創業公司如何用好每一分錢

It’s no secret that startups often fall into the trap of spending money on things that aren’t that important — it’s just one of the many mistakes that entrepreneurs can make.

創業公司常常誤入歧途，把錢花在一些無關緊要的事情上，這早已不是什麼祕密，只是創業者會犯的衆多錯誤之一。

However, the fact that some expenses are unnecessary doesn’t mean that you need to be a cheapskate whenever you encounter a potential cost. In fact, some expenses are absolutely necessary, and as an entrepreneur, it’s essential that you know the difference.

儘管有些花銷純屬多餘，但這並不意味着你在每項潛在成本上都要當個小氣鬼。實際上，有些開銷是必不可少的，做一名創業者，你必須要學會辨識。

Here’s a list of 10 things that you absolutely must spend money on, followed by 10 things you definitely shouldn’t:

以下就是10件你絕對該花錢的事，以及另外10件根本不該浪費錢的事：

10 essential expenses

十大必不可少的開銷

1. A business plan.There’s a lot of controversy regarding business plans, but in my opinion, knowing where you’re going and how you’re going to get there isn’t optional in business.

1、商業計劃。關於在商業計劃上該不該花錢坊間一直爭議頗多，但在我看來，明確企業的發展目標以及實現路徑，對做生意來說是不可或缺的。

2. Market research. Never spend money on production before you know that you have customers ready to buy. Knowing what your market needs and how you can meet that need is essential for success.

2、市場調研。在明確知道有客戶打算購買前，絕不要投資生產。知道你所處的市場有什麼需求，以及如何滿足這種需求對成功至關重要。

3. A CFO or accountant. A good CFO or accountant can save you more money than you’ll spend on him or her by holding you accountable for spending and helping you plan your investments and understand your return on investment.

3、首席財務官或會計師。一個好的首席財務官或會計爲你省的錢往往比你付給他們的薪水多得多。他們能讓你在花錢時考慮周全，幫你規劃投資並搞清投資回報率。

4. Buying lunch for those more important than you.An awesome life lesson from the richest man in Asia, this tip is all about networking. The cost of a single lunch is worth far more.

4、請那些比你重要的人物吃午餐。這是來自李嘉誠的人生經驗，也是建立人脈的祕訣。它帶給你的收穫要遠遠高於一頓飯錢。

5. Legal advice. While unnecessary services cost you money you can’t afford, nearly all startup entrepreneurs require some level of legal advice. Whether it’s basic incorporation paperwork or understanding liability issues, pay for good advice from the start so that you aren’t stuck with the big bills of legal settlements later on.

5、法律諮詢。儘管有些服務既無必要又貴到你難以消受，但法律諮詢是個例外，幾乎所有創業者都需要不同程度的法律諮詢。不管是基本的公司文本，還是理解各種責任條款，一開始就付費購買好的法律諮詢服務，能讓你避免日後爲天價訴訟案買單。

6. Tax professionals. Doing your own taxes wastes countless hours that could be better spent on your business. Hire a tax professional, get the advice you need, and rest easy in April.

6、稅務專才。自己做稅會讓你浪費無數本可以用來經營企業的寶貴時間。聘一位稅務專業人員來獲得這方面必要的建議，到報稅時你就能高枕無憂了。

7. Customer service. It’s been said that sales without service is like putting money into a pocket with a hole in it. Customer service is an extremely profitable portion of your company, and it pays to invest in it.

7、客戶服務。人們經常說，只賣東西，不提供服務，就像把錢放在一個會漏的口袋裏。客戶服務是你公司非常有利可圖的一塊業務，投資自然有回報。

8. Marketing and branding. Again, this business need can be done well and it can be done poorly. Don’t aste money unnecessarily, but do spend wisely on targeted, measurable campaigns.

8、營銷和品牌。這塊支出豐儉由人。別毫無必要地浪費錢，但花錢做一些目標明確，效果可以衡量的推廣活動，是非常明智的。

9. Outsourced PR.This one is controversial as well, but keep in mind that I’m advocating tailored spending on measurable results. Your time as a founder is too valuable to spend on activities that others can handle for you in a profitable way.

9、公關外包。這類服務該不該花錢也備受爭議，但請記住，我認爲創業者需要有針對性地購買一些效果可衡量的公關服務。作爲創始人，你的時間很寶貴，沒必要浪擲在那些請別人代勞更划算的事上。

10. Technical support. As a rule, the hours you’d spend doing your own website and server maintenance would be far better spent serving your customers. Hire technical support and put your time to better use elsewhere.

10、技術支持。一般來說，把花在建網站和維護服務器上的時間用來服務客戶，你會獲得更大的價值。外聘技術支持，把自己的時間更好地用在別處吧。

10 expenses to avoid

十大能免則免的開銷

1. Expensive subscription-based services. Many times, project management software and other subscriptions have cheaper or free alternatives. Use them until you’re sure you need the features only a paid solution can provide.

1、昂貴的訂閱服務。很多時候，項目管理軟件和其他訂閱軟件服務都有更便宜或免費的替代品。平時用它們就行了，除非你確定自己需要那些只有付費軟件才能提供的功能。

2. Expensive clothes. Don’t let your ego put you out of business. It’s important to look professional, but you can do so fairly cheaply if you’re smart about how you shop.

2、昂貴的服飾。別爲了圖個面子，弄得自己破產。穿着打扮顯得職業化是很重要，但如果你足夠精明，穿一些不那麼貴的服飾也能達到同樣的效果。

3. A fancy office. Everyone wants a plush office, but the expenses involved in creating this business oasis can add up quickly. Focus on your business’s success first — the office can wait.

3、高檔辦公室。人人都想擁有一間豪華的辦公室，但要想打造這樣一個華麗空間就得不停地砸錢。先把精力放到做成業務上——豪華辦公室這件事可以先緩緩。

4. Expensive equipment. Like anybody, you may want to buy the latest and greatest technology, but that doesn’t mean it’s a useful business expense. Purchase only what you truly need, and do so as economically as possible.

4、高檔裝備。和所有人一樣，你可能也想買最新最好的技術裝備，但這並不意味着它是有用的支出。你應該只買那些真正需要，而且價廉物美的東西。

5. Staffing before you’re ready. It’s fun to be an employer and to watch your startup grow, but if your business isn’t ready, you’re just wasting money. Outsource first, and only bring on employees if it makes financial sense to do so.

5、還沒準備好就急着招兵買馬。當個老闆，看着員工團隊不斷壯大，是挺有意思的，但如果你的業務基礎還不牢固，這麼做就是在白白扔錢。可以先外包一些工作，只有在招聘員工符合成本效益原則時，再招兵買馬也不遲。

6. Extravagant business parties or trips. Again, these expenses may be fun, but they’re not wise. This kind of spending in a young company isn’t a sign of success — it’s a sign of wastefulness.

6、奢華的商務派對或旅行。這種開銷可能也會很有樂趣，但並不明智。一家初出茅廬的初創公司這樣亂花錢，絕對不是成功的好兆頭——它只是敗家的標誌。

7. Non-measurable outreach efforts. Whether it’s PR, marketing or branding, if you can’t measure the results of your efforts, you shouldn’t spend the money. When money is tight, start by focusing your spending on things you know can build your business.

7、無法衡量效果的拓展業務。不管是公關、營銷還是品牌推廣，如果不能準確衡量效果，就不該花錢。如果手頭緊，就要把錢花在刀刃上，花在那些你知道能促進企業成長的事情上。

8. Buying followers, email marketing lists or other “customers.”Not only is this usually a scam, it’s not a great way to get customers. It may look good to say you have thousands of followers, but if they’re fake, you’re never going to see a return on that cost.

8、買粉絲、電郵營銷清單或其他所謂“客戶”。一般來說，這些不光是誆人的玩意兒，也不是獲取客戶的好方法。說自己有成千上萬的粉絲可能顯得挺牛，但如果這些粉絲都是冒牌的，就永遠也別指望這些錢能夠產生回報。

9. Expensive shipping or printing costs. While having a logo and some inexpensive business cards makes sense, there’s no reason for young companies to spend money on major printing or shipping expenses. Focus on meeting your customer needs first, and fancy stationery later.

9、高昂的物流或印刷開支。儘管有個商標和一些便宜的名片是必要的，但剛起步的公司在印刷或物流上花大錢是毫無道理的。首要任務是關注如何滿足客戶需求，漂亮的信籤紙倒在其次。

10. Spending money before you’re sure you’ll make money.Unless you have some extremely generous investors in your back pocket, be especially cautious about spending significant amounts of money before you’re making enough to cover it. Just as individuals should live within their means, so should your business.

10、還不確定能否賺到錢時就亂花錢。除非背後有特別財大氣粗的投資者撐腰，否則在你能掙到足夠的錢應付大額開銷前，對這種大筆支出要慎之又慎。一個人過日子要量入爲出，做生意也是同樣道理。

Every business is unique and will have different needs at different times, which is why having someone who will hold you accountable can be very helpful when it comes to making smart decisions. When you spend money on the things that are truly important, you position your business well for long-term success.

每一家企業都是與衆不同的，在不同時期有不同需求，這就是創業者身旁需要有人不斷敲打，幫助你做出明智決策的原因所在。只有當你能把錢花在真正重要的事情上，你的企業纔有望獲得長期的成功。