I made a trip recently to Goodwill to donate some old toys, baby clothes, and old household appliances. As i dropped these items off, I reminisced about the year I spent as an intern at Goodwill's Career Center. Yes, I said Career Center! Did you know that Goodwill has Career Centers that offer free resources to people looking for a job or looking to start a small business?
Their Career Centers offer access to job boards, résumé building software, computers, cover letter writing assistance, job fairs and support from a career coach. They also offer courses for current and potential business owners ranging from Concept and Business Plan Development, Marketing (including social media), and Financial Literacy and Management,
I was fortunate enough to work as a Business Coordinator Intern at the Career Center, and taught worskshops to current and potential small business owners on tips and tools needed to start and run a microbusiness. I have since used these tips to successfully start and run my jewelry business and a joint business with my husband. Below I am sharing four of these tips with you.
4 Micro Business Tips
What is The Purpose of Your Business? What do you want people to remember you for or what value are you adding to the lives of your customers? Answering these key questions will help guide you towards your business' mission, vision, and name. Come up with a simple and catchy name and ask for feedback from family and friends on the name. You can create a logo for free by using apps like Canva.
Make It Official: Register you company as a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or S-Corp depending on what business structure works best for you. This simple quiz can help you decide on what business structure works best for you. After registering your business in your state, you would need an employer identificaiton number (EIN) and possibly federal and state tax ID numbers.
Get That Domain Name! I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get your business online. Everything is pretty much digital and there is no escaping it! You need a website for your business, and securing a domain name that matches your business name helps to build your credibility, increase your brand awareness, and online positioning on search engines like Google.
Get Funding: Now is a good time to take advantage of all the government assistance available for small businesses. There are low interest rate loans available as well as grants for small businesses owned by women, minority, epscialized fields, etc. Check out this resource for small business financing.
Thank you for reading, and please share some other tips or lessons learned from starting a business! XOXO.
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