Though starting your own business will present a lot of obstacles along the way, when you’re new to the journey, your passion alone motivates you. You want nothing more than to succeed. The good thing about starting a business in modern times is that hundreds of people are doing it. This essentially means that you get to learn very valuable lessons from the mistakes of others, therefore increasing your chances of succeeding.

Below is a list of common mistakes you’ll want to avoid in your startup:

1. Failure to Create a Business Plan

Whether you intend to open a retail shop or provide blog writing services from the comfort of your own home, you need to have a business plan in place. Many entrepreneurs blindly start a business without an outline for success. Ideally, that’s what business plans are – outlines for success. A well drafted business plan will identify factors such as what your business is, who your target consumers are, along with the goals, ethics, and morals for your organization. It is essentially a roadmap that can keep you on track.

2. Accepting Too Much Outside Influence

It’s great to get help, ideas, and concepts from others about how to start your business, what products or services you should offer, and even what direction you should go in. However, absorbing too many personal opinions from others (no matter how successful that person is in business) can lead to “information overload.” When you’re faced with too many ideas your progress can become slowed. You can begin making poor decisions which could ultimately lead to the demise of your business.

3. Failure to Create a Data Security Plan

Your company data will become one of your most prized possessions. From company account information to customer records and financial records, there is a lot at risk. When utilizing an array of digital platforms, it makes it seemingly easy for data to become compromised. Lost, stolen, or hacked data can cost a company hundreds if not thousands of dollars to recover from.  

From the very beginning you should create a security plan that will help to safeguard your data. Creating strong passwords, providing access to users you trust, and installing security features like anti-virus protection is a must. More importantly, startups should do more to be prepared in the event that their data is compromised. Having a backup plan, such as working with the Secure Data Recovery experts to retrieve lost data can save your company time, money, and frustration.

4. Trying to Do it All

Working the business yourself saves you a ton of money… right? Wrong. However, this is an assumption that many new startups make. An entrepreneur who is strapped for cash will assume all of the major responsibilities of running a business. While this may work for a small while, there comes a point when you simply need the help of others to help the business grow. Trying to master every task without the necessary experience, skills, or trainings in all areas of your business could actually hinder you. It will essentially take you more time and cost you more money to complete tasks you’re not well-versed in. Not to mention the wasted time in money in those “trial and error” attempts you’ll have to make when trying something new. Sometimes, it’s best to hire or outsource.

5. Poor Hiring Decisions

There are those entrepreneurs that realize they need help, but don’t necessarily make the right decisions when it comes to hiring. Though having extra hands on board can free up some of your time and help to expand your business, it is imperative that the candidates you select will actually bring value to your startup. Inefficiently selecting employees can actually cost you more than you realize. Not only does it cost to post job listings, conduct interviews, and initiate training, but it will also cost you employer taxes as well.

Hiring the wrong employees means essentially firing them and rehiring new applicants, which wastes time and money. Creating a streamlined hiring process will ensure that you not only hire in a fast, more efficient manner, but that you select candidates that work well within the company environment.

6. Failure to Invest in Technology

Technology is seamlessly helping startups across the globe to streamline processes, improve productivity, and save money. While the initial costs of certain technologies might seem steep, they are essentially investments that will help you to grow your business well beyond what you imagined.

Though there are plenty of free tools and platforms out there that you can use to your advantage, however, you can’t be afraid to invest further into technology.  By investing in varying technologies like the internet, high quality computers, software, and phone services you create the ability to provide more efficient services to your customers – which is of course, the key to a successful business.

There are many of entrepreneurs who made these mistakes in creating their startup. While some of them managed to overcome these obstacles and learn from their mistakes, others had to put their dreams on hold or cancel them altogether. To give your startup the best chance at succeeding, try to learn from the mistakes of others.