things. One is a data breach if you don’t know how to protect your files. Another issue is downtime if you don’t know how to restore your machines when disaster strikes. Look into outsourcing your data storage, and also benefit from other features such as regulatory compliance.

Your website probably needs a professional touch…

Did you build your website? Did it take you an afternoon? Was it a drag and drop quick fix? There’s no shame in it. Those kinds of quick builds can look super snazzy with the right eye for detail. But as you progress from the startup stage, your site will begin to look dated fast. You need professional help. Your competition already pays for the best. Make sure your website doesn’t look amateur.

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