Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business.
Clients tend to see you for one thing. They pigeon hole you. They file you away as a provider of something they need.
Joe takes care of my lawn. Mary is my fashion expert. Greg gets the kinks out of my neck and shoulder. Amy styles my hair. And Frank makes the best coffee in the world.
In business, you must continually remind your customers/clients that you can do more. Otherwise, you'll miss opportunities.
Example: Eli is an independent insurance agent. He has built up a client base filling their needs for insurance--homeowners, accident, life. He frequently reminds his clients that he can write other types of insurance--flood, loss of business, key man or partners insurance. It has brought more calls and clients.
Example: Sue is a hypnotherapist. She specializes in offering sessions on weight reduction and stopping smoking. Recently, she reached out to local physicians, informing them that she could help their patients with weight problems and smoking addictions. It resulted in more calls. When Sue informed physicians that she could also handle pain management problems, even more calls came in.
Example: John designs websites for clients. When he informed them that he could set them up on social media, the calls came in. His clients had not made the connection until John laid it out for them.
Example: Donna's restaurant was a go-to place for healthy meals, and customers regularly returned and referred others. Donna also offered catering, but she did not remind her regulars often enough that she could handle their parties and special events. When she lost several catering jobs to others, she realized she needed to put the word out on a regular basis.
Every business tends to settle into a comfortable way of doing business. And the customers/clients tend to settle into seeing you in one way or another.
Remind people of all the things you can do for them. It helps to grow and expand the business among a client base already familiar with you.
Every time you interact with customers/clients, try to remind them of all the ways you can serve them. Otherwise, they will tend to think of you in a very narrow way.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Getting into business
Free daily tips, information, advice, and ideas
to help you better manage your small business.
There is no magic road map for getting into business. You begin where you are and take it from there.
If you are young, you have little experience in business. But you have a real interest in something, and if you're interested, others are interested. They are your market.
If you are in corporate America, you have little appreciation for the world of small business. But you have years of experience doing something, right? Can this be translated into a small business? Or do you have a hobby that can form the basis for a small business?
Example: Jane was a customer service representative for a large company. She had a book of accounts and handled the problems that cropped up with products and services. Exhausted at the end of long days in the office, Jane came home to her jigsaw puzzles. She looked forward every day to her evening time at her dining room table fitting pieces together. Usually, she had 4 or 5 going at once. One day she screwed up her courage, gave her employer notice, rented a small store front, and installed her jigsaw puzzles on the shelves. Her grand opening attracted some interest, and her presence on social media generated even more. She bought and sold puzzles and board games through her website and on eBay. It took a while to get the business off the ground, but it worked. And Jane was never happier.
Example: Jeb worked summers and after classes during high school for a construction company. He learned how to install siding, power wash decks, build steps, mount gutters and downspouts, paint and pour concrete. He saved his earnings. When he graduated high school, Jeb could have started his own renovation and repair business, but he had a bigger idea. With his savings, he made a down payment on a three-family building that needed work. He put the place in tip top shape, rented the apartments to three tenants, and looked around for another building. He still takes on renovation jobs for others, but his main business is acquiring and managing rental properties of his own.
Example: Sheena was fascinated with the law. She got her law degree and passed the bar exam with flying colors. Then she found herself stuck in a large law firm where someone else made all the decisions. Sheena wanted to be her own boss, so she decided to build her own business using what she knew as a basis. She structured a series of presentations on various aspects of legal matters and began offering them to organizations, churches, senior centers, and other groups. These events brought Sheena clients who needed legal help in buying and selling real estate, writing wills, dealing with law suits, handling traffic accidents, and other matters where the law was concerned. It took some time, but today Sheena is doing what she loves in her own way.
Getting into business is a matter of knowing your own interests and kicking it up to the next level. It takes attitude and determination and persistence.
Any interest you have can be turned into a business. It might never grow into the next Microsoft, but it can be rewarding--personally and financially.
to help you better manage your small business.
There is no magic road map for getting into business. You begin where you are and take it from there.
If you are young, you have little experience in business. But you have a real interest in something, and if you're interested, others are interested. They are your market.
If you are in corporate America, you have little appreciation for the world of small business. But you have years of experience doing something, right? Can this be translated into a small business? Or do you have a hobby that can form the basis for a small business?
Example: Jane was a customer service representative for a large company. She had a book of accounts and handled the problems that cropped up with products and services. Exhausted at the end of long days in the office, Jane came home to her jigsaw puzzles. She looked forward every day to her evening time at her dining room table fitting pieces together. Usually, she had 4 or 5 going at once. One day she screwed up her courage, gave her employer notice, rented a small store front, and installed her jigsaw puzzles on the shelves. Her grand opening attracted some interest, and her presence on social media generated even more. She bought and sold puzzles and board games through her website and on eBay. It took a while to get the business off the ground, but it worked. And Jane was never happier.
Example: Jeb worked summers and after classes during high school for a construction company. He learned how to install siding, power wash decks, build steps, mount gutters and downspouts, paint and pour concrete. He saved his earnings. When he graduated high school, Jeb could have started his own renovation and repair business, but he had a bigger idea. With his savings, he made a down payment on a three-family building that needed work. He put the place in tip top shape, rented the apartments to three tenants, and looked around for another building. He still takes on renovation jobs for others, but his main business is acquiring and managing rental properties of his own.
Example: Sheena was fascinated with the law. She got her law degree and passed the bar exam with flying colors. Then she found herself stuck in a large law firm where someone else made all the decisions. Sheena wanted to be her own boss, so she decided to build her own business using what she knew as a basis. She structured a series of presentations on various aspects of legal matters and began offering them to organizations, churches, senior centers, and other groups. These events brought Sheena clients who needed legal help in buying and selling real estate, writing wills, dealing with law suits, handling traffic accidents, and other matters where the law was concerned. It took some time, but today Sheena is doing what she loves in her own way.
Getting into business is a matter of knowing your own interests and kicking it up to the next level. It takes attitude and determination and persistence.
Any interest you have can be turned into a business. It might never grow into the next Microsoft, but it can be rewarding--personally and financially.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Tackling market trends
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business.
Market trends are all around us. Markets are subject to fads and fashions, just like clothing styles. Things are continually changing. Sometimes, a trend develops and the marketplace runs with it. Other times, a trend dies aborning.
A good example can be found in the way men dress up for office jobs. While the three-piece suit has been around for a very long time, the vest comes and goes. The jacket lapels get very wide in some years, go narrow in other times. Shirts used to be all white. Today, colorful stripes and checks are everywhere.
To spot market trends, watch television. Trends in clothing styles are readily apparent. Harder to spot are trends in healthy living, exercise, foods, education--the list is endless. All over television are ads for gadgets--the trend here is not for the gadget but rather for the convenience of distance buying.
Example: Lisa put the convenience of distance buying to work in her bakery. She began offering scones, biscotti and brownies on her website and on Facebook. Her target market was people tasked with supplying refreshments at meetings and gatherings in corporate settings. Her sales pitch was simple: "You already have the coffee. Now you have the caterer--anytime, anywhere." The orders came in and Lisa ships out the goodies daily via UPS.
Education usually means a classroom. But it ain't necessarily so. People are thirsty for information--not the kind that puts a degree on their resume, but the kind of everyday, practical information that helps people get through the day.
Example: Joan is a trained and certified nutritionist. She has been trying to establish her business, but attracting paying clients has proved difficult. She gives talks at health foods stores, supermarkets and senior centers. This has resulted in a few more clients for her nutrition sessions--but not enough. When she noticed more and more questions about weight reduction, Joan decided to try that direction. She devised weight reduction programs for adults and children which she promoted on her website and Facebook page. When she scheduled these new seminars, they quickly filled up. Some of the attendees at the seminars became regular clients and referred others to Joan's programs. She has now partnered with a chiropractor to hold demonstrations and events. By re-packaging her nutrition programs as weight reduction and healthy eating programs, Joan has tapped into a market trend that will support her business.
Your job in managing your small business is to find the market trends that will help you sail into the future you deserve. Sometimes, it's a matter of re-structuring your own thinking to better align your business with trends in the marketplace. Other times, it's a matter of taking off in another direction.
Market trends are never static. What works today will more than likely not work tomorrow. It takes constant attention to stay on top of what works in the marketplace. Now, where did I put that white shirt?
to help you better manage your small business.
Market trends are all around us. Markets are subject to fads and fashions, just like clothing styles. Things are continually changing. Sometimes, a trend develops and the marketplace runs with it. Other times, a trend dies aborning.
A good example can be found in the way men dress up for office jobs. While the three-piece suit has been around for a very long time, the vest comes and goes. The jacket lapels get very wide in some years, go narrow in other times. Shirts used to be all white. Today, colorful stripes and checks are everywhere.
To spot market trends, watch television. Trends in clothing styles are readily apparent. Harder to spot are trends in healthy living, exercise, foods, education--the list is endless. All over television are ads for gadgets--the trend here is not for the gadget but rather for the convenience of distance buying.
Example: Lisa put the convenience of distance buying to work in her bakery. She began offering scones, biscotti and brownies on her website and on Facebook. Her target market was people tasked with supplying refreshments at meetings and gatherings in corporate settings. Her sales pitch was simple: "You already have the coffee. Now you have the caterer--anytime, anywhere." The orders came in and Lisa ships out the goodies daily via UPS.
Education usually means a classroom. But it ain't necessarily so. People are thirsty for information--not the kind that puts a degree on their resume, but the kind of everyday, practical information that helps people get through the day.
Example: Joan is a trained and certified nutritionist. She has been trying to establish her business, but attracting paying clients has proved difficult. She gives talks at health foods stores, supermarkets and senior centers. This has resulted in a few more clients for her nutrition sessions--but not enough. When she noticed more and more questions about weight reduction, Joan decided to try that direction. She devised weight reduction programs for adults and children which she promoted on her website and Facebook page. When she scheduled these new seminars, they quickly filled up. Some of the attendees at the seminars became regular clients and referred others to Joan's programs. She has now partnered with a chiropractor to hold demonstrations and events. By re-packaging her nutrition programs as weight reduction and healthy eating programs, Joan has tapped into a market trend that will support her business.
Your job in managing your small business is to find the market trends that will help you sail into the future you deserve. Sometimes, it's a matter of re-structuring your own thinking to better align your business with trends in the marketplace. Other times, it's a matter of taking off in another direction.
Market trends are never static. What works today will more than likely not work tomorrow. It takes constant attention to stay on top of what works in the marketplace. Now, where did I put that white shirt?
Monday, May 11, 2015
Expand your market
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business.
Building on what you already do is an easy way to expand. Sometimes, it only takes a change in attitude to attract clients in a completely new way. Other times, a new market develops in an area you already serve.
Example: Joe runs a small independent pest control company. He has experienced difficulty "breaking out" ahead of his competition. When the town was suddenly invaded by stink bugs, Joe saw a way to enliven his marketing message. He took dozens of pictures of the bugs on sidewalks, porches, steps and patios--posting them every other day on Facebook. The calls came in. He offered to give short talks at meetings. More calls came in. Many of these new callers became regular clients coping with fleas, ticks, mice, ants, spiders and more. The stink bugs were a marketing gift.
Example: Dawn is a certified therapist specializing in helping clients through stress, grief and related issues. She noticed that many of her clients had gone through drug and alcohol drug addiction rehab programs, but large numbers of them were still coping with their old habits. Dawn extended her practice to this area, helping rehab "graduates" cope with their on-going problems. They represent a well-defined market--people needing specific help. Dawn is developing several programs for post-rehab people. It builds on what she was already doing, but it structures programs in an entirely different and new way.
Example: Judy runs a local recycling operation. She takes in all types of metals. The market for metals goes through ups and downs--prices rise and decline according to forces well beyond Judy's control. When a storm came through her area, Judy saw an opportunity. She put the word out that she would take the wood--no payment, just a convenient place for people to get rid of downed trees. Soon Judy's back lot was filled with a jumble of tree trunks, limbs and stumps. Again, Judy put the word out--this time to artisans, woodworkers, and businesses offering mulch and firewood. She had expanded into another market with little effort. Two or three storms per season keeps the back lot full.
Everything changes. Technology, weather, markets, your client base and their needs--all change. Be alert to changes that can affect your business
Some changes affect you negatively. Others can be opportunities.
Expanding your market and growing your business can be as easy as recognizing everything the world throws at you as opportunities. In every dark cloud there is that silver lining. Find the silver and run with it.
to help you better manage your small business.
Building on what you already do is an easy way to expand. Sometimes, it only takes a change in attitude to attract clients in a completely new way. Other times, a new market develops in an area you already serve.
Example: Joe runs a small independent pest control company. He has experienced difficulty "breaking out" ahead of his competition. When the town was suddenly invaded by stink bugs, Joe saw a way to enliven his marketing message. He took dozens of pictures of the bugs on sidewalks, porches, steps and patios--posting them every other day on Facebook. The calls came in. He offered to give short talks at meetings. More calls came in. Many of these new callers became regular clients coping with fleas, ticks, mice, ants, spiders and more. The stink bugs were a marketing gift.
Example: Dawn is a certified therapist specializing in helping clients through stress, grief and related issues. She noticed that many of her clients had gone through drug and alcohol drug addiction rehab programs, but large numbers of them were still coping with their old habits. Dawn extended her practice to this area, helping rehab "graduates" cope with their on-going problems. They represent a well-defined market--people needing specific help. Dawn is developing several programs for post-rehab people. It builds on what she was already doing, but it structures programs in an entirely different and new way.
Example: Judy runs a local recycling operation. She takes in all types of metals. The market for metals goes through ups and downs--prices rise and decline according to forces well beyond Judy's control. When a storm came through her area, Judy saw an opportunity. She put the word out that she would take the wood--no payment, just a convenient place for people to get rid of downed trees. Soon Judy's back lot was filled with a jumble of tree trunks, limbs and stumps. Again, Judy put the word out--this time to artisans, woodworkers, and businesses offering mulch and firewood. She had expanded into another market with little effort. Two or three storms per season keeps the back lot full.
Everything changes. Technology, weather, markets, your client base and their needs--all change. Be alert to changes that can affect your business
Some changes affect you negatively. Others can be opportunities.
Expanding your market and growing your business can be as easy as recognizing everything the world throws at you as opportunities. In every dark cloud there is that silver lining. Find the silver and run with it.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Business friends
Free daily tips, information, advice, and ideas
to help you better manage your small business.
In previous write-ups, I've talked about the difference between personal friends and business friends. It pays to know which is which and treat them accordingly.
Personal friends can be casual or close. Everyone has both casual and close personal friends.
A business friend is a completely different animal. Business friends are the customers and clients you attract to your business. These people come to you for the product or service you provide, and they return again and again. You might never invite them to dinner at your home, but you make them feel welcome and relaxed in your dealings with them. You might never give them a birthday party, but they know that they can count on you to be there when they need you.
You and your business friends are in a mutually dependent relationship. It is symbiotic. Each contributes to the well-being of the other. Both parties get what they need.
Example: Elaine promotes her fashionable shop for women using social media. Once or twice each week, Elaine posts pictures of new designs and items in the shop. Twice each year, she mounts a live fashion show with models wearing the designs carried in the shop. Models mingle with the friends of this business showing off shoes, handbags, and accessories along with gowns and casual wear. Before and after the show, Elaine posts pictures on social media. In addition, she sends out invitations to private showings, and she sends a Thank You card to people following purchases. Elaine is careful through all this activity to position herself as the "go-to" adviser for clothing and accessories. Her business friends know that they can trust Elaine's advice and judgement when they have questions. Elaine's is not just a place to buy stuff. It is a resource for the business friends who represent the customer base.
To develop and grow your business friend base, concentrate on their interests, their concerns, their needs. Listen to your customers and clients, and they will show you the way forward. And then they will happily refer others to you.
Building your base of business friends takes attention, listening, transparency, honesty and going the extra mile. Social media is a convenient vehicle to make all this happen.
to help you better manage your small business.
In previous write-ups, I've talked about the difference between personal friends and business friends. It pays to know which is which and treat them accordingly.
Personal friends can be casual or close. Everyone has both casual and close personal friends.
A business friend is a completely different animal. Business friends are the customers and clients you attract to your business. These people come to you for the product or service you provide, and they return again and again. You might never invite them to dinner at your home, but you make them feel welcome and relaxed in your dealings with them. You might never give them a birthday party, but they know that they can count on you to be there when they need you.
You and your business friends are in a mutually dependent relationship. It is symbiotic. Each contributes to the well-being of the other. Both parties get what they need.
Example: Elaine promotes her fashionable shop for women using social media. Once or twice each week, Elaine posts pictures of new designs and items in the shop. Twice each year, she mounts a live fashion show with models wearing the designs carried in the shop. Models mingle with the friends of this business showing off shoes, handbags, and accessories along with gowns and casual wear. Before and after the show, Elaine posts pictures on social media. In addition, she sends out invitations to private showings, and she sends a Thank You card to people following purchases. Elaine is careful through all this activity to position herself as the "go-to" adviser for clothing and accessories. Her business friends know that they can trust Elaine's advice and judgement when they have questions. Elaine's is not just a place to buy stuff. It is a resource for the business friends who represent the customer base.
To develop and grow your business friend base, concentrate on their interests, their concerns, their needs. Listen to your customers and clients, and they will show you the way forward. And then they will happily refer others to you.
Building your base of business friends takes attention, listening, transparency, honesty and going the extra mile. Social media is a convenient vehicle to make all this happen.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Serving customers
Free daily tips, information, advice, and ideas
to help you better manage your small business.
Recently I went online to make a purchase. I waded through all the pop-up ads and finally homed in on what I wanted to buy. I clicked on "Add to Shopping Cart" and nothing happened. Several attempts gave the same result.
At the company's Help Desk, I left a message. Instructions there assured me that all messages would be answered within 48 hours. It's been over two weeks, and no word has come back from the company.
I wonder if there's a live person somewhere wondering why the company is not receiving orders. Or has everything become so automated that only the machines notice a downturn in orders? Where have all the people gone?
Example: Gina operates a small company with four employees. The company sells brownies to customers all over the country. People place orders on Gina's website and she ships via UPS. To make certain that everything is working properly, Gina has an arrangement with a friend to place an order every other week. Tracking that order through the entire system assures Gina that the website is working, that there is no problem with ordering or with order fulfillment or with delivery.
Checking up on the internal workings of your operation is important. If you have a storefront, you can arrange to have a "mystery shopper" check out your business. If you're on the net, you should do no less.
Example: Paul operates a small auto repair shop. There is a single lift and two employees. Paul is frequently tackling repairs himself when the phone rings. In the past, he let the caller go to voice mail. Then he realized he was losing business--callers assumed that the shop was closed, hung up, and called another shop. Paul hired a part timer who handled the phone in the mornings as well as a few additional duties. The phone is now answered by the second ring.
Handling customers involves more than making a sale when they show up. Or when they click on your website. It means being there for them--at their convenience, not yours.
Today's technology can help you better operate your small business. But it's the customers and clients who ultimately spell success or failure. Make certain you are serving them.
to help you better manage your small business.
Recently I went online to make a purchase. I waded through all the pop-up ads and finally homed in on what I wanted to buy. I clicked on "Add to Shopping Cart" and nothing happened. Several attempts gave the same result.
At the company's Help Desk, I left a message. Instructions there assured me that all messages would be answered within 48 hours. It's been over two weeks, and no word has come back from the company.
I wonder if there's a live person somewhere wondering why the company is not receiving orders. Or has everything become so automated that only the machines notice a downturn in orders? Where have all the people gone?
Example: Gina operates a small company with four employees. The company sells brownies to customers all over the country. People place orders on Gina's website and she ships via UPS. To make certain that everything is working properly, Gina has an arrangement with a friend to place an order every other week. Tracking that order through the entire system assures Gina that the website is working, that there is no problem with ordering or with order fulfillment or with delivery.
Checking up on the internal workings of your operation is important. If you have a storefront, you can arrange to have a "mystery shopper" check out your business. If you're on the net, you should do no less.
Example: Paul operates a small auto repair shop. There is a single lift and two employees. Paul is frequently tackling repairs himself when the phone rings. In the past, he let the caller go to voice mail. Then he realized he was losing business--callers assumed that the shop was closed, hung up, and called another shop. Paul hired a part timer who handled the phone in the mornings as well as a few additional duties. The phone is now answered by the second ring.
Handling customers involves more than making a sale when they show up. Or when they click on your website. It means being there for them--at their convenience, not yours.
Today's technology can help you better operate your small business. But it's the customers and clients who ultimately spell success or failure. Make certain you are serving them.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Partner ahead
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business.
Small businesses can partner with other small businesses for mutual benefit. Two or more businesses coming together can create more attention and excitement than either one acting alone.
All kinds of excuses can be used to put together an informal partnering. Hold workshops and seminars, informational meetings, networking events, or sponsor events that raise funds for a good cause. Partnering ahead is NOT about holding a sale or setting up a town-wide event.
Getting together with one or two other businesses to hold an event helps promote and grow each of them.
Example: A health foods store partners with a nutritionist. Monthly sessions are announced, the event is posted on Facebook and other social media, a news release is sent to local papers, and store customers are reminded of the upcoming events. The sessions are popular and draw new customers to the store and new clients to the nutritionist.
Example: A bicycle shop partners with a fitness operation to hold Saturday morning riding sessions. They meet in the parking lot of a local restaurant. The charge is $5 per rider with all the money going to a local charity. This event attracts new people to all three businesses--the bicycle shop, the fitness operation and the restaurant.
Example: A potter and a florist put together a workshop. Attendees can learn hands-on how to throw a pot on the potter's wheel and learn how to make flower arrangements and take care of house plants. The workshop, held in the pottery studio, attracts more people that either business acting alone. And the pictures on Facebook attract even more attention.
Partnering to hold events helps to expand the participating businesses. Partnering puts a fresh face on what you do, and it offers opportunities to post pictures--before and after the event--on social media. This attracts even more attention.
Partnering with other businesses is a way of getting ahead, planning for growth, attracting a wider base of customers/clients.
to help you better manage your small business.
Small businesses can partner with other small businesses for mutual benefit. Two or more businesses coming together can create more attention and excitement than either one acting alone.
All kinds of excuses can be used to put together an informal partnering. Hold workshops and seminars, informational meetings, networking events, or sponsor events that raise funds for a good cause. Partnering ahead is NOT about holding a sale or setting up a town-wide event.
Getting together with one or two other businesses to hold an event helps promote and grow each of them.
Example: A health foods store partners with a nutritionist. Monthly sessions are announced, the event is posted on Facebook and other social media, a news release is sent to local papers, and store customers are reminded of the upcoming events. The sessions are popular and draw new customers to the store and new clients to the nutritionist.
Example: A bicycle shop partners with a fitness operation to hold Saturday morning riding sessions. They meet in the parking lot of a local restaurant. The charge is $5 per rider with all the money going to a local charity. This event attracts new people to all three businesses--the bicycle shop, the fitness operation and the restaurant.
Example: A potter and a florist put together a workshop. Attendees can learn hands-on how to throw a pot on the potter's wheel and learn how to make flower arrangements and take care of house plants. The workshop, held in the pottery studio, attracts more people that either business acting alone. And the pictures on Facebook attract even more attention.
Partnering to hold events helps to expand the participating businesses. Partnering puts a fresh face on what you do, and it offers opportunities to post pictures--before and after the event--on social media. This attracts even more attention.
Partnering with other businesses is a way of getting ahead, planning for growth, attracting a wider base of customers/clients.
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