The Tough Get Going

Trent Yesberg – Monday 30 November 2015

There's no denying times in Townsville are tough. Not to be confused with dire, but after visiting Sydney and the South-East corner of Queensland a few times this year, it is clear that there is more going on in other parts of Australia. There are a few reasons for this which are not limited to; the end of the mine construction phase has impacted the large FIFO work-force, job losses across certain sectors like Public Servants/Building & Constructions/ Trades etc and the inevitable downturn from the decrease in consumption as everyone has in some sense "tightened their belts" to match their current conditions.

One of the trends that tough times produce is the increase in entrepreneurship. When your back is against the wall, you have two options (metaphorically) fight or die and as our beloved North Queensland Cowboys have shown us – success is possible when you keep fighting! Never before has it been easier to start and advertise your own business. Between smartphones, apps, social media and DIY webstore templates – the only thing holding you back is you.

When your back is against the wall, you have two options (metaphorically) fight or die and as our beloved North Queensland Cowboys have shown us – success is possible when you keep fighting!

Here are just a handful of the things to consider along your "entrepreneurial apprenticeship"

1. What is your product? Work out what it is that you wish to You may decide to sell handmade items, on sell items or sell your services.
2. How much will you charge? How much is someone willing to pay for your service? Is there much competition for your product? Will that cover your costs AND make a profit? Anyone can be It is vital that you are not "selling yourself busy" and are actually making more money.
3. What entity will you trade as? This is very important and requires the advice of your Make sure you make an appointment before you get too far down the track.
4. Get Online! This is the critical way to reach your new and potential customers. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – by having your business "social" it allows you to talk with your audience in a more meaningful and unique approach. PRO TIP: it is vitally important that you understand how to use a #hashtag

Purchasing your domain is not vital but certainly helps. This allows you to own your web address ie www.mynewbusiness.com.au A webpage nowadays is just about mandatory. Ask anyone under 50 when was the last time they picked up that big old yellow book to check for a business in the area? #googleit

Once you have your ducks in a row, you can use a webstore like Shopify (www.shopify.com) to showcase your products and services. There are thousands of free ready-made templates that are all customisable to your preference and have inbuilt functions for you to accept credit card payments & direct deposit. You can have it linked directly to your Facebook page (ie a Facebook Store) plus it also allows for plenty of other apps to be connected to your ecosystem (get used to this buzzword!). A perfect example is MailChimp (www.mailchimp.com) which records email addresses and provides a very user friendly way of sending your own newsletter or specials email and QuickBooks Online (www.quickbooksonline.com.au) which records all of your transactions for GST & income reporting (among much much more).