As you’re probably very well aware of, most startups struggle with making it happen during those first important five years. They run out of money, first of all, don’t quite understand the market - or they simply get pushed out of the way by someone bigger and stronger.

While you might not always be able to control all the factors that could make or break your startups, there are a few things you can do in order to make that success a bit more achievable.

Here’s a handful of tips to get you started so that you and your startup can start leaving those competitors far behind.

Building a customer profile

Sometimes, it’s easy to get carried away with the idea of a product or a service and believe it is for everyone. We might fall so much in love with our own business that we simply forget that the customers you’ve set your eyes on may not feel the same way - and it could prove to be detrimental to your startup.

Building a solid customer profile is something that requires time and knowledge. If you’ve never done this before and never attended a business school lecture in your life, you might want to consider handing this one over to someone who knows what they’re doing.

A professional will be able to map out exactly who you should propose your products to, how you should target them, and where you’re most likely to find them. It’s the kind of stuff that ensures your business the best possible start.

Outsource the right tasks

When you’re still fairly young and new to the game, it’s a good idea to save as much money as possible and avoid hiring too many people. You’d still like to get the job done, though, and this is where outsourcing comes it; you can learn more here if you’d like to read up on outsourcing for small businesses.

Tasks such as payroll, for example, bookkeeping and accounting are one of these. The work is more or less the same every week, and by not spending any more time on it in-house, you’ll free your hands and mind to focus on other things.

A lot of business owners realize the benefits of not handling these tasks themselves, either because they feel under-qualified or because they simply don’t have time, so they assign it someone else in the company.

Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping is, of course, another way to make sure that your startup doesn’t spend too much money. Focus on investing in the right places, give your business an edge that your competitors don’t have - and rely on excellence through a great team.