Look online and you’ll find endless advice on what you need to start a small business. But very few websites tell you what you don’t need. So here is ANNA’s list of 10 things you DON'T need to start a #SmallBusiness.
1) A stapler. This is a controversial one, as plenty of people do use staplers to attach two - or sometimes three! - pieces of paper together. But we’ll be blunt: it’s 2020. A stapler is a luxury, not an essential. Think of it as the elderberry of the small business world.
2) A wolf. Yes, we know you love wolves. The way they prowl the wilderness in desperate packs, howling at the moon. They're free, tied to nothing and no one. You see a lot of yourself in those fearless wolves. But do you NEED a wolf to start a small business? You do not.
3) A fax machine. Are you a football club desperate to sign a new striker (ideally someone who can hold the ball up, bring others into play AND finish) before the transfer deadline? No. Then you probably don’t need a fax machine.
4) A Wes Anderson DVD box set. Again, this is controversial. We loved Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, but that box set is unlikely to develop a strategy for attracting new customers. It's not an essential.
5) Oven chips. When you’re starting a small business, self-care is important, and part of that is looking after your diet. But do you specifically need oven chips to start a small business? No. That’s an urban myth.
6) An antique music box. We all love the haunting sound of Greensleeves as an enchanted ballerina rustily pirouettes through your dreams, but your priority should be building a new customer base.
7) A signed photo of Gary Barlow. When starting a new business, morale is important, and it’s vital to stay positive. But do you really need that signed photo of Britain’s 18th greatest singer/songwriter? No. You don’t.
8) Carpets. A lot of people assume that small businesses need a carpeted office, but exposed floorboards are fine, and have you ever considered laminate flooring? It will blow your mind.
9) The blessing of the village elders. We all yearn for the approval of our peers, but if you’re starting a business as a mobile-first graphic designer, you don’t need the written blessing of Father Lucas, Professor Hareldsen and Old Man Leamington.
10) Soup. We’ve all heard the saying “An army marches on its stomach but a small business grows in a bowl”. Many soups are delicious (we’re looking at you, French onion soup) but the reality is that during that vital first year of business, soup can be an unwelcome distraction.
