【Entrepreneur's Diary】 Vol.5 "Startup Expenses (Startup Tools Edition)"

This is an "entrepreneur's diary" written by a creative director working at a creative agency in Tokyo, documenting the process of starting an independent business. It will cover the process of entrepreneurship, insights gained, failures, and other related content.

What is needed for the digital aspects of starting a business?

This can vary depending on the profession and the circumstances of independence. In my case, I am starting from home and working in a creative field. Rather than actively seeking work from a broad audience, I plan to receive opportunities through connections. Therefore, I felt the need for a website where I can showcase my portfolio. This led to the necessity of acquiring a domain, so I have summarized the estimated costs related to that."

Website

"Even when creating a company's website, there won't naturally be any work to showcase initially. Of course, it's not advisable to display past work from previous companies. So, my conclusion was to create separate websites for the 'company's site' and 'my portfolio site.' Initially, this is to showcase my portfolio and attract clients. To keep the initial costs low and considering that there will be many changes and updates until the company's direction becomes clear, I chose not to create a custom website but instead opted for services like 'Wix' or 'Square Space.' Since I already have the content, which is my 'portfolio,' this approach saves me from investing in a custom system. Additionally, these platforms offer a variety of design templates, allowing for quick preparation and the ability to allocate resources during the preparatory period to other tasks. I personally preferred Square Space due to its visually appealing design.

Domain Acquisition

As for acquiring a web address (domain), I obtained it through 'お名前.com.' What's great about this site is that it not only offers '.com' domains but also provides information on the availability of other domains like '.tokyo,' which is very useful. The downside is that the retargeting and email volume can be overwhelming until you adjust the settings... (laughs). With 'Square Space,' you can also acquire a domain after finalizing the design."

Whois Information Privacy Service
The Whois Information Privacy Service is a service that allows you to request the information displayed in the search results above to be kept private for reasons such as privacy protection. For more details, please click here.

New SSL Server Certificate Issuance
An SSL server certificate is an electronic certificate used to confirm the 'existence of the operator' of a website and to 'encrypt communication data' between the browser and the web server. It's advisable to issue it to enhance the credibility of your site. For more details, please click here.

Email Address Acquisition
This can be created for free once you have acquired the domain.

Server Acquisition
The cost of server acquisition depends on the capacity, but I acquired it for approximately 500 yen per month."

Reel Movie

Even if you create a portfolio, not all clients will take the time to go through it. Having a digest video that summarizes it in about a minute can make it more accessible. Since I lack video editing skills, I may have to consider outsourcing this task, but I plan to do so after starting the business. The goal is not just to create it but to make it impressive and generate business opportunities, so I can't compromise on this.

Social Media Accounts

ertainly, active use of social media is a must. The initial cost is free. It can also serve as a pathway for social media advertising. However, without 'impressive content that leaves an impact when people visit,' it wouldn't make much sense. I haven't decided yet whether I'll focus on this before starting the business or after.

That's all for now."