Software as a service (SaaS) is quite literally what it says on the tin. Essentially, users will access their service through the internet in some description. The owners of the business will host their solution on servers, which is why SaaS services are also called web-based solutions. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can start diving deeper.
Work Out the Problem
There’s no point in beginning to build your service if it doesn’t solve anything. If there are already solutions available on the market but you know you can do it better, you’re onto a winner. You have to be sure of yourself on this because if you launch and don’t beat out the competition, your business will fail. Another great way to find a problem is to look into your skillset. Think about a problem you often face and wish there was a web solution for – you can fill this need.
Write a Plan
Any business needs a plan. You need to know how you will set your business up, how you will fund it, who will be involved, and the ways that you will make revenue. As part of your business plan, you will need to know what the growth of the SaaS business model is. Knowing how to make money from your business is extremely important.
Research
Now that you’ve got your plan in place, you need to check whether your plan will work. This involves talking to potential customers and finding out what common problems they face, as they will be the people using your service and funding your project. You need to know who your competitors are as well, therefore it’s important to analyze and find out how they work. Having these metrics will help you to get a leg up before you start.
Pricing Options
The likelihood is that you will be running your service on a subscription-based model. This way, you can keep track of who is renewing their subscriptions and tackle drops in users head-on. Throughout the life of your service, you need to be willing to shift your prices accordingly to reflect the needs of the customer. It can be difficult to know what prices you should start. However, as a benchmark, refer to your competitor’s research.
Establish a Brand
This is the fun part where you get to decide what your business is called and how you want to market yourself. Creating a brand means that your business is beginning to take better shape, and will be a fantastic way to entice people to support your journey. Quite often, when people look for jobs, they deal with the hardships because they enjoy the brand and know it will be worth it. So, make sure your brand has a personality.
The Legalities
You need to register your business and obtain the appropriate licenses before you can carry out business. Each state will have its own set of laws surrounding internet businesses. When it comes to the legal side of the business, that’s a whole different article in itself, which you can find here.
Build Your Project
The final part of your project after you’ve carried out research, written a business plan, gained funding, and legalized your business, is to create your service. You should start with a Beta version and offer that to people who financially backed you.
Creating a SaaS business takes a lot of time and energy. You need to be confident that there is a gap in the market for your product. Now, you’re ready to research further and begin your own business venture.
