Why start-ups are often plagued with difficulties

The advent of the internet has made it a lot easier to create a start-up business. The ease with which products can be ordered, websites created and lines of communication tapped into, means that there are now more start-ups than ever before. This has created a whole host of new issues for business owners. Because a lot of start-ups are in an almost completely unrecognisable market compared to past markets, many of the issues they are facing are brand new. These new challenges mean that it is a lot harder to know what to do in the face of them. So, what are the issues faced by modern start-ups?

Cyberattacks

 When most people think of a cyberattack they imagine Skynet taking down all of the computers in the world or crashing the banking system. In reality a cyberattack is a lot less extreme. That does not mean the effects of a cyberattack are not felt, but it does not always include a master hacker, or in fact any hacking at all. One of the main ways that a start-up could be attacked is through false reviews. A false review can be placed by a competitor, someone with a grudge or even just someone who derives pleasure from causing havoc. In this situation the reputation of a new start-up can be destroyed very quickly.

Because you will not have a large amount of positive reputation to soak up any negativity it can quickly cause you to go under if your reputation undergoes a cyberattack. In a situation like that it is important to have someone like Reputation Defender to protect you. They carry out the job of ensuring false reviews are removed before any long lasting damage can be done. This is a vital service so that start-ups can retain a reputation based on their actual performance.

There is also the added issue of a cyberattack in terms of being held hostage by hackers. While it is much less likely than false reviews, it can still happen. In this situation most start-ups are a lot less prepared than other more longstanding businesses. This makes them very vulnerable to data breaches. This can lead to direct financial implications where money is stolen directly, it can also lead to reputations taking a severe hit. If a business has a data breach then even if it is an already established brand it can do serious damage to the company’s reputation.

Social media

 Social media is a great tool for businesses. It allows them to engage with their customers quickly and efficiently; however, it can also cause issues. Much like false reviews, if the load on social media becomes too much for the people handling the account it can cause a negative reaction to the business. A positive social media presence is vital to maintaining a positive reputation online. It is also directly linked to keeping online revenue high. If many things go wrong with your social media engagement it can be hard to recover from the damage.

Another issue is having enough followers. It is difficult early on to gain followers on social media. Having few followers can make your brand appear unprofessional to potential users and can put people off looking at what you have to offer. While buying followers is an option, it is also frowned upon and can lead to having a lot of followers that are obviously fake, as well as a distinct lack of engagement with your posts. You will need to work extra hard to increase your social media presence early on which can take you away from other important tasks.

Money can be tight 

Not all start-ups have a lot of financial backing behind them. This means that budgets are often spread across many different areas. Marketing, stock control, wages, research and many other departments will all have the available budget stretched between them. That can make it very difficult to gain a proper foothold within an industry, especially if there are other more established brands in the same sphere. This means that it is vital to budget sensibly and to attempt to increase revenue flow alongside all other growth. If your demand outstrips your ability to purchase stock or your ability to employ enough people to complete your orders then you will fail to meet your customers’ requirements. That will have a negative effect on your brand’s reputation and can put you back to where you started. Budgeting carefully can help to solve the issues and it is something that you will constantly need to monitor.