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
Free Builder Type quiz: 10 minutes
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, and developers
After AI: minutes instead of months, guided by the free Builder Type quiz
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 the free Builder Type quiz
Week 1: Launch
Hour 1: the free Builder Type quiz to map your first steps
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 Builders 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: Take the free Builder Type quiz. Launch in 1 hour: https://buildthedamnthing.com/resources/tools/builder-type-quiz
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.