You have a killer idea and want to start your own business but just don’t know where to start? The good thing is that you don’t necessarily need a heap of money in the bank or even a business degree. Look at me, I left school in year 10, was finance broker for 20 years and in my early 40’s decided to have a career change and start a blog about shopping, which is now a successful monthly online magazine.
I was always great at shopping and snapping up a bargain, but to start my own blog, I had no idea. I did do a lot of research and I made a lot of mistakes along the way, especially with the layout of my website, however, I learnt a lot in the process. Here’s a handy hint – going the cheapest option is not necessarily the best option!
I could write a book about the do’s and don’ts, and what I have learnt and what I’m still learning, but that’s another story altogether. For now, I’m just going to point you in the direction of where you can save money on some of the setup costs associated with starting a blog or website and setting up your office space.
Firstly -and this is really important, you have a business name and you’ve checked that it’s available. If that’s a YES, then you’ll need to register the domain and set up a website and also buy some office equipment along with a few other things.
Here’s a checklist list of what you’ll need to get you set up and started, best of all you’ll receive cashback on your purchases by shopping through Cashrewards.
Office & Website Set Up – The Check List
- Register your Domain: GoDaddy is a great option to register your domain name and set up your new website, plus they claim to be up to 70% less than their competitors. Receive up to 10% cashback at GoDaddy when you shop via Cashrewards.
- Business Cards: Vistaprint has been a bit of a go-to for me for especially for business cards. They are quick and affordable, and you’ll receive a bonus 11% cashback.
- Printer/Scanner/ Copier: Time for some office equipment! HP has great printers, I’ve been using the HP Officejet Pro 8620 for years now and I do a lot of printing, they are very reliable printers and I have never had a problem with mine. There’s also a bonus 2.5% cashback when you shop through Cashrewards.
- PC or Mac: I’m a PC girl, always have been. You’ll find that there will be a lot of EOFY sales this time of the year, especially on office equipment. Lenovo has a great selection of PC’s and also a bonus 4.5% cashback. For those who are Mac users, Apple is also on Cashrewards and has a bonus 1.4% cashback.
- Get Connected: Need a phone and data plan? Vodafone has up to $75 cashback and Telstra has up to $95 cashback, plus many more communications retailers that offer cashback.
- Stationery: Finally, you’ll also need stationery. I’m like a kid in a candy store when it comes to stationery. Typo has some fun stationery, and you want your office space to be fun. I especially love their wall calendars. You’ll receive a bonus 10% cashback if you purchase from Typo through Cashrewards.
These are the basics needed to set up your office and get your website up and running so you can then start to build upon it. Cashrewards has many more office and home office retailers to have your space business-ready.
Good luck with your new venture!
Kath