Clare Griffiths – Beepurple

Clare Griffiths is a part of the Beepurple careers and employability team. During her discussion she informed us that there are 7 key steps when it comes to succeeding in self-employment:

1. You need to come up with an idea.
2. You need to research into your chosen market.
3. You need to write down any ideas.
4. You need to test and refine your ideas.
5. You can access business support for help.
6. Don’t ever stop marketing.
7. Remember nothing goes to plan, obstacles can get in the way.

When generating ideas, you need to ensure your product or service solves a problem and that it has a use that is required by the target market. You also need to remember that sometimes your original idea won’t always be the one you end up creating a business out of, so always be open-minded.

Whilst researching your target market ensure you are really clear on who your target market is, and what you feel their specific needs are. Always make sure you listen to your customers and clients as; they will be open to tell you what they need if you just listen.

When analysing your ideas, always think about questions like these: Does your product/ service meet your customers needs? Do you have the necessary skills and resources to make your ideas happen? Will you generate enough revenue to cover your costs and create a profit? And many other questions, there will always be questions you need to think about when entering the world of self-employment but, companies like Beepurple are here to guide you on your journey.