{"id":7721,"date":"2021-07-05T12:37:56","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T11:37:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/?p=7721"},"modified":"2026-01-07T13:43:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T13:43:05","slug":"ready-to-start-a-small-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/ready-to-start-a-small-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Ready to start a small business? Read this first"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStrategy, Legal & Operations<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tReady to start a small business? Read this first\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tBex Burn-Callander<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Thinking of setting up a small business in 2021? You\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, many of us found ourselves with more time to think about what makes us happy, to ask: \u201cAm I in the right career?\u201d and to re-evaluate our priorities in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the few positive outcomes from the global pandemic: it forced us to slow down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why Ireland has seen would-be entrepreneurs who want to make their passion their profession decide to take the plunge and start a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a small business journalist and the host of Sound Advice<\/a>, a new podcast aimed squarely at the startup community, I\u2019m lucky enough to meet and speak to entrepreneurs every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five pieces of advice I would give to any would-be founder to help them start their business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download your free side hustle toolkit, comprising a side hustle guide, business plan template and cash flow forecast template<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. Let nothing stand in your way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need a lot of money to start a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s never been cheaper to create a company and start selling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want a website, there are now many handy tools that can save you thousands of pounds in web design fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, using social media, you can begin selling your wares before you even have a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So don\u2019t let fears over budget hold you back: you can always invest money back into the business as you grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to know a thing about the industry you will be working in either. Sometimes, being a complete outsider can make you more successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t do things the same old way because that\u2019s how it\u2019s always been done. Just be prepared to ask a lot of questions and go on a seriously steep learning curve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Start with a side hustle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not quite ready to give up the security of your 9-5 to start your own business, the good news is that you don\u2019t have to. You can create your startup in your spare time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The side hustle has become extremely popular in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, you\u2019ll need discipline and resilience to make your side hustle work. You need to keep putting in the hours \u2013 even on days you\u2019d rather be flopped on the sofa in front of Netflix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Side hustles can also take longer to become successful, so prepare yourself for that, and adjust your goals and your idea of what success looks like accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download your free side hustle toolkit, comprising a side hustle guide, business plan template and cash flow forecast template<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. Go for unloved industries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It can help to look at industries that haven\u2019t seen too much disruption or innovation in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re going to create a new soft drink or popcorn brand, you\u2019re going to have a tougher time \u2013 there\u2019s so much competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, says lockdowns have provided ample opportunity for many to spot these unloved industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were trying to source products and services that were not available,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis led to the rise in \u2018lockdown startups\u2019 such as Muddy Trowel, which launched to deliver plants to people\u2019s doors and Sculpd, offering home-delivered and make your own pottery kits. Who\u2019d have thought?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Get some great advice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Great advice is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, Google is your friend and you should read all the intel you can. But it\u2019s also vital you find people who work within the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Track them down on LinkedIn or Twitter, ask friends and family for introductions, and see if they\u2019ll do a quick call \u2013 or a walk and coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be smart about how you ask for their time \u2013 flatter them. Tell them how interesting their last project was, or what their advice will mean to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try and find a great mentor while you\u2019re at it. You need people that you can talk to when you\u2019re a founder \u2013 especially a solo founder \u2013 as it can be a lonely journey at times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good mentor will have a great little black book, bursting with useful contacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A study by Sage found that 93% of entrepreneurs say that having a mentor has been integral to their success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, for more great advice, listen to my podcast \u2013 Sound Advice \u2013 Get Year One In Business Right<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve had some amazing guests, from Julien Callede from Made.com to a forthcoming chat with Coffee Republic\u2019s Sahar Hashemi, the woman who convinced a tea-drinking nation to switch to skinny lattes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019ve been brutally honest about their experiences and setbacks \u2013 and what it takes to succeed, so check it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Be authentic \u2013 and listen to your customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hashemi brought the concept of the US-style coffee shop to Europe. Coffee Republic had more than 100 cafes its peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hashemi says you need two core skills to start a business in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAuthenticity and empathy,\u201d she says. \u201cThe world of the customer has changed massively and the person that succeeds will be the one than can anticipate customers unmet need and meet that need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to have a lot of empathy with customers to really understand your product from their point of view \u2013 and see it with their eyes and ears.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wishing you a very enterprising 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Side hustle toolkit<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Get your free guide, business plan template and cash flow forecast template to help you boss your side hustle and achieve your goals.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload your free toolkit<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Join 1.5 million subscribers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Could 2021 be the year you finally launch your startup? Read this advice before you take the plunge and start a business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1161,"featured_media":7565,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[132],"business_type":[5],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[232],"imagine_tag":[230,234],"coauthors":[439],"class_list":["post-7721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy-legal-operations","tag-start-business","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-ie","author_name":"Bex Burn-Callander","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/2018_Heroic-295_All-Uses.jpg","imagine_tags":{"230":"Small business","234":"Start-up business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice Ireland","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1161"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/7565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7721"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=7721"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=7721"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=7721"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=7721"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=7721"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=7721"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=7721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}