As Number Nine celebrates its first birthday here are nine things we have learnt...

1. The Importance of a good business plan

Ensuring you have a good business plan is imperative to the success of your start up.  It conveys the organisational structure of your business including titles of directors and their individual duties.  A business plan also acts as a management tool.  It can be referred to ensure that the business is meeting day to day goals and targets as well as annual milestones.  

2. There are highs and lows

As with everything there are highs and lows when starting a business.  It helps to remind yourself of why you started your company in the first place on these low days.  Think about how fortunate and brave you are to go out alone and seek comfort in friends and mentors. 

3. Seeking help from mentors

Your business will benefit greatly from a mentor.  Mentors can help show you the ropes and offer great advice on business relationship and admin in the company. They will also help you to identify your skillset.  A good mentor should be approachable, objective, fair and honest, someone you can rely on even when things are not going perfectly.  

4. Teamwork makes the dream work

There is no ‘I’ in start-up.  Your team is your greatest asset so ensure that you are all on the same page with the same goal for the business’s success.  Some business crumble from within, ensure that your building a supportive network to help your business grow.   

5. Work is no longer 9-5

Gone are the days of watching the clock reach 5pm.  Starting a company means working 24/7, but you are doing it for yourself and you will learn to love it.  That said remember to make time for friends and family, they are the backbone to every great entrepreneur.   

6. Keeping expenses at a minimum  

Many businesses fail because they run out of money.   To failsafe from this unfortunate end keeping expenses low is vital to new companies.  At Number Nine we do not yet need an office so work out of the Director’s house and plan to for as long as possible.   

7. Start small and grow

Great things come from humble beginnings and a business is no different.  Richard Branson started the Virgin brand with a student magazine and you can do the same.  

8. PR is essential  

PR gives your brand a voice and allows your business to communicate what it is.  Furthermore, it encourages others to do your advertising for you.  PR will help you drive awareness of your company and allow your organisation to continually demonstrate its capabilities through the media, ensuring that your it gets noticed.   

9. Having a passion for what you do is very important  

Passion is one of the largest motivators when launching a business.  Your businesses failure or success will rest on your passion and desire to make it work or not.  If you are launching a business as a quick way to get money chances are it will likely not work, if you are launching it out of love for it the chances are it will.