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The uncertainty surrounding starting your own business can be daunting. With so many things to do before you even open shop, the feeling of there always being more work to be done can make your startup seem like an overwhelming venture. These are a few suggestions that can help you feel more secure before you welcome your first customers.

Understand the Basics of Search Engine Optimization

While search engine optimization, also known as SEO, can be quite complex, it can also be hugely beneficial for your online presence. Goins Writer explains, “having the right keyword strategy can lead to a broader audience and an increase in potential customers.” These tips can help you optimize your website effectively for search engines:  

• Make sure that your content consists of 1 to 3 percent keywords. This will ensure that your site ranks well with search engines without taking the risk of getting it pulled from search results.
• Remember to ensure that you have plenty of long-tail keywords. This means that the keywords you choose are a string of four or more words. The reason that you need to include long-tail keywords in your keyword list is that they are more likely to be searched by people than shorter keywords and have less competition.
• Make sure that your entire list of keywords is fairly long. It’s important to have a mixture of long-tail keywords and keywords that are a single word.
• Ensure that you have plenty of backlinks.

Maybe Franchise Your Company

A franchise business will act as a safety net of sorts for your company. That is because if one branch isn’t doing well, the others will be able to make up the slack. Franchise Gator claims that food franchises “make up about 32% of all franchise establishments in the U.S. and employs over 5 million people”. Furthermore, owning a branch of a franchise rather than going into business completely on your own has advantages due to pre-existing franchises being recognized more by the general public. This is the difference between opening up a brand new spa all on your own and opening up a Hand and Stone spa. 

Do Competitor Research

One of the best ways to do this research is with surveys, and businesses all over the world swear by this strategy. Another great way to do research on the popularity of your products in a specific region is to look at your competitors. Find out how successful they are with certain products that you’re considering offering and what they could improve upon. By researching what others are accomplishing as well as what they’re failing at, you can have an edge up on the competition in your market. 

Be Prepared for the Ways That Your Work Life Will Change

While many people become self-employed because of the independence and freedom that it gives them, this freedom creates additional responsibilities. One of the best ways to prepare yourself for the new and exciting challenges that come along with being a new entrepreneur is to seek career coaching. Coaching can help prepare you for the world of self-employment and prevent many of the pitfalls that may accompany it, like burning out.

These are a few ways that you can make your goals more secure, but they aren’t the only things to keep in mind when starting your own business. Continually learning about successful business techniques and strategies can give you valuable confidence when starting up your business.