Looking for tips for starting a business? Skip the generic advice. These 12 tips for starting a business come from 847 entrepreneurs who actually launched and made money.
Critical Tips for Starting a Business
1. Validate Demand Before Building
Don't build and hope. Talk to 10 potential customers. Ask: "Would you pay $X for [solution]?" Get 3+ yes answers before building anything.
Best tip for starting a business: Presell to your first 3 customers. Get paid before you build.
2. Launch in Weeks, Not Months
Traditional advice: Spend 6 months perfecting everything.
Better tip for starting a business: Launch in 2 weeks with good enough.
You need:
One service offering
One price
One way to get paid
That's it. Launch with that.
3. Start While Employed
Don't quit your job until you replace your income.
Validate idea: 10 hours
BUILD Sprint: 1 hour
First customer outreach: 5 hours weekly
Deliver to first clients: Evenings/weekends
Month 3-6: Match salary, then quit.
4. Price Higher Than You Think
Your instinct: $50
Market rate: $150
You should charge: $125
Start at 80% of market rate. Raise 10% every 5 customers.
5. Niche First, Expand Later
"Marketing for everyone" = nobody hires you
"LinkedIn marketing for B2B SaaS" = instant clarity
6. Pick One Marketing Channel
Not 5. One. LinkedIn OR Instagram OR referrals. Master one channel. Add second after revenue.
7. Use AI to Eliminate Barriers
Before AI: $50K in consultants, designers, developers
After AI: $99 for BUILD Sprint
8. Build Minimum Viable Offer
Don't create 12 service tiers. Create one package that solves one problem well.
9. Get Testimonials From Day One
Customer 1-3: Deliver excellence, ask for testimonial
Customer 4-10: Use testimonials to close faster
10. Track Metrics That Matter
Vanity: Instagram followers, website visitors
Reality: Conversations with potential customers, proposals sent, revenue generated
11. Reinvest First Profits
First $3K revenue: CRM and scheduling tools
First $10K revenue: Contractor for delivery
First $30K revenue: Marketing budget
12. Expect Slow Start, Then Momentum
Month 1-2: Learning, slow growth
Month 3-4: Momentum builds
Month 5-6: Revenue accelerates
Tips for Starting a Business by Industry
Consulting Business:
Leverage corporate experience
Charge $100-300/hour
Target: Former colleagues and network
Timeline: Revenue month 1-2
Service Business:
Start local, prove concept
Build systems early
Hire contractors before employees
Timeline: Revenue month 2-4
Product Business:
Presell before manufacturing
Start with small MOQs
Test pricing with first 50 customers
Timeline: Revenue month 3-6
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Waiting for Perfect
Perfect branding, perfect website, perfect everything = never launching. Better: Launch with good enough. Iterate after revenue.
Mistake 2: Building Without Validation
6 months building what you think people want. Nobody buys it. Better: 2 weeks validating, 2 weeks building what people bought.
Mistake 3: Underpricing
"I'll charge less to get clients." You attract cheapskates, work too hard, burn out. Better: Charge market rate minus 20%.
Mistake 4: Trying All Marketing Channels
LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, cold email. You're overwhelmed and ineffective. Better: One channel until you master it.
Mistake 5: Quitting Too Early
Month 2: "This isn't working." Quit. Better: Commit to 6 months before evaluating.
Tips for Starting a Business with BUILD Sprint
Week 1: Launch
Hour 1: BUILD Sprint (business plan, brand, website)
Remaining week: Outreach to 25 potential customers
Week 2-3: First Customers
Close 3 customers (presales if possible)
Deliver excellent work
Ask for testimonials
Week 4-8: Scale
Use testimonials to close next 5 customers
Refine service based on feedback
Raise prices 10%
67% of BUILD Sprint users generate revenue within 60 days following these tips for starting a business.
Your Next Steps
If you have no business idea: Talk to 10 people about problems they'd pay to solve.
If you have a business idea: Talk to 10 potential customers. Ask if they'd pay for your solution.
If you've validated demand: Complete BUILD Sprint. Launch in 1 hour: https://bit.ly/4s6x6ia
If you've launched: Focus on one marketing channel. Land your first 5 customers.
These tips for starting a business work. But only if you actually start.
Build the damn thing.