You’ve been building up the idea for a perfect company in your mind for years now, turning over different ideas on how to make it work, and now finally the idea has moved from the confines of your mind to the confines of an office space. The only problem: you’re still a baby fish but you’ve moved out of your fish tank and into the ocean, and there are a lot more sharks out there with a lot bigger teeth just waiting to attack, and the competition is fierce if you want to stay in the game.

It’s not easy being a startup company – over 50 percent of startups fail in the beginning; the formula to success is less about finding that magical formula that will really get you going, and rather, figuring out how to try and fail and try again. Companies hear pitches from smaller companies every day; new business deals or hot trendy brands – you really have to figure out how to make your startup stand out.

And there are certainly ways to stand out and to get ahead: every big shark had to start from somewhere. Having a strong social media presence is key; you want your voice out there, and you want to amplify your content in any way you can. It can be exhausting sometimes, trying to figure out exactly how you want to project your social media image online, but with some practice you’ll soon find that not only do you attract followers, but they will start being your very own brand ambassadors; if they like your posts, then they will start coming to you. It’s extremely important to develop a smart business plan before you begin, so you can know exactly where you want to see your company in ten years. Here’s an infographic to explain what you need to do, and how, to make it in the ocean:

(click to enlarge)

SharkTank