4 Things you Need to Do If You’re Launching a Business in 2021.

Launching a small business in the wake of a pandemic may seem precarious, but there is reason for hope in 2021. Great risk, especially if well-calculated, can still lead to great reward. Indeed, success is definitely possible for a new business in 2021, even as Covid-19 takes it parting shots, but now, more than ever, that success will be predicated upon these four things.

Refined Brand Development

Part of the new normal of the post-Covid world, is e-commerce. Once seen an innovation, a digital brand is now an essential worker. At its core, branding has always been about a name, message, and value that are clear and compelling. Forbes Deborah Sweeney, a small business strategist, suggests that, now, your business is your brand. Here, she outlines three requisites for a highly-successful digital brand. From a logo that breeds familiarity, credibility, and value, to a user-friendly website, to a simplified web domain, and more, Sweeney says, “Once you start thinking of your business as a brand, you can shape how customers perceive it, and these elements will help get you there.”

Brand Security

With digital branding a critical endeavor, cyber security is more important than ever. As work-from-home and buy-from-home trends doubtless continue, risks to your digital brand grow. Maintaining digital brand integrity, whether it’s personal customer data, business transactions, or intellectual property, must be fundamental to any new business. Louis Columbus at Forbes offers great insight into how new and existing businesses must shift or develop strategy, allocate resources, manage automation, and safeguard digital identity in 2021 and beyond.

Brand Expansion

When it comes time to propel your brand’s growth, any new businesses can fall back on relatively simple methods. In a fast-paced digital world, content creation is key to engaging customers. Content variety and regularity are most important. That may mean developing secondary websites to support more content, or adding a content developer to your team, both worthy investments. A strong social media presence is also must. From Facebook to YouTube to Pinterest, success is bringing customers together on these forums. Central to it all, however, is your messaging. Jo Barnes of Startupnation.com reminds us that there is more to a brand than its product or service. “Look beyond what you sell and tap into your brand’s higher purpose. Dove, for example, sells soap but consistently posts content about positive body image.”

Goal Setting

Launching a new business means setting goals, and in these unusual times, it’s important to know how to start. Entrepreneurs need to focus on short-term goals and maintain the requisite agility for a constantly changing outlook. In other words, rather than annual or quarterly goals, it’s much more prudent to establish and measure monthly or even weekly targets. Jamie Herzlich of Newsday suggests that “companies should look at their goals in shorter intervals and be prepared to pivot if market conditions change.” This means tighter accountability, more frequent assessments, and more willingness to adjust.