2026 Edition
Congratulations on your decision to create a new business! Once the initial excitement (and fear) wears off, you’ll need to figure out your plan to promote what you do. This article will give you some beneficial ideas and things to consider.
Next Steps: Save this list to your phone and check it once a month to stay on track.
Define Your Value
What is it that you do differently from others in your space? Not always an easy answer, and talking this through with another person is helpful to get an outside opinion. As a new business, this value will shift and evolve as you go through the first year and you learn more about how you want to show up in your market.
Create Your Positioning Statement
Who are you, what do you offer, and to whom? Be concise. Your statement may evolve as you add new products or services, but a positioning or value statement forces you to consider what you do and why.
Sort Out Your Target Audience
Typically, new businesses need to dial in their ideal customer and create marketing that will resonate with that group. Over time, you will likely expand or redefine that group but start with your core buyers first.
Networking, Referrals & Reviews
Don’t discount in-person chats. Referrals from happy clients can be highly beneficial. Don’t underestimate this tool. If you are on the introverted side, set a goal for reaching one new contact a week. Have a virtual coffee and a chat. I’m adding in reviews here as well. Make it easier by creating a form of questions that allows someone to give feedback.
Establish URL and Social Channels
Once you have your business name, DBA or LLC registered, be sure to purchase and reserve the names for the website and social media use. You don’t need to use all of the channels, but reserving them will help boost your SEO and prevent someone else from using them. Do some searching to know where to spend your time based on the user demographic.
Determine Your Sales Strategy
Spend some time determining your sales strategy. Are you working with another person or a team for sales? Will it be only yourself? Understand how this will function and what you can offer. How much time will you plan to allow each week? Knowing how to build a database of contacts will remove the guessing of who you actually reached.
Service Strategy
This should be crystal clear before you begin to market. Spend some time considering and drafting your entire work process to be as streamlined as possible. You’ll be wearing many hats at the beginning and will want to conserve your time. If you have a team, be prepared to do some training around product development, creation, order fulfillment, and customer service.
Contract Templates: Keep it Clear
If you are in a custom-built product area or a service provider, you will need to spell out what you are providing, when it will be delivered, and the associated costs. Use a downloadable template, or work with your attorney to create one just for your business. Review this once a year and make changes to protect your sanity.
Offering & Pricing Development
Do some research to determine what you will sell and the market pricing for each element or product. Your customers will tell you quickly if your pricing is too high for the market. If your value (see above) is defined, asking a higher price point becomes much easier and defensible.
Distribution Process
Products need to ship and deliver on time. Are you working directly with your customers, or will you be using a distributor model? Are you selling a digital product that is downloaded or streamed?
Small Business Insurance
It’s a weird world out there. Be prepared for surprises with insurance so that you don’t need to worry about it.
Website and Defined Brand
Having a solid visual brand helps buyers quickly understand what you offer and if they are interested. Whether you build your site or have a designer create one for you, your brand should shine through clearly. Products should be found quickly and easily online, as well as the company contact information. Test the website thoroughly to see where a customer might be confused or lost. Your website is still your most important marketing and sales tool. Don’t ever rely on social media platforms that can lock you out overnight. Keep control over your business by working from your website.
Define a Marketing Budget for Launch
Knowing you have funds set aside for marketing will avoid headaches later on, even if it’s minimal. Startups will work with more modest amounts than an investor-funded startup. Do some research to see where your competitors are most visible and plan accordingly.
SEO & AEO
Search Engine Optimization and AI search. Once you have your website built (your most crucial marketing tool), you’ll want to be sure that all pages are optimized to be found by search and ranked. See what this entails in more detail.
You will want all of the above items done in time for your new business launch date.
Don’t get overwhelmed; remember that you only eat an elephant one bite at a time.
