Usefulness for the consumer: the number one premise when starting a business

I often meet business owners who complain that sales aren't coming, that new customers aren't arriving, and that the effort and money they've put into their brands isn't paying off.

This is a constant for anyone starting a new business: giving in to defeatist thinking, then frustration, until eventually abandoning the venture.

Perhaps you find yourself in that situation, where your head is riddled with negative thoughts that call into question your ability to move a business forward, one that, in principle, was conceived to bring prosperity to you and your loved ones.

The first thing you should know is that this attitude isn't the best way to solve the problem. The mistake lies in giving room to self-attack, which tears down your emotions and makes you feel useless.

Flip the coin over—remember it has two sides. Don't insist on seeing everything as bad; turn it around and discover possibilities and solutions. Before giving up on your dream, think of the life preserver that can keep it from sinking.

After you've relaxed and repeated to yourself a thousand times, I am not a loser, there is a solution, consult with professionals in the field of business development, ask them to analyze your brand, product, or service—a diagnosis is necessary.

And from there, take action, get up, use the tools you've been given, and empower your business with strategies adapted to a market that has changed a great deal and will keep changing.

Guidance in developing your business ideas is vital to shielding your brand and ensuring its optimal growth, while keeping in mind the most important piece.

And that most important piece is the consumer. That's likely where your problem lies—perhaps you're not defining your brand's value proposition around its usefulness for your customers.

Answer this. What is your venture offering the consumer? What is it doing for them? How is it relating to them? Are you being empathetic with your potential customer? Are you solving a problem for them? Does your service or product hold real value for the person buying it?

Then, hold a meeting with your team and review whether the business is adapting to the new consumer—the one who expects to get something that helps improve their life and who seeks buying experiences based on trust and closeness.

Revisit your business idea and make it useful, so it connects with the potential customer through empathy and authenticity. That's why your brand's value proposition should be the first thing to solidify.

Remember, provide value to the consumer before thinking about giving up.