Creating a business is an exciting adventure, but also full of pitfalls. The opportunities are numerous, the tools more accessible than ever, but the competition is tough and customer expectations high. So, what do we really need to get off to a good start?
Here is a clear, modern and pragmatic roadmap in 10 essential points to start your business.
🧠 1. A clear idea… and validated
It all starts with an idea. But a good idea is not enough: it must respond to a real need, be differentiating, and above all tested.
So it is essential to make sure that the idea corresponds to a real need, otherwise your efforts will be useless. The ultimate goal will always be to sell your product, and therefore buyers must need it.
How do you know if your idea fits with a need? Here are 3 simple ways to check:
- Market research: Who are your customers? What are their problems? Who are your competitors?
With these basic questions you will have a good vision of the subject and see if your idea matches. - MVP (Minimum Viable Product): Create a simple version of your offer to quickly test the interest.
Try & buy! A MVP will immediately allow you to try your idea to your future customers and know if the idea is good. - Field feedback: Talk to your future customers, listen to them, adjust.
In the end, it is your customers who will tell you what they are waiting for: spend time with them to understand their needs, their difficulties, … and adapt your idea accordingly.
💡 Useful tool: Typeform or Google Forms, or any type of tool for doing surveys. Your goal is to collect information from your audience.
📋 2. A business plan… but agile
The business plan is no longer a frozen block of 50 pages, the world has evolved. You should not be afraid of this word that ultimately describes what you have in mind.
Today we favor visual, synthetic and evolutionary formats. Gone are the days when you had to write a novel and detail everything precisely. Why? Simply because today everything is going faster, things are changing and evolving quickly.
Your basic idea will evolve, the market too. In 6 months things will have changed. So your business plan must also adapt to the water’s line. You cannot predict the future over several years: stay pragmatic and agile.
The basic elements to describe are:
- Business Model Canvas: A page to visualize your business model (how you will sell your product).
- Financial forecasts: Even simple, they are essential to anticipate your needs and look for financing.
- SMART Objectives: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Temporal. Don’t try to go to the Moon, aim for goals within your reach and that are realistic.
💡 Useful tool: Canvanizer or Strategyzer to create your canvas, or the Microsoft 365 suite.
⚙️ 3. Well-chosen digital tools
No need for a complete arsenal from the start, you are not a multinational. But conversely, do not fall into the trap of false savings or DIY: you are alone, or almost, so your time is precious.
Invest in the tools that will make you effective! Some tools are essential to save time and stay organized:
| Need | Recommended tools |
| Book-keeping | Indy, QuickBooks, Pennylane |
| Invoicing | Henri, Evoliz, Invoice.net |
| CRM | HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, TwiLead |
| Project management | Notion, Trello, ClickUp |
| Automation | Zapier, Make, n8n |
| Website creation | Webflow, Wix, WordPress |
🎯 Tip: start simple. Too many tools kill productivity, cost you dearly, and make your life more complex. This is precisely where all-in-one solutions like TwiLead make your life easier and save you money.
💸 4. Financing adapted to your ambition
No need to raise millions to start. But you have to secure a minimum of cash to last the first months: you need a salary, you will have basic expenses, travel expenses, etc… And these expenses will generally be incurred before having the first inflows of money. It’s classic, you have to prepare for it.
Several sources of funding are possible:
- Personal contribution: often essential, especially if you are looking for a loan.
- Public aid: national or regional aid, various exemptions.
- Crowdfunding: ideal for testing the market and raising funds.
- Love money: family, friends, loved ones.
💡 Useful tool: Bpifrance Creation to explore the available aid, a very useful source of information for French entrepreneurs.
🧾5. A clear legal framework
The choice of legal status is crucial. It impacts your taxation, your social protection, your accounting obligations. We are not going to explain the differences in detail here, but it is important to inform yourself well. Many sites give all the details, and if necessary ask an accountant.
🎯 Advice: be accompanied by an accountant or a legaltech (Legalstart, Captain Contract…). Generally this is part of your accountant’s package, who will also take care of the administrative formalities.
📣 6. A marketing strategy from the start
You don’t need a complex marketing plan, but you need to know how to attract your first customers, because in the end no one will do it for you. Don’t think that marketing is a matter of advertising reserved for big agencies.
It is first of all your responsibility and you can do it yourself, especially with the tools available.
The basic elements you need to deal with:
- Brand identity: logo, graphic charter, communication tone.
- SEO optimized website: your 24/7 showcase, mandatory.
- Social networks: choose 1 or 2 relevant platforms, no need to publish everywhere, you must target the networks where your customers are.
- Emailing: start building your contact database that will be used to send your campaigns.
- Targeted advertising: test with small budgets (Meta Ads, Google Ads). Be careful, costs can quickly soar and bring no result. If you advertise, you must measure whether it brings you customers. Otherwise it’s useless.
💡 Useful tool: Brevo or TwiLead for your email campaigns.
🧑💻 7. Key skills to develop
Even if you delegate, some skills are essential to manage your activity. You must be multi-skilled, like a Swiss army knife, and know how to do a little of everything. No need to be an expert, but you are the driver so you must understand 100% of what concerns your activity:
- Time and priority management
- Accounting concepts
- Basics of digital marketing
- Use of digital tools
- Ability to sell and convince
🎯 Tip: train continuously. Platforms like OpenClassrooms or LinkedIn are excellent starting points.
🤝8. A network, even small, but active
Entrepreneurship cannot be alone, at least not if you want to thrive. Online ads will not do everything: in the end, human contact remains the key, and word of mouth is your best ally.
Surround yourself from the beginning and make yourself known:
- Local or online entrepreneur groups, BNI
- Incubators, coworking spaces, afterworks
- Mentors or coaches
- Potential partners
💡 Tip: LinkedIn is a gold mine to create useful connections, but target well. For each relationship ask yourself what it can bring you, and vice versa (it works in both directions).
🧘 9. A good state of mind
Beyond the tools and plans, what makes the difference is you. Your energy, your state of mind, your desire. It is certainly not a guarantee of success but it is essential:
- Be resilient: failure is part of the game.
- Stay curious: the world is changing quickly, keep an open mind.
- Learn to delegate: you can’t do everything alone.
- Celebrate small victories: they build motivation.
This is your project, it will look like you.
🏝️ 10. Know how to stop
Finally, we forget it too often, but you are not a machine. You may have the feeling of being able to work non-stop, of being at the top at all times, but it’s wrong.
Your body and brain need to breathe. Not paying attention to it is exposing yourself to difficulties that you could have avoided!
Know how to take breaks in the day, take some holidays, and moments of reflection.
Ask yourself the question: what would become of your activity if, exhausted, you fell asleep at while driving and ended up in the hospital for 6 months? Game over…
✍️ Summary
Starting an activity is a clever mix of vision, tools, method and human. It is not about having everything perfect from the beginning, but about moving forward with clarity, agility and confidence.
You need a good foundation, clear ideas, a desire to collaborate, and not to spare your efforts. No guarantee, it’s the game, but a satisfaction that is priceless when your activity begins to be successful.
Find tools, surround yourself with the right people, test your ideas,
And here you go!!
