We’ve been having some interesting
Twitter conversations about the concerns of small business owners like yourself. Of course, the number one is HOW DO I GET CUSTOMERS IN THE DOOR? If they don’t come in, they can’t spend money, right? Not necessarily. Let’s see how.
1. Give them as many ways to buy as possible. If you can convert ANY of your services or products to be purchased via your Website, do. Give people the ability to pay through bank account transfer, debit/credit cards and PayPal.
2. Promote business events on Facebook. It isn’t just for college students anymore. It is likely you or someone you love is on the site, along with all of your old high school friends, business buddies and more! If you have events or sales listed on your Web site, link to it in a status update on Facebook. Add as many citizens of your local area as you can on the site. Don’t just hawk your wares, though. Interact on a personal level.
3. Consider a referral program of some kind. Reward existing customers for sending business your way. Advertise this on Facebook!
4. If your business is bricks and mortar, do consider advertising in your local paper. Despite the death of traditional newspaper publishing, many small town community papers are still doing very well and are a trusted source of local news.
5. Advertise services and products, usually for free, on craigslist.
6. Consider setting up an affiliate marketing program. If you have a product or service that is conducive to this, allow others to advertise for you on their site in exchange for a small commission. You can read more about that here.
7. Host an event at your local business, depending on what it is. Hire a popular local band, provide free soft drinks, offer service/product discounts for people coming in. Put a status update about this on Facebook.
8. Mix things up. If your business is truly “old school” and has looked the same for a hundred years, consider a new sign, a new logo and/or a new exterior paint job. Anything to draw attention from the street.
9. If you are a craftsperson :cabinet maker, furniture builder, automotive restorer, etc.), video the process of what you do and put it on your Website and YouTube. Let people know more about your background and the care and quality of the work you do. Here’s more information.
10. Partner with other complimentary businesses. If you own a flooring store, partner with a plumbing fixture or furniture store. Provide them with postcards and information for their customers and do the same for them.
Instead of focusing on the possibility of failure, focus on how you’ve succeeded in the past and how many people are, despite the economic downturn. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard is a great, new business book that will help you consider success and failure from new angles. I highly recommend it!
by Steve on March 1, 2010
Would you like to have a government official or agency running your business? Not unless you want to run it into the ground. Unfortunately many small business owners pursue their marketing program like a government official. Use facts and reality, not hype.
I was listening to a small business owner I know tell me his banker said all’s well in the banking industry and the economy is looking up. Hype or reality? What do the facts say?
Last year there were over 500 banks on the troubled bank list, and roughly 120 banks that were closed by the FDIC during the year. This year we have had 22 banks closed by the FDIC through the first two months of the year. That’s on pace for 132 closures. Further, this week the troubled bank list grew to nearly 650. Looks like it’s getting better, right?
The point is you must watch your financing, be it working capital loans or term loans coming up for renewal. Know if your bank is on the troubled bank list. Know that if banks continue to fail lending restrictions could tighten and you might not be able to renew your loan. Don’t be caught unaware and base decisions on facts, not hype.
Also know that there won’t be handouts to small business like those given to big business. You must learn how to survive and thrive in this marketplace. The best way to do that is increase your market share.
Market share can only be increased by following proven marketing techniques that work in your particular business. Do you know if your marketing efforts are working? Most business owners I ask can’t give me hard facts as to what they are doing and what the results are.
Consider this, when the government throws money at a problem (your money, by the way) they do it based on unproven, unsupported, and untrackable ideas. Further, if they explain it at all, they do so in such a long complicated way that you simply give up and say “they must know what they are doing, I guess.”
The government has never been or had the solution and never will. Would you want a government official or agency running your business? Only if you wanted to run it into the ground.
Agreed? Then take my advice and don’t market your business the way the government would, with unproven, unsupported, and untrackable ideas.
If you can’t measure the results of every dollar you spend marketing your business, then you, like the government, are just throwing your money away. You’ll never be able to improve on what you are doing if you can’t test your results and fine tune them.
Many businesses have found their market has contracted in this down economy. There are fewer buyers. The only way to maintain or grow your business will be to grow your market share. The only way to do that is by testing and improving your marketing.
Don’t procrastinate on this. You don’t have the time to waste. If you need help to get started, ask for it. There are opportunities in every situation, don’t miss yours!
Why do you even care about being an expert, you may wonder? Because customers and clients come from a broad variety of sources and the more frequently your name or your business’s name appears “out there” (in conversation, in Google search, in your local newspaper, in magazine articles, on Facebook), the more credibility you earn and the more likely someone is to say “hey, I heard that XYZ Widget company does that”. Customers want to invest their hard earned dollars in trustworthy companies. Being an expert builds trust.
Build a business, not a job – check out my website to see how!