The challenge for every new business is how to get it going with the least amount of money possible. And as great as your business idea is, you can’t go far without some basic marketing support. Here are the “must-haves” to get your business off the ground.

Establishing your brand begins with your (1) logo. Introducing yourself is hard to do without a (2) business card. Getting that first sale is going to need some kind of agreement or proposal, and that means you need some kind of (3) letterhead, even if it’s digital. Then if you truly want to come across as professional, you probably want to get away from an @shawbiz or, cringe, @hotmail email address. That means you need to reserve a (4) domain name, closely followed by the design and development of a small (5) website.

These five items, combined with blatant self-promotion and countless hours of “pound the pavement” time, will definitely give you the solid start you need to get your business off the ground.

And to answer the main question going through your head right now….$5000. That’s a reasonable budget you’ll need to get your marketing started.

We’ve had the pleasure of learning and helping to launch a number of new businesses. Daybreak, website shown above, is a company we’ve been apart of from the ground up. What’s your new business idea? We’d love to hear! You can start your blatant self-promotion below.