It was so nice to have a day off this past week to celebrate Labor Day. What did you do? I spent most of the day laying on my couch, reading, relaxing and watching tv. As an Entrepreneur though, my mind never stops. Do you experience that? Are you like me in always thinking about ways to grow your business, increase sales or drive your brand awareness? It’s natural. In honor of Labor Day, I wanted to share with some of you my thoughts on things you can do to help start and grow your business. Now, let me start by saying, some of these things are intuitive and may just serve as a reminder for you but if you are just starting out, maybe these will help.
One of the best things you can do for yourself as an Entrepreneur is remember that you cannot be all things to all people. You have to be clear on what is in scope for your business vs. what is out of scope. That basically means, what services or things you will do for people versus what you will not do. Let me let you in on a little secret. People will take as much as you are willing to give. Make a list of your services that you can offer and have the skill sets to do well. Advertise those services and stay in your lane as best as you can. This will help you to stay organized and sane. When in doubt, ask your target audience through the process of market research what services make the most sense.
What types of networking have you done to expose your business? Networking is a great way to get your business name out there and to meet like minded professionals who might either be good partners or may need your services. Do yourself a favor and put together a 30 second elevator pitch that explains WHY you do what you do and the services you offer to your target audience. There are so many ways to network like webinars, training classes, networking groups or even in your social media channels. Facebook offers groups. Search for groups that resonate with your brand, have members that subscribe to your brand and represent people who might need your services. Remember to be a subject matter expert in these groups versus trying to sell your product. People will trust you more if they can see that you have a level of poise, knowledge and expertise that aligns with their needs or goals. Also remember that some groups contain many, many members so it’s important to be clear and thoughtful about the information you post as that becomes a pillar of your brand. Don’t post advertisements for your services unless of course you are offering a niche or special product or service that may otherwise not be available. Be careful when posting these too. Most groups do not allow advertisements and you don’t want to get kicked out.
Another important part of setting up your business for success is setting goals and plans. Its helpful for you to have documented objectives and corresponding plans to meet those objectives. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Remember that starting a new business is not easy. It takes time to be a success. That said, you can set goals for yourself in Marketing for example that are attainable but that also ignite a sense of accomplishment and success in you. As an example, maybe you’ve started a new social media channel to market your business. You might want to give yourself a goal of 1-5 new fans per month. This gives you a goal to work toward that is going to help to grow your business all at the same time. Note, fans do not always equal sales. It’s important that you are connecting with those fans. Ask them questions, celebrate their successes and partner with them on how to meet their goals and aspirations. That is what truly turns people from fans into clients.
Lastly, if you need some low-cost channels to market your business, you might want to start with social media to connect with your audiences. You can also join webinars, classes, host zoom sessions and begin spreading the word about your business through various digital channels. It’s a great time to create a brand. If you need help, please email us at [email protected]. We have suggestions. You got this. Don’t give up. Keeping aiming for your dreams and best of luck!
