Ultimate Guide on Starting a Small Business at 18

Introduction

• Social media changed the game for turning hobbies into businesses.
• Personal experience: grew an online business from nothing after leaving school at 18.
• Objective: share income streams, tips, and advice to help others avoid common mistakes.

Key Advice

• Strategy First, Investment Second:
  • Avoid heavy investments at the start.
  • Focus on building skills and understanding the market before spending money on expensive tools.
  • Example: started with affordable wood-burning tools to develop skills.

Steps to Start a Small Business

1. Conduct Good Research:

   • Understand the market for your product.
   • Pretend to be a customer searching for your product.
   • Example: Merged the idea of painting on vinyls with character portraits to cater to fandoms.

2. Define Your Audience:

   • Identify who your audience is and how to reach them.
   • Create a short survey or questions to better understand your target market.

3. Postage Considerations:

   • Packaging is important but should be cost-effective.
   • Research weight and size limits for shipping.
   • Order labels online for convenience and cost savings.
   • Use delivery offices for bulk shipments to avoid long post office queues.

4. Building a Following:

   • Importance of social media presence: Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.
   • Use Instagram business accounts to link directly to your shop.
   • TikTok success: Viral videos can lead to sustained orders through consistent views.
   • Pinterest: Posts can gain traction over time, leading to increased traffic to your site.

5. Website Creation:

   • Recommend using XYRO as a user-friendly website builder.
   • Affordable pricing and great customer support.
   • Use code for discounts on XYRO subscriptions.

6. Utilizing Free Alternatives:

   • Use Canva or Pixlr as alternatives to Photoshop for editing.
   • Libraries can provide printing services.
   • Use a smartphone for product photography.
   • Capture the process of creating products through photos.
   • Consider using family for photography instead of hiring professionals.

Cost-Effective Strategies

• Collaborate with others to reduce initial costs.
• Hire services instead of investing in software or equipment upfront (e.g., digitizing designs for embroidery).
• Save money in the beginning to maximize gains in the long run.

Conclusion

• Hope this guide helps others in starting their small business.
• Encourage viewers to check out studio vlogs for more insights.
• Request feedback: like the video for more content like this.