You have a vision, and it’s huge. Building your company from the ground up – your own empire – is not something that happens overnight. It takes a few things: an incredible idea, start-up capital, and endless hard work and dedication.

If you’re in the process of building and growing your business, or have yet to even start planning, here are a few important things that you’ll need to do and think about if you want the roaring success you’ve been dreaming about.

Impress Investors

Start-up businesses are popping up constantly across the globe, and more and more people and companies are choosing to invest in those they see potential in. This fierce competition means that you really need to ‘wow’ potential investors with your ideas and plans.

Start-ups need capital, and unless you’ve got the cash or have opted for a loan, you’re going to need serious investors. Even if you have enough money for the basics, the more investment you get, the further you’ll be able to take things. Make sure you perfect your pitches and iron out every minor detail before you enter that meeting.

Location, Location, Location

After the “what”, the “why” and the “how” of your business plans, the next most important thing to think about is the “where”. The location of your store or head office, and the way it looks and functions are crucial factors in your overall success. You can choose to rent your space, purchase it, or even create it yourself to fit every possible need.

If you’re going to be constructing or renovating a building, you’ll need to look into price factors like designers, construction workers and builders, self erecting crane hire as well as hiring other pieces of equipment.

Focus on Brand Image

When you’re building a company, you’re also building a brand. Every (public) move you make will form a little piece of the puzzle that customers and clients will use to generate the bigger picture of who you are, what you do and what you stand for.

This is why it’s critical to think about what you’re putting out into the world. Your social media presence, your company website, your advertising and marketing messages, your customer service, your visual design elements, the tone used in your email marketing… All of these play a role and each one should be carefully thought out.

Master Your Organisation Skills

In order to become massive, flourishing companies, small businesses need organisation above all else. This means that you, as a business owner, need to be on the administrative ball at all times.

Ramp up your organisation by focusing on small things at first – daily to-do lists, keeping the space tidy, using a good filing system, and having a helpful daily schedule. Once these things have been mastered by you and your team, you can move on to bigger fish, such as digitising everything, hiring an assistant to help you manage, time blocking and tracking your daily activities, etc.