9 min read
The 9-to-5 working hours and that lonely cubicle constantly remind you of the rat race you’re dragging through. You keep getting exhausted and the cacophony of the white noise keeps deafening you. Is there an end to such monotony? An escape that makes you earn from what you’re passionate about? No? Yes? What’s it going to be?
Most people quit their jobs when they are off to start a new business. And as sound as owning a business seems, it is way far from the reality. It’s only a matter of time that a general business takes time to grow and develop its roots. No business was ever too great when it started. However, the business landscape is changing faster than the speed of light and businesses are approaching a more modern mode of selling their products – especially in Pakistan.
No matter where you are, you can ditch the constraints of time and space. And speaking of time and space, people in Pakistan are pumped up with the wonders new businesses can do for them. Most new-age entrepreneurs and business people are shifting their skills and are adapting to the rapid market pace, regardless of their niche. But doesn’t every business need some capital to begin with?Yes, it does, but gladly, we have the internet to count on, where starting any business is almost effortless yet efficient. With the right skills and tools at hand, anyone can go on starting their business under 100K. Without further ado, let’s begin.
1. Set Up a Business Website
A website is a must for businesses these days. It showcases your business on a global front. It isn’t as hard as it used to be a decade ago. Making a website is really convenient these days; there are free as well as paid options available for anyone who’s either using the website for the fun of it or for seriously running their business. However, as far as the freebies are concerned, they don’t come with that custom domain and the features and tools are also limited.
On the contrary, if you’re using a website maker such as WordPress or Wix, you can choose from the various premium plans that are meant to fit your business needs. For instance, down below is the shot of Wix plans from the least to the maximum range.
After you get a plan that’s suitable for you, the next thing you need is the design, content, and media. Let’s be honest; if you need to market your business, you need to pay close attention to the content you will upload. From high-resolution images to custom videos, the costs of web design might vary from customer to customer, depending mainly on the type of features they want.
On a relative note, make sure you upload content that is relevant to your business. The visitors on your website must share a sense of belonging with you, which is what you can achieve by delivering content that is unique and engaging.
So, the total investment for website development (including the design and content) must fall between 30,000 to 50,000 PKR.
2. Brand Your Business
No matter where you run your business from, you need to make sure that you have your business branded. Why? Because your business is actually your brand. It’s much more than how your business appears to yourself and your audience and wherever your brand reaches. Branding your business consists of 3 main stages: Branding Strategies, Brand Identity, and Brand Guidelines.
Branding strategies require strenuous thinking skills and revolve around who, where, when, what, why, and how – related to your business. It is actually the backbone of your enterprise and prepares it to establish your place in the market.
Next comes the brand identity. It should run in a continuance of the branding strategies that are meant to tell your story. For that reason, your brand should deliver that visual appeal and enhance the overall brand story. Of all the most important brand identity designs, your logo tops the list with some massive impact. Like the website, it’s easy to fetch a logo, but then again, a professional logo costs more than the one that’s free. Last but not least in the brand category; the final touchdown is the brand guidelines that are used to nail down the final impacts of the strategies and identity features in coherence with each other. There are many companies in Pakistan that offer full-fledged branding solutions, such as Boundless Technologies, Adchrome Advertising, and Brand Impact. But if you’re looking for a cost-effective DIY option, Logo Design offers you the free logos for your business. If you need high-resolution designs, they’re available for a price of just $39.
3. Marketing and Promotion
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Advertising
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Sales Promotion
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Public relations
4. Advertising
The ads and banners we see all around us are the forms of advertisement from various businesses. It takes up the major chunk of a brand’s strategies for propagating its products in the market. For a brand, an advertisement is usually paid for in order to deliver the brand objectives via various media forms. However, the price for the type of advertisement varies in nature of its promotion and the type of business it’s acquired for.
There are several advertising agencies that cater to display ads across various media. A business must determine the type of advertisement suitable for its audience, for instance, there are billboard advertisements, TV ads, print media ads, internet banner ads, and social media ads.
As a business on a budget, you probably need to scour the advertisement options available to you at economical rates such as Google Adwords offers ads on the search network. As for social media ads (Preferably Facebook Ads) as they have a vast reach and cost per click varies.
5. Sales Promotion
Sale promotion is used as a tool to drive sales for short-term. These are projected directly at customers and sales. Since advertisement drives the focus towards the purchase, the focus of promotion is the call to action. It’s a way to compel the customers or give them an incentive to buy your products.
So, why do you want to promote your sales? To attract new customers, to enhance the loyalty of existing customers, and to increase sales and product consumption. And as much as there are benefits, there are many ways you can target your customers and drive your sales.
Whether you’re opting to drive the sales via your website or your social media, you can deliver promotional content, such as organize online competitions and polls, offer coupons, discounts, and promotions, and give away free demos and trials.
These promotional offers can be enhanced by using various tools that can cost you as well as be used for free. For designing custom sales posters for free, you can use Canva; if you’re running online polls, you can use free online poll makers like pinpoll or SurveyMonkey; if you’re promoting your product through email marketing, you can use HubSpot CRM ABSOLUTELY FREE. If you’re looking for premium features and upgrades, you can refer to the tools like Zoho Campaigns that offer monthly subscription up to 6000 PKR.
6. Public Relations
The main idea that lies behind public relations is that it’s all about contacts and establishing favorable relationships with your customers. This gives rise to the idea of networking.
Networking plays a crucial role in making your startup a proper business. No business – either in Pakistan or outside it – runs without the fuel of networking. To do any business, you need supplies, which will be delivered to you by the vendors. And for that reason, you will probably need to research the market and scour for the suppliers that could offer you the bulk of products at great discounts. And you don’t even have to run from one place to another.
You can find potential vendors, manufacturers, suppliers, exporters, and importers at sites like Daraz.pk and Ali Express to save your expenses and get the best quality product. Amidst all this, most of the networking and making contacts don’t even cost you. Maintain a friendly attitude, pay your suppliers in time, deliver the goods and services in time, and make the most of your time meeting potential clients. At sites like these, you can find any type of material that your business deals in.
Pro Tip: Before you order, make sure you are ordering the right kind of product. Preplanning your orders is always a good idea, to begin with.
Even in Pakistan, starting a business with around 100,000 PKR in your pocket might seem like an absurd idea. Believe it or not, networking can do wonders for you. Whenever you make customers, ask them to leave reviews and use the power of referrals. These make the foundation of your business. And by getting reviews, your business receives a positive response from new customers and visitors coming across your business profile.
Conclusion
So there you have it: A complete business guide on how to start your business with an amount as much as 100K in Pakistan. But the point is that if you have the skill and you know how to sell it, you’ve got a clear path in front of you. It isn’t always about the cash.
However, you must remember that there isn’t a single business on earth that did well when it started. It’s all about commitment and determination to be where you want to be. So when are you going to start?
