Step four is actually quite entertaining, quite exciting. Because here, you're going to create the identity of your business. This is the first time that basically your business is going to take shape, you will give it a name, branding, a color shape. So this, this is quite a rewarding step and you will enjoy it. It's also a step that is going to take you much more time than the previous ones. Because until now, the steps can be done in a day but but right now we're going to talk about the heavy work, actually.

So now you're creating your business identity. In order to do this, there's a checklist of a couple of things that you will need at the end of this step. So you need a business name. We need the business vision. We need to have a value proposition so what service or solution are you providing to your client? We talked about That you will need a logo, you will need a business card, you will need a brochure, a flyer, website.

All those things have Facebook page and all the elements that will provide an identity in to your business. So, I hope I have listed or otherwise I'll provide a more detailed list on paper. But you see what I mean? This is the step where you create your business. Also, from a legal standpoint, this is the step where you can decide already to create your business as a legal entity. Now here for example, in Portugal, I really wanted to do this upfront, because when I was leaving the UK, you could create a business online it would cost you about 20 pounds to just register your your brands and then your own business name and that was it.

You would get your your VAT number. Or in Portugal, it was become more complicated. I had to take meeting with the municipality in Lisbon and, and when I had my appointments, I had to come and explain what I wanted to do. Then I managed to register and open my business. But then they asked me for an accountant and a dedicated lawyer. So there were costs involved with opening my business which I was not prepared for.

And Had I known I would have opened my business a bit later, legally. So this is the time where at least you need to start investigating on the legal aspects of opening your business. And my recommendation here is to get some coaching and some advice and best person, in my case was my lawyer. So there are firms who can consult you on how to open a business. What are the various types of legal entities which is the one that suits you best. What are also your duties as a business owner?

In terms of tax declarations in terms of Accountancy, all those aspects? This is the step I told you it's a lot of work. Yes. But really there are two aspects I'm saying and we talked about the branding and the legal. And then there is also the sales with the brochures, the flyers your cards. Again, you know, you may want to choose if you have limited budget available, you may want to choose to create a temporary logo on your own or through some friends that you know, and maybe you can exchange service with someone and get something done.

Otherwise, I think it is also a great idea to start working with your future marketing team and start partnering with someone who can create the logo for you and understand who you are. Who are your clients. What is the problem and based on this to start creating Seeing a branding identity already? What are your colors? What is the message of your company? And what's your logo.

And so you know, when you start having those discussions you will see it will help you develop and further your understanding of what your business is really all about in what you want to create. It was for me, it was always essential steps, and I would never come out of such a meeting. In the same way I would always evolve my vision and my understanding of what my business was all about. So I think it's valuable to do this as early as possible, get the coaching and contact the experts. And you can do this right now. You know, if you look online, or if you use your network, you can do this at affordable prices.

So I really don't see any reasons why you should prevent yourself from from gaining this extra support that you really need this let's be honest, a business owner business entrepreneur can be do certain things but most of the time, we're not natural born marketers and we don't master the it tools to create brands and logos and flyers and, and business cards. So it depends on your skills, of course. But my recommendation still is that you gain support from the experts around you, you will need them later on. And this journey is about creating your network. We're going to see this in a later step. Start now.

It's valuable. So you have your branding, you have your legal and you have your marketing already in place. This is the time when you start creating your websites or my god this is a lot of work and you will fine tune this website. Forever. It's continuous It never stops. And that's, that's like a business.

It never standstill. It's always evolving with the demands with the environment with the competition. With the clients, so get started, at least you have something and you have time right now you're still employed. Remember, you still save a year you're building assets that will stay, that will be your mark your starting point. At the end of this step, you have an identity, you actually have a business, right? And this is also useful because in the future, when you will introduce your business to partners at exhibitions, exhibitions or clients, you know, they will ask you, when you open your business, actually, it's quite, quite useful to say that it started now.

Because it's giving you giving you credibility, and it's true. So there's a lot of work here, think as broadly as possible, because this is your time to anticipate. This is your freedom right now, where you have all the space and opportunities to create all the assets that are in Essential in running a business. Like I said, I'm going to do it and I'm just going to repeat. You know, things like business cards, very important because you're going to network later and you want to be able to present a business card. If you have a business card you need a logo.

If you are in the same for the brochure and the flyer for this, you need to understand your clients because this flyer is going to respond exactly to the clients and share their story and provide an idea of how you can help them and your website. Well, this is the the essence This is the root of all because it's basically one page, a few pages that will explain who you are and will attract your clients and help them connect with you. So what you're creating now is going to stay and it's going to to be the the stepping stones of your business in the future. Are you realizing what we're talking about here is getting real until now. We were in the level of mental preparation and and just psychology and and reflection and analysis but now you've got something at least at the end of this step you will have, let's get to work and enjoy.

This is you creating your business this should be exciting. This should be giving you a lot of motivation and energy to keep going. Have fun