Almost everyone agrees to the adage “experience is the best teacher.” Even though I tend to agree, I also keep in mind one of my favourite Will Rogers' quotes: "The trouble with using experience as your guide is that sometimes the final exam comes first, then the lesson."

In business, mistakes made can be our greatest teacher but the best startup advice comes from the first-hand knowledge of what not to do. Bizngr spoke to some business owners around the country who shared their hard-earned experience and the insight they gained from their own lapses in judgment.

If you’re looking to get your business off the ground, consider these following pitfalls.

Ignoring Your Customers

What kills most young businesses is simple ignorance of consumer feedback. Bear in mind that one of the most basic goals of any business is to help your customers achieve their dream scenario.

So, it’s important to consider these questions: is my company moving towards or away from this goal? Am I asking my customers for feedback so I can improve potential parts of my business and am I engaging with the public to find out their needs and how we can best supply them with our services.

Putting in place a system that helps you answer these question from time to time is the closest thing to having a crystal ball that will help you see a bright and potentially strong future.

Not Knowing Your Market

Who exactly are you targeting? Office workers? Other business owners interested in results and not data? Housewives?

Zeroing in on your niche is a must because your marketing and all other business operations will depend on this key aspect. By having a crystal-clear idea of who you’re selling to, you can further sharpen your unique selling point (see below) and give your customers what they want.

Not Having A Unique Selling Point

Surprisingly, an alarming number of new business owners ignore this piece of startup advice. Everything starts with a vague idea, but you won’t get far if you haven’t refined exactly what you want your business to do.

To help you with this, think of the top three problems that your product or service solves. Being very specific about these fundamental goals adds clarity to your business goals and focuses your limited resources in the right direction.

Every business owner wants to be their own boss, so heeding sensible startup advice will help you enjoy the benefits of entrepreneurship and avoid the typical mistakes that will slow you down.

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