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It’s Time! – to think about starting your own business

B2B Editor4 September 2013

It’s Time! – to think about starting your own business

Regardless of who won the recent Federal Election there will be thousands of public servants in Canberra and around the country that will be considering taking advantage of a redundancy package and either heading into retirement, the private sector – or starting their own business.

With this in mind Synergy Business Centres has expanded in Canberra by opening a new centre in Tench Street Kingston and outlines below some of the vital steps in starting a business.

“We are pleased to be expanding in Canberra to provide more, virtual and serviced office, facilities to individuals, businesses and government,” Dario Beltrami, Synergy General Manager Canberra, said.

The new Centre in Kingston, Canberra’s oldest suburb, provides a professional and economical total office solution. Located in the heart of key business districts, it is suitable for all types of businesses seeking executive offices complete with high quality furnishings at an affordable price.

The Synergy offices located in Canberra’s popular inner south, an area that has been largely redeveloped, is located a stone’s throw from the Kingston Foreshore and the Parliamentary Triangle, and is adjacent to Kingston’s popular caf and boutique shopping area. With its vibrant culture and being only a short 8 minute drive to the CBD, Kingston is regarded as one of the most exclusive suburbs in Canberra.

Kingston currently houses a number of firms across industries such as accounting, legal, banking, engineering, advisory groups and defence contractors.

“These new developments and the rise of a caf society have revitalised Kingston and restored it as one of Canberra’s most exclusive suburbs,” Dario said.

Synergy Business Centres tips for people considering starting a business

In the early business strategy stages, an entrepreneur probably won’t have the three most important things all successful businesses require: a physical presence, online presence and money.

“The fact is these three things are needed to accelerate the process of success and become the entrepreneur you’ve always dreamed of,” Dario outlined.

Even though obtaining some of these right now may seem unrealistic, Synergy Business Centres will show you, how they might be obtained.

Apply for “Free Money”

So you’re probably wondering why “free money” is in quotes.

The reason it’s in quotes is because you have to dedicate time and effort to getting this money. However, after you get it, as long as you remain true to your entrepreneurial spirit, you don’t have to give it back.

“There are organisations and different groups who are willing to invest in your idea. These organizations succeed through your success,” Dario explained.

  • Federal Government: Most likely, you’ve heard of federal grants. Many people believe that they only apply to non-profits, but this is false. If you go to the Australian government’s Grants Link (http://grants.myregion.gov.au) web page, you’ll discover a trove of federal grants available to people like you who believe they’re business idea can succeed as a contribution to the public. This contribution can come in many forms: job creation, important services, vital goods, etc. If you make your case convincing, getting a federal grant isn’t out of the question. Many entrepreneurs have done it before.

Niche Organisations: Even if you have the wildest idea imaginable, there’s surely an organisation that supports it. The key is to find these organizations and create a list.

  • Many industry-specific organizations give out grants to entrepreneurs passionate about their idea. Do a Google search, find these organizations, and discover if they give out grants. If they do, apply. Apply, apply, apply.

Even if the grant is for a small amount of money in the grand scheme of things, it’s enough to help you build your business one step higher. For instance, a small grant can help you build your first major online presence – a website.

Build an Online Presence

“Having a website that describes your business and the products and services offered is as vital for business success as oxygen is for human survival,” Dario outlined.

Today, building a beautiful website is easier than ever. You can use platforms like Word press that offer you easy, unlimited access to every facet of your website or incredibly user-friendly platforms like Square space that require virtually no website building experience at all.

If you don’t feel comfortable building your own website, you can find skilled web designers through freelancing platforms like oDesk. In online spaces like oDesk, you can get great deals for great services – web design, graphic design, logo design, web copywriting … everything you need to build an incredible website. If you have the extra money to spend, spend it here.

Build a Physical Presence

Many small businesses start off at home in a small corner of the living room or spare bedroom. Your family will put up with it for a short period of time, making an allowance for all the paperwork, conference calls, and other activities included in running a small business from home.

But what do you do when you need to have meetings at your office? Is your home office presentable enough to have visitors? What about the opportunity to network with other small business owners?

“You certainly don’t get to do a lot of that when working alone from your living room,” Dario said.

When you have a physical presence, the trust people have in you increases dramatically. There’s something about an office location that’s irreplaceable by mobile technology.

It’s incredibly special to have a physical location, because, nowadays, not many entrepreneurs have one. They’re either working out of their home or traveling all over without rest,” Dario stated.

Having a place you can escape to and focus solely on business without distractions is invaluable. While some people look at it as an unneeded expense, others look at it as an opportunity to form professional relationship and invite clients or potential business partners to a professional, personalized environment.

When entrepreneurs want to invest in their professional impression, they end up going with one of two kinds of physical presence:

Serviced Office Suites

(http://www.synergycentres.com.au/serviced-offices.html)

If working from home is not for you, a serviced office may prove to be a much better choice. A serviced office is a shared office space where many entrepreneurs come into one space to rent an office and other office tools for anything from a few hours to several months at a time. You can often choose to rent an entire office space which can be useful for those needing space for 2 to 3 people.

“You can also only rent desk space if you are a solopreneur looking for a quiet place to get your work done. These spaces often come with internet access, access to a meeting space, fax and copy machines – and most importantly – coffee,” Dario explained.

Aside from the physical benefit of renting a serviced office, there are also many social benefits as well. One of the downsides of being an entrepreneur can be the loneliness.

“Working in solitude every day of the week can get rather boring. It may help to be in an environment where other entrepreneurs are just as excited about their businesses as you are about yours,” Dario outlined.

You may also find partners who can collaborate on projects with. For example, if you’re a graphic artist you may partner with another company in need of design work for their marketing materials.

Virtual Office Suites

(http://www.synergycentres.com.au/virtual-offices.html)

With a virtual office suite, you get a professional business address, secretary, and even access to conference rooms at locations run by the virtual office provider. You have access to nearly everything a person with a serviced office suite does except for a building office. Basically, a virtual office suite allows you to maintain your home working environment while enhancing your professional stature in the physical space.

With today’s technology, small business owners should have no problem cutting down on paperwork or connecting with other professionals as needed via the internet.

Technologies like the cloud allow you to create, save, and access your business documents stored on a remote server accessible via the internet,” Dario said.

The benefit of this is that if your present computer should happen to crash or get stolen, you will be able to access your documents using another computer. A digital office will also make your business portable.

A portable business can mean that you can work anyplace on the planet that has a reliable internet connection. You can work from cafes, beaches, a sunny porch, etc. If you wanted to experiment with location independence, you could do so with a digital business. Have you ever wanted to live several months in Malaysia, China, or India all while making money? You can do that if your business is digital.

“Basically, a virtual office suite allows you to maintain your home working environment while enhancing your professional stature in the physical space,” Dario stated.

Once you have made the decision to start a business, or to move out of your home office it can all seem a bit daunting. But if you combine these tips with your entrepreneurial spirit and original ideas, you’ll achieve success quicker and form important business relationships along the way.

“I am also available to sit down with you to discuss your needs and any aspect of this article – please call me to arrange a time for a coffee,” Dario said.

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