Insight
The Startup Guide: How to Start a Business or Side Hustle
At Hover, we know that starting a new business comes with big challenges. We’ve written a lot of content over the years that breaks these challenges down into smaller, more manageable, pieces. If you’re wondering how to start a business or you’re beginning a new side hustle, you’re in the right place.
Bookmark this page and refer to it as you get your small business off the ground. We’ve put together many articles to inspire and guide you on your journey and will update this page as we go forward.
Hover’s Small Business Startup Kit
Getting Started
The secret to success – Start with these solid tips aimed to mentally and physically prepare you for your incredible small-business journey.
Bring your business online – A startup’s first steps and how Hover can help you along the way.
Starting a business during an economic slowdown – Advice on how to keep your startup thriving during an economic downturn.
Getting a domain: Reasons startups use new domain extensions – Build your website with a unique extension that reflects your business and brand personality.
Business Portfolios
Choosing a domain name for your portfolio – A list of things to consider when picking a domain name to best suit your goal.
Side Hustle Series: A sample portfolio from one of our very own! – An in-depth look at how a portfolio can attract potential clients and serve multiple purposes, as well as excellent tips related to growing a thriving side business.
Basic Startup Tools
50 cheap or free tools for creating your own website – A comprehensive list of all the most popular and helpful tools along with descriptions of what they are able to do to help you create or enhance your website. Also known as The Holy Grail.
How to design a website without technical skills – Running a business doesn’t allow a lot of extra time to learn everything about web design and tech. We’ve broken down some basics for you.
Some of our favorite domain names in action – Check out how people are using the .SHOP domain to help their online retail business and get inspired to get to work on your own!
Where to find the best royalty-free media – From background music and photography to video, icons and web art, here’s the best royalty-free media around.
New Biz Branding
Online reputation management – Protect your business and online brand presence with these six simple steps.
Five ways a professional email address can boost your brand – Considering a professional email address? We break down why and how you should go about getting a unique email address for your business.
Marketing and personal branding examples – We look at some amazing, real small business owners who leveraged their personal brand to become industry leaders.
Creating a powerful personal brand – A successful personal brand doesn’t happen by accident – we came up with five steps to get you started.
Social Media and Marketing for Startups
Social media tips for growing your business – Startups and social media are made for each other. Here’s advice on building a strong social media presence without the overwhelm.
Target market research and defining your customer persona – Here’s how to find your target market in three easy steps.
Small business marketing tips – Budget-friendly tips on how to start a business and build a brand without breaking the bank.
Small Business Management
What to do when an employee leaves your business – A look at how to prepare for this inevitability. You’ll also learn how to prevent the loss of assets and knowledge before employees move on.
How to manage remote teams – Remote teams are no longer a thing of the past. We look at ways you can make it work for your business.
Small Biz Growth
How to know when it’s time to incorporate – Incorporating your small business is a big decision. We examine why it might be the right thing for your startup.
Start a membership club for your loyal customers – Reward your loyal customers by creating membership and loyalty programs.
Inspiration: Be Your Own Boss
Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to witness small businesses grow and thrive on our platform. We even started a series on Being Your Own Boss to highlight these incredible businesses and their owners. We hope they inspire and motivate readers like you into action.
Check them out and learn from those who’ve gone before you!
The Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) Movement
Misha De-Stroyev: Photographer and Entrepreneur
Good Good Good Newspaper and Podcast
More articles from Hover
We’re always on the lookout for fresh topics and look forward to whipping up useful advice on how to start a business and how to make that new business grow and thrive.
Bookmark this page—it’s updated with relevant small business content every time we publish a related piece on our main Hover blog—and we can continue to guide and support you on this incredible journey.