Hey guys, sorry I had to take a break to focus on final year matters. Sometimes, it's not easy joggling school with a bunch of other things. Please forgive me. The last topic on the student business series was about Raising Capital, you can read it here.  I want to believe you've read the previous posts on the series and you are ready to launch your business. Let's get down to it.

• The price list should be ready: The price list is probably one of the controversial part of business planning. You are trying not to over charge because your clients will be students but don't want to undercharge because no student discounts come from buying the equipments/ingredients needed. I will advise while constructing a price list, you should put into consideration how much time and resources will go into creating an item and add a good amount percentage as profit. Also, ask yourself if you would pay that much if you were a client. Of course I'm talking about a job well done here. No mediocrity allowed. You can increase it as your skill bank develops.

• Have a planner: This is all so important. Because you have your studies to focus on, you need  to set aside special days you know you will be flexible to attend to your client's needs. Luckily because your clients will mostly be students, they will understand you won't be free every time.  

• Choose a launch date: With everything (business page with followers, tools etc) ready to kick  off, you should pick a date and build awareness towards that date. Share on all the social media pages and let the prospective clients anticipate. It builds excitement instead of just surprising them (some can argue the element of surprise can also help a brand). Be sure to include all the info on what you will offer.

• Offer free samples before or on the launch day: Free samples will go a long way in convincing future clients that you are worth the bet. This will also build trust in your brand and willingness to commit their money to your business. If you plan on offering the samples before the launch day, you can create a fun giveaway or ask interested prospective clients if they would like samples. If it's on the launch day, you can have a mini event and go all out with the launch. If the business plan cannot have free samples (example: fashion related business), you can give a percentage discount to the first x-number of clients or at the launch event where people can try what you are offering.

• Have your best customer service attitude ready: Trust me you will need patience to deal with people. Especially clients that won't understand why your price list is the way it is. I had my fair of share of bad clients and most time the Dedun in me would want to react but I've learnt along the way that my business side has to always win and apologize anytime I have to. If they don't understand why you are charging an amount, explain in the simplest way why it is so. If they still don't understand, you've done your part. Don't worry, the clients that will appreciate your work would eventually come through. 

• Have a transaction data: You should have a book for dating and inputing the orders you've done or projects you've worked on. You should also document how much capital you've spent for  a month. At the end of the month, calculate the total amount made. From this total, subtract the capital invested and the balance will be your profit for the month. This data booklet will give you insight on your business growth. 

• No unnecessary sentiments in business: This is in regards to friends and family. I know we don't want to charge family the way we charge clients but this doesn't mean you should work for free or with no profit margin. You can give discounts once in a while but make sure it's not every time. Be firm with your price decision and be flexible only when compulsory.