The journey of creating a start-up is a dream that many Americans share, but sadly, 90% percent will fail. Here are 3 tips to make sure that you end up in the successful 10%:

1.Start with a Niche Market

While it would be great for your start-up to be able to be competitive against Amazon or Walmart, the fact of the matter is that you will lose. How do you get around battling these mega corporations? It’s Simple, niche markets. While it's nearly impossible to find your company's niche in today’s market, the best scenario is if your start-up’s product met a completely new and/or unfulfilled consumer need. Sadly, today all the blue ocean markets are all but dried up. A niche market that has very few suppliers is a great position for your start-up to dig into because it allows you to dominate the market share. An example of a start-up that dominated a niche market is Uber. While at its inception Uber seemed to be the same as a cab service, they were able to position themselves in a niche market (ride sharing).

2.Devise a solid marketing plan

Once you have found your niche market, the next hurdle is devising a plan on how to effectively and affordably reach your start-up's target market. A marketing plan is essential to keep your marketing strategy on track. Your start-up's marketing plan should include the target audience (who you ideally want to reach with your marketing initiatives), the brand message, as well as the marketing mix (Product, Placement, Positioning, Promotion, and Packaging). With a set marketing plan, your start-up will have an intuitive starting point when creating ad campaigns both online, as well as in print.

3. Focus on the Customer

The number one reason start-ups fail is because they fail to listen to customer feedback. The most important takeaway from this message is: Successful start-ups listen to customer feedback, both positive and negative, and change their product or target market accordingly. Without customers, you won't have have a start-up, you will have a worse investment than getting married without a prenup. Always make sure your start-up's products are tailored towards your target market. Having the highest quality product can't make the cash register ring without customers to buy the product. If you don't have a product that consumers are interested in, your start-up will have a crisis that even Leo Burnett couldn't fix.