Worried about your start-up and how successful it will be? I totally get it, starting a business can be incredibly stressful and nerve-wracking. But there are a few common reasons why startups fail.
Whether it has to do with the team that built it, the way it’s marketed, or the product itself, there are five big reasons for the failure of the startups that I see.
Weak Team or Poor Leadership
The biggest issue that I see in startups that cause them to fail is a weak team and poor leadership, a combination of these two things can be lethal to a business getting its feet underneath it.
Leadership literally makes or breaks your team, so if your leadership is poor chances are your team will fail. Likewise, a good leader can only do so much if the team isn’t with them. Therefore a team that doesn’t have the skillset or the work ethic that’s needed can be one of the big reasons why startups fail.
Founders/Management Lacks Relevant Skills
Also along the same lines, many startups fall because their founders or management team doesn’t have the relevant skills that are needed to get the job done. Further, I find that if they don’t already possess the skills, they’re hesitant to hire any proper help for fear of getting caught.
Having the right people in the right positions is crucial if you’re trying to make a real go at running and growing your company. Without it, your little start-up will probably never grow its wings.
Poor Marketing
If no one knows about your product or service then no one will buy it. Full stop. You can have the most amazing product or service in the world, but if you don’t know how to tell people about it and get them on your side, you won’t be going anywhere. Seriously.
Many new startups put a lot of their time and effort into their research and development, but when it comes time to actually getting clients and customers, they fail. Poor marketing is one of the big reasons why startups fail.
No Market Demand
Another big problem that startups have is creating a service or product where there’s no demand. Sometimes it’s because the product simply isn’t needed, other times it’s because the market isn’t ready for it. But at the end of the day, it’s all bad.
Make sure you do good research when it comes to picking and creating your products and services, otherwise your startup could fail because you lack the demand to run a legitimate business.
Reluctant to Get Feedback
The last big reason why startups fail is that they’re reluctant to get and take feedback from their customers and clients. You know your product best, but your clients know what they need. If you don’t listen, your startup is probably going to fail.
What are the common reasons why startups fail that you see most often? Share your thoughts in the comments below
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Tae started out as a journalist before following the money into the corporate world. But it turns out that the grass isn’t always greener and now you can find her spending most of her time writing about all the things she loves. Namely, money, travel and business with a hefty dose of self-deprecating humor. She is a podcast fanatic, blogging aficionado and loves to find new ways to turn passions into cold hard cash!