Building your own business is a stressful endeavor. Not only are you responsible for the creative output of the business, but you’re responsible for the practical side of things as well. This includes signage, retail space, web hosting, etc., and can pretty overwhelming if you don’t know where to start.

It’s best to consider building a business in a series of steps rather than as one monumental task. Breaking things down into steps makes them easier to get your head around and lessens the chance of you feeling overwhelmed by everything you have to do. Once you have the creative and legal sides of the business nailed down, it’s time to start figuring out the physical logistics.

There are a lot of things that go into making a business’s physical location into a well-functioning establishment. From the exterior signs to the design of the floor plan, every detail really should be accounted for as much as possible. How do you want the space to flow? Where should customers gather? Where should you place certain kinds of merchandise? All of these questions factor into the big picture.

There are also a lot of things that have to go on behind the scenes in order for a business to run effectively, and many of these come down to prior planning and clarity of vision. If you’re not really sure where you’re going with your business or what your long-term goals are, you’re more likely to make short-term mistakes that can lead to long-term consequences.

Here are a few practical things to consider when building your own business.

Goals

Starting out with clear goals can make the entire process of building your own business much easier. If you struggle to answer questions like ‘Where do you see yourself or your business in five years?’, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board and start making notes until you have a clear, concise answer.

That’s not to say that you have to do it all overnight. In fact, it’s better if you pace yourself and work on your plans a bit each day until you have something that’s concrete, practical, and well-thought-out. Fits of inspiration happen, and can even be very helpful to your overall vision, but it’s important not to let them take the wheel for too long. Take notes on anything that catches your eye and seems like a great idea, and come back to it a little later. If it still looks like a good idea, then start making plans to bring it to life or set it in motion.

There are many resources online that walk you through some of the best ways to build up a business plan and start zeroing in on your long-term goals. Start doing research and look into several until you find one that works for you, or take different parts of several approaches to build your own unique one.

Audience

Building up an audience is a large part of building your own business. Without an audience, you have no one to teach and no one to sell to. But how do you go about finding your audience in an age when there’s so much mental and environmental clutter in the form of ads and the like? The answer may be as simple as the phone you’re reading this on.

Social media is a powerful tool, and we’ve seen how it can be used for good in the form of non-profit organizations and big-time influencers helping small businesses grow. An important step of building your own business is to establish yourself on social media. You don’t need to be on every platform to make this work, either! Rather, choose the two or three largest platforms that you’d be likely to find your ideal customer on. Are you targeting older people? The younger crowd? Women? All of these data points give you clues toward where you should be focusing your efforts.

Signs, Logos, and Icons

Signs can, and often do, tell you a lot about a business. You wouldn’t expect a modern coffee shop to have a heavy, rustic looking sign out front, just like you wouldn’t expect a steakhouse to advertise in a sleek, almost futuristic way. Signs are an extension of the business and condense what customers are likely to experience into a simple, easily readable format. If your business is going to have a physical location, a sign may as well be your welcome mat.

A sign is your business’s first impression, and it’s well worth spending some extra time to make sure it’s a good one. Once you have your business name and logo dialed in, it’s time to contact a well-reviewed business sign service to help make your vision a reality. You can also go the hand-created route if you’re artistic enough and the style would suit your business.

In the end, a sign is only one component of the overall package and having a less-than-perfect temporary sign is better than no sign at all, especially if your business can be easily missed otherwise. Whether you’re tucked in between other shops or off the beaten path a bit, a directional sign can be a life-saver when it comes to potential sales and getting more eyes on your products.

When designing a sign, directional or otherwise, readability is king. Go with an easily legible font in a large enough size that you won’t have to be right on top of the sign in order to read it. Also, consider your color choices. Contrasting colors such as white and black make for an easily readable sign, but can feel very static. If you’re looking for more energy in your sign, consider different color options. Just don’t sacrifice clarity for aesthetics.

Logos and social media icons play by many of the same rules. A design should be easily readable and understandable, any text should be clear, and it should give the viewer a general, overall idea of what the business is about.

Physical Security

One of the simplest ways to ensure the safety of both your staff and your stock is investing in good commercial door hardware at your physical location. Commercial hardware is built for public use and the locks are designed to keep commercial buildings secure during off-hours.

If you’re looking to re-key the existing locks, a professional locksmith service should be able to help you. Re-keying existing locks will allow you to use the existing hardware for security instead of having to replace it all. Check with your legal team or advisor before scheduling this though, as there may be laws or ordinances against it in your area. If this is the case, then you will have to replace the hardware, including the locksets, before you can use the building commercially.

You may also want to invest in a commercial security system once your business is up and running. The average cost of having a professional security system installed at a small to mid-sized business can usually be broken down into three factors: the hardware, the installation and activation, and the continued monitoring. For many businesses, the prices will break down as follows:

• Hardware: from one thousand dollars to two thousand five hundred dollars
• Installation/activation: from three hundred dollars to five hundred dollars
• Continued monitoring: from forty dollars to one hundred twenty dollars

The upfront cost followed by the cost of continued monitoring means that this is the sort of thing your business will have to save and budget for if it wants to be successful. That said, there are definite upsides to having professional monitoring, so this is a decision you’ll want to make carefully.

The Building Itself

The building itself can be a great asset to your new business, but it can also be quite a liability if it isn’t in good condition. Before you sign a lease on a building to house your business, take the time to make sure that the roof is free of moss and that no shingles or tiles are missing or broken, and that the siding isn’t cracked or rotting. These aren’t all of the potential building issues you should be aware of, but these issues, while serious enough on their own, are also often indications of more systemic problems.

Even if everything looks to be in good condition, it’s important to consider the building’s location as well and whether it will be a good fit for your business. Look into what other businesses are operating in the same area. Is there a lot of competition in your niche or are you the only game in town? While your first location might not be ideal, you can always make it work with some creative signage and good social media marketing.

Depending on your business needs and the design of the building, you may also need a commercial elevator or freight elevator. These sorts of elevators are designed to carry large and heavy equipment and are perfect for businesses like furniture stores that have to move large pieces frequently.

Certain kinds of businesses require certain equipment on-site in order to function. Appliance installation can usually be managed by the company through which you purchased the appliances, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about installation and setup.

If you need real estate help, it’s usually best to contact a professional real estate agent to answer your questions and help you negotiate. This way you’ll avoid ending up in a bind due to advice taken from non-professional sources.

Your Website

If you haven’t done so already, then set up an official business website. Having a solid site will do wonders for your reach and branding. A good, well-designed website and strong social media presence tell potential customers how serious you are about what you do and help build the initial confidence that so often drives sales.

Website hosting is one of those expenses that many business owners don’t take into account. There can be a lot of back-end expenses depending on the kind of site you’re running, so be sure to keep track of the cost as you grow. This will help you determine when it makes sense to upgrade and when you should hang back and wait where you are for a little while longer. If you’re in need of a bit more power and bandwidth, there are a variety of IT companies out there who specifically help small to mid-sized businesses.

When it comes right down to it, building your own business is about doing the next right thing. It’s always best to have a plan before you jump in head-first. Building up a logical, practical plan early on will save you from a lot of guesswork and potential trouble in the future. Start from square one and build outward from there. You don’t need a five-year plan as soon as you sit down to research, but you will need one before you can call your business plan ‘done’.

A large part of building your own business is getting that business known by the people you’re targeting as potential customers. That means building an audience. Taking the time to actively engage with your social media friends and followers will help them remember you positively. People like to feel seen and heard, especially by those they like, and that includes businesses.

When you do make the move to a physical location, make sure that the building you’re considering is in good condition and located in an area that will be good for your business. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to work for you. A sub-par location can be overcome, but it’s best not to set yourself back any as long as you can avoid it.

There’s a lot that goes into building up a new business, but with a solid plan and a good understanding of what makes a business successful, you can be well-prepared for the long road ahead.

Building your own business is a stressful endeavor. Not only are you responsible for the creative output of the business, but you’re responsible for the practical side of things as well. This includes signage, retail space, web hosting, etc., and can pretty overwhelming if you don’t know where to start.

It’s best to consider building a business in a series of steps rather than as one monumental task. Breaking things down into steps makes them easier to get your head around and lessens the chance of you feeling overwhelmed by everything you have to do. Once you have the creative and legal sides of the business nailed down, it’s time to start figuring out the physical logistics.

There are a lot of things that go into making a business’s physical location into a well-functioning establishment. From the exterior signs to the design of the floor plan, every detail really should be accounted for as much as possible. How do you want the space to flow? Where should customers gather? Where should you place certain kinds of merchandise? All of these questions factor into the big picture.

There are also a lot of things that have to go on behind the scenes in order for a business to run effectively, and many of these come down to prior planning and clarity of vision. If you’re not really sure where you’re going with your business or what your long-term goals are, you’re more likely to make short-term mistakes that can lead to long-term consequences.

Here are a few practical things to consider when building your own business.

Goals

Starting out with clear goals can make the entire process of building your own business much easier. If you struggle to answer questions like ‘Where do you see yourself or your business in five years?’, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board and start making notes until you have a clear, concise answer.

That’s not to say that you have to do it all overnight. In fact, it’s better if you pace yourself and work on your plans a bit each day until you have something that’s concrete, practical, and well-thought-out. Fits of inspiration happen, and can even be very helpful to your overall vision, but it’s important not to let them take the wheel for too long. Take notes on anything that catches your eye and seems like a great idea, and come back to it a little later. If it still looks like a good idea, then start making plans to bring it to life or set it in motion.

There are many resources online that walk you through some of the best ways to build up a business plan and start zeroing in on your long-term goals. Start doing research and look into several until you find one that works for you, or take different parts of several approaches to build your own unique one.

Audience

Building up an audience is a large part of building your own business. Without an audience, you have no one to teach and no one to sell to. But how do you go about finding your audience in an age when there’s so much mental and environmental clutter in the form of ads and the like? The answer may be as simple as the phone you’re reading this on.

Social media is a powerful tool, and we’ve seen how it can be used for good in the form of non-profit organizations and big-time influencers helping small businesses grow. An important step of building your own business is to establish yourself on social media. You don’t need to be on every platform to make this work, either! Rather, choose the two or three largest platforms that you’d be likely to find your ideal customer on. Are you targeting older people? The younger crowd? Women? All of these data points give you clues toward where you should be focusing your efforts.

Signs, Logos, and Icons

Signs can, and often do, tell you a lot about a business. You wouldn’t expect a modern coffee shop to have a heavy, rustic looking sign out front, just like you wouldn’t expect a steakhouse to advertise in a sleek, almost futuristic way. Signs are an extension of the business and condense what customers are likely to experience into a simple, easily readable format. If your business is going to have a physical location, a sign may as well be your welcome mat.

A sign is your business’s first impression, and it’s well worth spending some extra time to make sure it’s a good one. Once you have your business name and logo dialed in, it’s time to contact a well-reviewed business sign service to help make your vision a reality. You can also go the hand-created route if you’re artistic enough and the style would suit your business.

In the end, a sign is only one component of the overall package and having a less-than-perfect temporary sign is better than no sign at all, especially if your business can be easily missed otherwise. Whether you’re tucked in between other shops or off the beaten path a bit, a directional sign can be a life-saver when it comes to potential sales and getting more eyes on your products.

When designing a sign, directional or otherwise, readability is king. Go with an easily legible font in a large enough size that you won’t have to be right on top of the sign in order to read it. Also, consider your color choices. Contrasting colors such as white and black make for an easily readable sign, but can feel very static. If you’re looking for more energy in your sign, consider different color options. Just don’t sacrifice clarity for aesthetics.

Logos and social media icons play by many of the same rules. A design should be easily readable and understandable, any text should be clear, and it should give the viewer a general, overall idea of what the business is about.

Physical Security

One of the simplest ways to ensure the safety of both your staff and your stock is investing in good commercial door hardware at your physical location. Commercial hardware is built for public use and the locks are designed to keep commercial buildings secure during off-hours.

If you’re looking to re-key the existing locks, a professional locksmith service should be able to help you. Re-keying existing locks will allow you to use the existing hardware for security instead of having to replace it all. Check with your legal team or advisor before scheduling this though, as there may be laws or ordinances against it in your area. If this is the case, then you will have to replace the hardware, including the locksets, before you can use the building commercially.

You may also want to invest in a commercial security system once your business is up and running. The average cost of having a professional security system installed at a small to mid-sized business can usually be broken down into three factors: the hardware, the installation and activation, and the continued monitoring. For many businesses, the prices will break down as follows:

• Hardware: from one thousand dollars to two thousand five hundred dollars
• Installation/activation: from three hundred dollars to five hundred dollars
• Continued monitoring: from forty dollars to one hundred twenty dollars

The upfront cost followed by the cost of continued monitoring means that this is the sort of thing your business will have to save and budget for if it wants to be successful. That said, there are definite upsides to having professional monitoring, so this is a decision you’ll want to make carefully.

The Building Itself

The building itself can be a great asset to your new business, but it can also be quite a liability if it isn’t in good condition. Before you sign a lease on a building to house your business, take the time to make sure that the roof is free of moss and that no shingles or tiles are missing or broken, and that the siding isn’t cracked or rotting. These aren’t all of the potential building issues you should be aware of, but these issues, while serious enough on their own, are also often indications of more systemic problems.

Even if everything looks to be in good condition, it’s important to consider the building’s location as well and whether it will be a good fit for your business. Look into what other businesses are operating in the same area. Is there a lot of competition in your niche or are you the only game in town? While your first location might not be ideal, you can always make it work with some creative signage and good social media marketing.

Depending on your business needs and the design of the building, you may also need a commercial elevator or freight elevator. These sorts of elevators are designed to carry large and heavy equipment and are perfect for businesses like furniture stores that have to move large pieces frequently.

Certain kinds of businesses require certain equipment on-site in order to function. Appliance installation can usually be managed by the company through which you purchased the appliances, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about installation and setup.

If you need real estate help, it’s usually best to contact a professional real estate agent to answer your questions and help you negotiate. This way you’ll avoid ending up in a bind due to advice taken from non-professional sources.

Your Website

If you haven’t done so already, then set up an official business website. Having a solid site will do wonders for your reach and branding. A good, well-designed website and strong social media presence tell potential customers how serious you are about what you do and help build the initial confidence that so often drives sales.

Website hosting is one of those expenses that many business owners don’t take into account. There can be a lot of back-end expenses depending on the kind of site you’re running, so be sure to keep track of the cost as you grow. This will help you determine when it makes sense to upgrade and when you should hang back and wait where you are for a little while longer. If you’re in need of a bit more power and bandwidth, there are a variety of IT companies out there who specifically help small to mid-sized businesses.

When it comes right down to it, building your own business is about doing the next right thing. It’s always best to have a plan before you jump in head-first. Building up a logical, practical plan early on will save you from a lot of guesswork and potential trouble in the future. Start from square one and build outward from there. You don’t need a five-year plan as soon as you sit down to research, but you will need one before you can call your business plan ‘done’.

A large part of building your own business is getting that business known by the people you’re targeting as potential customers. That means building an audience. Taking the time to actively engage with your social media friends and followers will help them remember you positively. People like to feel seen and heard, especially by those they like, and that includes businesses.

When you do make the move to a physical location, make sure that the building you’re considering is in good condition and located in an area that will be good for your business. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to work for you. A sub-par location can be overcome, but it’s best not to set yourself back any as long as you can avoid it.

There’s a lot that goes into building up a new business, but with a solid plan and a good understanding of what makes a business successful, you can be well-prepared for the long road ahead.

Having a business in today’s competitive online market goes beyond the traditional word of mouth and advertising techniques. Thriving in the current world will require you to master smart growth techniques that will allow you to stay relevant among your competitors. If you are a newcomer in the online business scene, here are some tips to consider utilizing for long-term success.

Utilize SEO Techniques

Search engine optimization ranks as the most important tool for any business looking to improve its visibility online. Getting it right may not be easy, so consider using the following steps.

Improve Your User Experience

Customers prefer using sites that offer them a quality user experience, with the most utilized being those with fast load times of 3 seconds or less. This load time is key to ensuring your sites are also mobile-friendly, a failure to which you risk getting overlooked by Google’s algorithms. Websites that also look outdated may indicate that they are not regularly updated, meaning the information is no longer relevant. To check if your site provides a good user experience, consider using tools such as PageSpeed Insights. It will analyze areas that are lacking in this component while also providing ways to better it.

Utilize Backlinks

Backlinks are another tool to implement in your SEO technique, with the best option being the use of relevant and authoritative links. If, for instance, you deal with clothing items, consider linking to established sites that outline the benefits of some items that you deal in or those that provide users with the appropriate purchasing tips. If you are stuck on where to get your links, a platform such as SEMrush can help with this and offer suggestions on backlinks to use in your business line. It can also suggest the sites to consider pitching to, allowing you to maintain visibility within your preferred audience. In addition to external links, make it a point to utilize internal links that direct users to your site.

Focus on Relevant Keywords

Search engines such as Google and Yahoo rely on keywords to identify your site’s relevance, after which they rank you with your competitors. For the best search results, make it a point to always utilize keywords in page titles, alt-text descriptions, and meta descriptions. SEMrush can also offer assistance in this area and help you decide the best keyword that lines with your site. Along with this, incorporate quality content on your site. Here, you want to aim for shorter paragraphs, exciting stories, and longer content where possible. Longer content allows you to incorporate more backlinks, increasing your visibility for long-term growth.

Utilize Web Design Experts

Your website’s design is the first visual element that introduces your business to your audience. It highlights your company’s image and brand and will go a long way in attracting or repelling your customers. This is why you need to consider hiring experts in web design services.
Among the services you can expect from professional web designers include DNS changes, graphic design, and form integrations. In addition to this, a professional will also provide Google verification, video embedding and linking, and on-page SEO for images. Keep in mind that professional web designers often provide multiple web pages to ensure you get various options from your provider to test the most suitable one for your audience.

The above-listed services may seem enough if you start but are just beginning what your web designer should provide. To get the benefit of a visible platform that converts leads into sales, look for a designer that also incorporates user design on your site. This should take site navigation, interaction tools, and appropriate graphic elements that work with your customer base. Analytics and insight avenues should also be added to your site, a factor that will help you track and measure your customer’s online footprints every time they visit your site.

Use Paid Advertising

While the above-listed tips comprise a major part of the organic online ranking, paid search advertising can also help you grow your online presence. To understand how paid advertising works, let us begin with the basics. Every time a user searches something, they get a list of web pages matching their results. Among these are paid advertising sites, which often appear as the top 3 listed links. Every time a user clicks on these links, you pay for each click, referred to as pay-per-click advertising. Since they are listed as the top links during searches, users are likely to find them more beneficial than other lower-ranked sites, making it a crucial tip for businesses looking to increase their visibility. Apart from getting the coveted spot on search engines, paid advertising also comes with numerous benefits, which include:

Building Your Business Reputation

In addition to the payment that search engines get from your advertising, they also utilize various factors while ranking you above other sites. These include keyword relevancy, landing page quality, your website’s performance, and your click-through rate. If you score high on these factors, it means that your site provides relevant information in your field. Users can, therefore, trust your website, an aspect that will boost your growth over time.

Free Data Analytics

Paid advertising also comes with free data analytics, a tool that will come in handy in helping you understand your users and how best to attract them. Using these tools, you get real-time information on your users, the pages visited, and how much time they spend on your site. This data will allow you to get insight on the pages to place your products and sites that need improvement.

Hire Internet Marketing Experts

Grasping the ins and outs of online business will not happen overnight, and where you fall short of this expertise, an internet marketing agency will be your best bet. Digital marketing teams have years of experience that will come in handy for growing your business online, ensuring you keep up with the demand of an ever-changing market. The following are some services that professionals can help with:

Providing Digital Analysis

Every business relies on SWOT analysis to evaluate its standing, a tool that also works for businesses with online operations. A digital agency helps analyze your business strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities with relation to competitors in your market. Here, you can expect to get tips on how to scale up any existing gaps in your online strategy, with each recommendation structured to suit your current and future business needs.

Provide Content Marketing

Suppose you struggle with finding the appropriate words for your site. In that case, digital agencies can help create enticing content to captivate and retain your audience, paving the way for you to appear as an authoritative force in your field. Among the various platforms that an agency will help create content includes your blogs, landing pages, and white papers.

Helps With Lead Recovery and Conversion

Customer conversion is crucial to growth and is another specialty that internet agencies offer services in. To cut back on any lost leads, professionals will implement proper mechanisms to recover your clients, allowing you to experience growth from return customers that you may have previously thought impossible. Some techniques utilized in this area include smart selling and introducing measuring metrics on your sites.

Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms are the go-to for consumers interested in buying products, making it an unrestricted online information hub. From sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, among others, experts will help you harness the power of these platforms, customizing content and engagement to fit each outlet. Social media marketing also entails targeted ad campaigns, with LinkedIn, Facebook, and email marketing sites helping you drive conversations and connect with customers.

Get an Accounting Expert

Accounting is one of the elusive parts of online businesses, with most business owners often putting it off until it is too late. Rather than wait for emergencies to utilize this service, ensure you get accounting for small business owners book as soon as your site goes live. It will allow you to enjoy these benefits:

Helps Track Your Expenses

Expenses can slowly accrue over time, with lost receipts making it difficult to track areas you need to limit your spending. An accounting expert can help you track each expense, from customer calls to a custom modern door installation that often leads to unwanted costs.

Provides Sound Financial Advice

Understanding the impact of various decisions such as purchasing equipment or getting additional loans could mean propelling your business forward or leading you down a bankruptcy path. An accounting expert is trained to look at the bigger picture and determine which decisions to make for long-term growth.

Compliance With the Law

Every business is required to utilize accounting services, which makes it possible for the preparation of taxes. Without bookkeeping services, your business could face lawsuits or suffer from a bad reputation. An accounting professional is a solution to avoiding such problems and will go a long way in showing your customers that their interests are also not pushed to the side.

Get Business Insurance

Getting insurance for your business is another essential tip that offers the following benefits:

Builds Your Credibility

Having insurance indicates that you care for your clients, customers, and employees, an aspect that ends up building trust among your stakeholders. Whether your online operations are based at home or the office, a licensed, bonded, and insured tag means that you can take care of employees when they get injured at work and that your services and products are safe to use, failure to which you can compensate your stakeholders should anything go wrong.

Ensures Your Businesses Is Running During Emergencies

Online businesses may seem like they generally do not experience risks, yet they are some of the most targeted for cyber attacks. By signing up for in-home business insurance, you get to keep your working equipment safe with coverage options, often protecting items such as laptops during burglary and vandalism. This will allow you to continue operations during unforeseen events without your customers experiencing any business setbacks.

Get an Attorney

Lastly, consider getting a business law attorney. Numerous businesses fall prey to unscrupulous online partnership deals, as these do not typically require physical negotiations and lengthy document approval processes. By getting a lawyer, you can enjoy benefits such as:

Avoiding Intellectual Property Issues

Every company’s logo is different, just as its name is also a unique element. Domain names and websites often contain these aspects, acting identifiers of the type of business you deal with. These also fall under copyright terms, a factor whose breach could leave you with a lawsuit. Before setting for your company name and logo, make it a point to consult a lawyer to do a thorough search on whether you are in breach of copyright or trademark registrations.

Helps You With Business Formation

Businesses that are incorporated allow owners to enjoy reduced personal liability, an area that online-based entrepreneurs forget to look into. The rise of lawsuits in the country means that more business owners are faced with personal liability, with simple errors likely to leave your business struggling. The solution to this is getting a business lawyer’s services as it will allow you to take care of the often overlooked parts of online business operations.

Helps You Reduce False Defamatory Claims

The online world thrives on reviews, with most customers likely to trust other user’s words over yours. If you have any false claims on your reviews, it could cause a decline in sales due to the bad reputation caused. Where you are at no-fault, a lawyer can help with such defamatory remarks, issuing court orders when required.

Protects Your Business Trade Secrets

If your business produces highly-skilled products, confidentiality will be an essential part of your growth. Your lawyer can provide non-disclosure agreements to the parties you are in business with, binding them to confidentiality clauses to keep your information secret. This will also protect you from cyber breaches, making it difficult for hackers to leak any information without the risk of getting a lawsuit.

If you are stuck on how to set up your business for growth, these tips will come in handy in helping you navigate the online business world. Some require help from professionals; others generally need incremental changes over time, forming long-lasting habits that will reward you with online business growth.

creating good social media content

With colder weather coming fast, you’re definitely going to begin checking out winter boat storage prices if you’re into boating. And you’re not the only one. More than 34 million households include at least one boating enthusiast. That’s plenty of people who love being on the water.

Now, in addition to looking into winter boat storage prices, you’ll want to take care of a few things to ensure that your boat stays in tip-top shape for months. Remember: It’s not just about winter boat storage prices, although you’ll definitely want to get the best deal possible. It’s also about preparing to protect your boat investment.

If you’re ready to move beyond checking into winter boat storage prices and take care of your seafaring vessel of choice, read on for ten tips on storing your boat during wintertime months.

Take It Out for a Final Run on the Water

As long as the water hasn’t frozen over, you can probably take your boat out for one last trip. While you’re there, resist the temptation to make phone calls to find out about winter boat storage prices and take a few moments to listen and feel your boat.

Do you notice anything that sounds concerning? Is your boat handling okay? Does it seem like the engine is humming along? Be as thorough in your analysis as you can. Make sure you jot down any concerns so you’ll remember them later. After all, you’ll want to check out and repair your boat before you put it into storage for weeks on end.

Not sure if the boat is handling okay? Did you buy a new boat that you’re not yet accustomed to piloting? Try your best to be diligent. In the meantime, make sure that you enjoy one last hurrah. You might want to take a picture or two, just to remember your last boating adventure until after the holidays.

Clean the Boat From Aft to Stern

After your final spin in your boat, you need to get down to business. Start by cleaning your boat inside and out.

You can use warm, soapy water to scour all the hard surfaces of your boat. If you have soft surfaces, such as leather on the seats, be sure to choose the correct product. It may take several hours to get the job fully done. Take your time and get it finished correctly. Doing it fast will only lead to problems down the road.

Of course, you can’t proceed with a wet or damp boat. Therefore, you’ll want to let it air dry. From that point, you can wax it up if needed to give it a nice shine. The better your boat looks when you put it into storage after finding the place with the most reasonable winter boat storage prices, the better it will look when you take it out again.

Prepare the Engine and Other Moving Parts

You wouldn’t put a car into a storage unit without checking all its moving parts, would you? So don’t store your boat for the winter without going through a once-over of its engine and other internal mechanical works.

Should you do this type of examination on your own? Maybe. You just need to have comfort around engines, gas tanks, and related equipment. Not sure it’s something you want to do alone? Winterize everything with a friend or take your boat to a technician.

If you just bought your boat over the summer, you may have received manuals and instructions to help you understand how to take care of your investment. Re-read them, or look them over for the first time. They may contain winterization tidbits specific to the make and model of boat that you purchased.

On the other hand, if your boat has been around the block a time or two, you still shouldn’t skip this step. Even if you’ve gotten away with storing your boat over the winter without giving the engine or fuel tank some TLC, you’ve honestly been lucky. Rather than wait for your luck to run out, make this year the time to tackle this project.

Bring Your Boat Home

At this point, you can bring your boat home or wherever it’s going to be housed temporarily until you find a location with attractive winter boat storage prices. Be sure to protect it for the journey with the custom boat covers so that you’re not unnecessarily exposing any part of it to the elements.

How are you going to get your boat back? Some people just tow their boats behind their vehicles if they have the right kind of trailer and hitch combination. Other boaters prefer to hire professional scheduled towing service providers to do the work for them. If you’re paying other people to clean and winterize your boat and you can’t be present, you will probably want to get someone else to bring the boat to you.

Remember that you shouldn’t try to tow a boat without the right equipment. Trying to just tie down a smaller boat in the bed of a large truck can end in disaster.

Ultimately, your boat will be back at your home and you can proceed to the next step, which is turning the boat into more of a skeleton.

Remove Anything That Doesn’t Need to Be Stored With Your Boat

You’ve cleaned your boat. You’ve winterized all the moving parts. While you’re still searching for winter boat storage prices online, take one last trip around the interior and exterior. What are you looking for? Basically, anything that you haven’t already taken off the boat.

Items to be removed before storage could be safety equipment like flares and fire extinguishers, life jackets for everyone in the family, tools that you often use when on the water, fishing equipment, sunscreen, and related personal tidbits. Many of these items may need to be cleaned and sanitized, even if you didn’t use them. For instance, life jackets can take on musty odors just from being exposed too long to moist, humid air.

Could you leave some of your stuff in the boat? Of course. But it’s so much better if you’ve stripped your boat of everything that’s not important. This gives you the chance to start anew next spring when you bring it out of storage. Plus, you never know: You might decide to upgrade your boat and sell this one. In that case, your boat will already be ready for a buyer to check out without you having to remove personal effects.

Make Repairs to Your Boat

Remember when you were out on the water for one last jaunt? Now is the time for you to check out everything you wrote down that you were potentially concerned about. Depending upon the seriousness of the issues, you could go back to the boat dealer to have your boat worked on, or you could maybe even work on the boat yourself.

If you opt for the DIY route, be certain you have all the boat decking hardware supplies you need on hand. Set aside several days for the repairs or overhaul, especially if you think that you might need to wait for replacement parts to come in.

Of course, you may wonder if you should just hold off until springtime to take care of repairs. That isn’t a recommended move because it only prolongs the inevitable. Plus, your problem could get even worse as the internal workings of your boat sit in storage for weeks on end. Therefore, it’s better if you just pay for maintenance right away, even if it’s costlier than you’d prefer.

Pick Out Storage Options

By this point, you’ve already looked into plenty of winter boat storage prices at a variety of storage facilities. And if you’ve been doing your homework beyond just looking at the sticker cost, you’ll see that you have tons of storage options for your boat.

From wood storage sheds on people’s private property to professionally managed warehouses with climate controlled storage containers onsite, you can effortlessly find the right fit for your vessel.

To be sure, the more bells and whistles your indoor or outdoor storage choice has, the higher your winter boat storage prices will end up being. Consequently, your budget might have to guide your final pick.

Still not convinced that you’d like to pay to have your boat somewhere else? You could always consider figuring out a good way to store the boat on your premises without having it get in the way.

Consider Customized Storage on Your Home or Vacation Property

So you’ve decided that you want to keep your boat at your house or a vacation spot for the winter? No problem. But you’ll need either a large extra garage or a custom shed. If you’re leaning in the shed direction, do yourself a favor by calling some insulation contractors. Insulating your shed will help you keep it warm over the wintertime, which can be valuable.

How much will it cost to design and build this type of long-term storage on your premises? It will depend upon a number of factors, including how big your boat is and what types of materials you plan to use for your shed. The good news is that once your shed is paid for, it will give you a terrific, secure boat storage or even vehicle storage option for decades.

Think About Shrink Wrapping Your Boat

You’re just about ready to put your boat into storage. However, you’ll want to think about one more question. Namely, should you shrink-wrap your boat?

Shrink wrapping will help you seal the interior and some of the exterior of your boat. Essentially, nothing can gain access under the shrink wrap until you’re ready to open it up and expose your boat again.

The benefits of shrink-wrapping aren’t insignificant. Shrinkwrapping can help you ward off everything from mold growth to premature rusting of metal parts. Just make sure that you never have your boat shrink wrapped when it’s still damp. Otherwise, you could end up sealing in all the dampness and basically negating all the advantages that come with this process.

Make Sure Your Boat Is Safely Protected

As you move your boat into storage, take one last exploratory look at it. Are there any areas that could possibly become openings for pesky insects or curious rodents? Mice and other creatures like to nest in the winter in boats that are in storage facilities sometimes. Make sure your boat doesn’t become their home-away-from-home when it’s cold outside.

You should also ensure that your boat won’t get damaged. For instance, you might choose to store your boat in your oversized three-car garage. However, if it’s not properly situated, it could be in danger of getting hit by a vehicle. That’s the last thing you want, even though you’ll be saving money on winter boat storage prices by housing your boat in your home.

All in all, you deserve to have complete peace of mind. Knowing that your boat is unlikely to come to any harm while it’s in winter storage will allow you to take one more stressor off your plate.

Set a Schedule to Check on the Boat Over the Winter

This is probably the simplest of all steps you’re likely to encounter when storing your boat. It just involves adding a couple of important dates to your calendar. About every month or two, set aside time to just give your boat a once over. Make sure the shrink-wrap or tarp is still in place and be on the lookout for any odd sights or smells.

Your regular inspections shouldn’t take too long. If you’re paying someone to house your boat on their property and you can’t get to it in person, have them send you videos periodically.

Get Ready for Next Season

Now comes the real fun. You get to ask for holiday gifts from family and friends to support your boating adventures next spring! Who knows you may get one of those live bait aerated coolers you’ve seen advertised all over the place. Or you might get a more practical present like a first aid kit that includes at least one large waterproof bandage, just in case.

Regardless, get ready. Winter won’t last forever, which means you’ll be back on your properly stored boat in no time flat.

“The Coronavirus has inspired global chaos in a way that hasn’t been seen in recorded history.”
“The effects have been devastating and our world has been irrevocably changed.” We’ve all heard statements like these in the last few months. And even if you’ve been living under a rock you’ve been affected by this pandemic. The circumstances of it all have given many of us, all this time on our hands. Time we’re not used to. Time we’re not able to spend well.

Some of us try to keep up with the news about the outbreak as much as possible, it feels like perhaps there is some kind of control and stability in knowledge if nothing else. Others are burying our heads in the sand for the sake of our own sanity. Either way, neither process is making anything better and many of us are starting to see and feel the effects

Along with the economy and the healthcare system, mental health in quarantine has taken a solid nosedive. Reports show the rates of people seeking mental health professionals have gone up. Some even worry that there could be an increase in suicide rates due to social isolation and failing business ventures. Taking care of your mental health in quarantine is scary and can seem like a hard challenge.

Mental Health in Quarantine

Surely there are people with much worse problems than boredom and loneliness but humans are naturally social creatures. We need social communication to function normally and happily.

Solitary confinement is used as a last resort punishment for inmates in American prisons. Humanitarians argue this punishment is cruel and unusual, as it has led inmates to suicide as well as other terrible effects. Of course, the shutdown is nowhere near as isolating as solitary confinement but it can help us to understand just how important human interaction is for us as a species.

The regulations of social distancing are almost like state-mandated depression. For example, some of the tell-tale signs that someone is dealing with mental illness like depression include; social isolation and distancing, emotional despondency, sleeping a lot, turning to substances for relief, not properly taking care of yourself, hygienically or emotionally.

I’m sure many of us can identify these traits in our friends or loved ones, or possibly even ourselves. Sure, a few days of sleeping in, staying in your PJ’s doing nothing all day is perfectly healthy. Probably good for you if you’re usually running around a lot. But many people lost their job and have nothing but empty stretches of time in front of them. To help pass these large empty blocks of time, some are abusing alcohol or other drugs, or turn to other unhealthy habits like overeating.

Situations like these are nervewracking, as dependency on drugs can lead down some scary avenues. Some people had dependency issues from before the pandemic that is only being given the opportunity to grow under this Petree dish of humanity. If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol or drug dependency it can be particularly scary since many resources for helping are closed right now. However, there are still virtual AA meetings that can be attended, and something like a family intervention can always make a big difference in these cases.

What Can We Do?

With all the high emotion and panic in people, its important to continue with as much positive social interaction as we can. If you live with people (family, roommates, etc), close-quarters interactions are inevitable, and avoiding bumping elbows in the hall can be difficult. So keeping these connections and conversations honest and open is in your best interest. This will help with your social health and a mental health one.

It’s important to remember not everyone is in a situation like this. Some people may have been living alone before Corona and are suffering from even higher amounts of isolation than those living with family members.

Other people have toxic living dynamics, whether with their family, partner, or roommates. In cases like this, the lockdown mandate is a higher-level of stressful, potentially scary, and undoubtedly isolating.

For some, getting out of the house to go to work or see their friends meant getting away from a toxic home environment. We don’t always know about these situations, regardless, keeping in contact with friends is not just helpful for you. Keeping up mental health in quarantine is no small feat.

The most satiating form of digital communication during the coronavirus is undoubtedly video chatting. If you have a smartphone or laptop with a webcam, you can video chat with friends, family, coworkers, and anyone else you wanna see.

These modes of communication are already in use a lot by non-necessary jobs that can still be handled on the computer from home. Many companies use programs like Zoom or Google hangouts to communicate with each other while working remotely. This way your people can keep getting a salary and stay safe from the virus. Many note that working during this trying time and can serve as a good distraction. Your brain is more occupied than it would be otherwise.

Of course, not everyone can work from home and it’s those people that are having more issues with their mental health generally. If you’re at home with no work and feeling hopeless, then digital communication is even more important for you. Make sure to facetime or at least text with your friends and loved ones at this time. Reaching out is the only way to let people know how you’re feeling and what is going on with you.

Looking Towards the Future

One of the best things you can do to help pass the time is to try to think about the future when we’re all able to go out and interact normally again. Perhaps if you have a lot of time on your hands, even mentally, planning for the future could be a wise thing to do. This can keep your mind sharp and focused on something that isn’t the deterioration of society as we knew it.

You could take a more practical approach to your daydreams of the future, and start planning out a new business venture to start up. Perhaps you’ve always thought you would be a great entrepreneur but never had the time to plan everything out. Make up a business plan and call friends or family who could help you out with it. Turn your personal project into a social activity for you and friends or loved ones. Set up opportunities to get a loan once you’re business plan is built.

Perhaps for some of us, that sounds a bit too stressful to try to take on. Instead, you may prefer to plan for a romantic getaway with your honey. Imagining yourself on an island paradise in a bikini with an umbrella drink in hand certainly sounds more exciting than sitting on the couch in your sweats again.

The daydreaming can be more fruitful than that, you could look up flight deals for the future, and actually plan out an island getaway from sometime later in the summer or early fall. Perhaps start looking into engagement ring financing if you’d like this romantic getaway to be a life-altering one.

There is a lot to plan with a vacation, from hotels and resorts to transportation services. Finding the best beaches in the location you chose, or fun activities you can do there. Even if this island getaway is nothing more than a fantasy, it can still be a good distraction while passing the time. Anything keeping your mind off the world’s potential end is always preferable.

If you still have revenue for making money, this could be a great opportunity to try and save up a little. Perhaps there’s a big investment you’ve been wanting to make, maybe you need a new computer or something bigger like a car or house.

With social distancing in place, there is a lot less money being spent by the average consumer (hence the whole economy crashing thing). So saving up some extra money, for when you can spend it, will help the economy get back on its feet quicker. Plus you can get that designer dress you’ve been wanting for a while or you could finally go for that highly effecting balding treatment.

It can be hard for some people to focus on the positive during all this. But if you are able to see that the glass really is half full, then its a good practice to keep up during this time. It will not only help you get through this trying time, but you may end up a beacon for others around you.

When Distracting Yourself Isn’t Enough

But some of us just don’t see things that way. Some of us are too clouded with anxiety and sadness to notice a stray silver lining. Going through periods like this is normal and part of the natural ebb and flow of being a human but when you are unable to escape the storm clouds, that’s when there may be cause for some concern.

If you’re finding yourself in a state like this, it’s important to let someone know. At the very least it will be helpful to let your doctor know what’s going on as they may be able to give you a referral to a mental health specialist. This is the best option if you’re looking to improve your mental health in quarantine.

But talking to your doctor can also help to rule out certain other things that may be causing issues. Perhaps you’ve been having trouble sleeping from the anxiety of it all. Possible a simple sleep aid supplement would be able to make a big difference. Getting the proper sleep required is very important for your mental wellbeing.

Depending on the laws of where you live, some doctors even prescribe marijuana as a medicinal treatment source. Due to studies showing the health benefits of the herb it has now become a common medicine. If there are cannabis dispensaries in your state, you may be able to get a prescription for marijuana.

But dealing with mental health in quarantine isn’t always so simple. With people not having jobs, that also means people aren’t receiving their regular health benefits. This means fewer people will have access to mental health services. If you’re looking for cost-conscious treatments there are a number of good sources available;

Apps like Pacifica are very inexpensive and have daily mental health tips and reminders. Sites like BetterHelp have free trials and are on the lower end of monthly payments for mental health services. These can help greatly with mental health in quarantine. CIMHS has a free program designed to help people manage their depression. There are medical professionals posting information on sites like youtube about how to deal with these issues, as well as guided meditations and yoga explicitly designed to aid with calming one’s mind.

If things are beyond the point of digital counseling, the national suicide prevention hotline’s number is 1-800-273-8255. For LGBT individuals looking for specialized help during this time, the Trevor Project’s hotline number is 1-866-488-7386.

This Will Not Last Forever

No matter how your mental health in quarantine is, it’s important to remember that this will not last forever. We will have parties and eat at restaurants and hug our friends again. There will be sports matches, and concerts and summer arts festivals again. Try to be kind to yourself and others during this trying time.

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