Marketing DIY When Starting a Business
Image Credit: Death to Stock
Being a business owner can be both exciting and daunting. Following your passion and starting a business that allows you to focus on doing the work you love is the career holy grail. But running a business requires many moving parts that need your attention regularly for your business to be a success. Here is why I think it’s best to try to DIY as many aspects of running your business as possible when you’re just starting off before hiring a contractor for help.
As a designer, I tend to struggle with accounting. I know, big surprise an artist isn’t great with numbers. Even though I struggled early on to get my taxes organized and filed properly, I knew I was in over my head and needed help. So I found an accountant that not only filed my taxes, but also provided guidance on where I wasn’t documenting expenses that could be written off, which was a great win for my business. Before I reached out, I took the time to learn accounting basics so I would have a better understanding of how I wanted my business to be set up and what services I required from my accountant.
This approach can be applied to any other tasks required to run a business. Legal counsel, payment processors, process documentation, marketing, sales, design, etc. Trying your hand at all the tasks associated with running your business can also give you a better idea of what you’re realistically able to do on your own, both in terms of skill and preference. If you’re able to file your own taxes and maybe even enjoy the process because you’re good at it, then you can save money doing this task on your own.
Understand What You Want & Need
Having a basic idea of what you want and need for your business is ideal before ever reaching out to contractors for assistance. This will make sure you’re not wasting your time and money on products and services you don’t need. It also tees up the relationship with your contractors to be a positive, win-win relationship because you’re able to provide them with the information they need to serve you best, making sure everyone’s time is well spent. This is why DIYing all the business tasks starting off is ideal, as it provides you with this valuable information upfront.
The DIY approach in regards to your branding and website design still holds true. If you have strong feelings about how your logo and website should look, try to design them yourself using one of the many free design platforms online. It will provide you with some insight into how the design process works and you may really like the DIY approach. Squarespace offers a DIY logo creator and of course, they also offer website hosting, domains, beautiful pre-designed website templates and excellent marketing tools. They make it easy to DIY your entire online brand experience for cheaper than the costs associated with hiring a web designer. And they provide online support and a self-help forum where you can ask a question and the community will provide an answer in a timely manner.
On the flip side, you may have no idea what you need regarding your branding and website and no desire to attempt to design them yourself, so you already know you need to reach out to an expert. Even if this is the case, you still need to be able to articulate who your ideal client is, communicate clear marketing goals, and have a basic idea of what you like aesthetically so you can provide some direction to your designer. There are ways you can educate yourself on what to expect when working with a designer, as well as an idea of what you want in regards to aesthetics for your brand. For example, you can research other companies that you’re drawn to for their logo design, website experience, or whatever visually interesting elements you find speak to you. Providing your designer with as much detailed information about your preferences as possible will make the project outcome more successful.
Experience is key when running a business and managing contractors. This happens with time and effort, so DIYing when you’re just starting off can pay dividends in the long run by way of educating yourself on essential business skills and effectively managing and relating to the contractors you hire if you come to find hiring a professional can provide your business with more value.
