Today is a new day and no matter how great or horrible your business did yesterday, today is a new day with new opportunities!
So what will you do to grow your business today?
I am constantly amazed by the things I see and learn from small business owners. Some are trying to do too much and are losing focus and some really aren't doing enough to expand and grow their business. Most of the time it comes down to two things; not enough time (or time not spent productively) and needing more hands. Very occasionally I meet a small business owner who has just hit a comfort slump and is just not doing anything, business is good enough to get by, the owner seems to be OK with mediocre and just hasn't taken any initiative to move it forward.
So where are you in all of this? Hopefully not in the last category, but if you are congratulations for recognizing that and coming here to try to make a change! If you feel like you are trying to do too much, you probably are. It might be time to sit down and re-evaluate your plan. What is important? What is the message/direction you are trying to go, and where are you with that today? What are your strengths? Most business owners are great at their core business, but lack some strength in the finance or business development area. Oobviously you have some business sense or you wouldn't have gotten your business off the ground. But a truly savvy business owner knows that they are most successful when they allow someone else to take over the areas where they are weaker. Sales, marketing and business development are a full time job for any small business. Especially in these digital days of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, websites, blogs, email campaigns, Linked in, and then there is actual networking events! It makes me tired just to think about it all! But when you meet someone and tell them about your business, what the first thing they ask you? Do you have a website? Well, do you? Are you on facebook? Almost everyone has a website and almost everyone has the "follow me" or "like me" icon for Facebook and/or Twitter.
This is where people like me come in. I make it my job to update your website, create your Facebook page so people can become fans, you can post special offers, etc. I will be your twitterbug, create your Linked in account and help you fill it full of contacts, brief you about networking events worth your time in your area and more. After all, if people don't know about your business then how can you drive new customers in your door or to your website and make money? We put together a marketing plan for your business and decide the most effective way to get your business exposure with the biggest bang for your buck! Do you have time to do all that yourself? Do you want to? For those of you who answered no to both of those questions I invite you to get in touch with me. For those of you still not willing to loosen up the purse strings and let someone else help..well you can subscribe to the blog and try to keep up :)
One of the biggest mistakes I see small business owners make on a daily basis is confusing advertising for an expense rather than an investment. You know getting customers costs money right? But in the same breath those very same customers are extremely valuable to your business right? So ask yourself, how much is one customer worth? Are they a repeat customer? (if not you better be asking yourself why!) Now how much are they worth? Do they refer others to you? How much are they worth now? So now tell me why you consider your advertising, marketing and promotions as expense? Sounds to me like investing money on any of those things could be very valuable to you! I don't know who said it first but it's true, You must spend money to make money.
Now, I'm not saying by any stretch that you should just throw money out there and see what works. Have a plan or get with someone to come up with a plan, make educated decisions, take some risks, and ALWAYS measure your results. There are many vehicles out there today that allow you to get great exposure for little or no money and there are some that cost a little more that are well worth it.
Well that's all I have for you today! Remember every day is a new opportunity, so make the best of it, and ask yourself; How will I move my business forward today?
