If you did not get a chance to read Part 2 and Part 3 of our series regarding tips for small business owners, check them out for an interesting read.
Hold off on that resignation letter
It may be unconventional to suggest that you should delay quitting your day job, but realistically, it is easier for some people than others. A startup requires capital. Some people have friends in graphics, accounting, social media and marketing who can advise and even provide their services to build out a website, promote a business, onboarding clients and book-keeping.
However, many people don’t have that level of support. Therefore, it is important to keep your full-time job to finance your startup expenses for at least the first 1 -2 years. The reality is 90% of startups fail.
If you are a “people person” or enjoy networking you will find it easier to promote your business, and word of mouth is still a powerful way to “get a foot in the door” to create an awareness of your services.
Until you have reached the point where you have carried out a successful pilot test, have several paying customers who are providing steady work and a satisfactory income stream that covers your basic expenses do not leave your full time or part-time job.
Create & maintain a social media presence
Unless you are overrun with a high demand for your services through a referral program, it would be unwise to avoid the use of social media to grow your business. Social media platforms provide the opportunity to interact with your customers from anywhere in the world.
You can also utilize applications such as Hootsuite to schedule social media content and messages. Hootsuite currently has a 30-day trial. After the trial, there is a monthly fee of $29 per month.
Mastering at least 1 social media platform can be a powerful way to (i) promote your services; (ii) reach the right audience; (iii) maintain a strong social presence; and (iv) improve your reputation as a professional business that provides high-quality content and world-class customer service.
Join Facebook (FB) groups that share similar interests to yours and interact with other users using your business page. You can also link your business page with your personal page by adding yourself as a team member. Doing so builds trust when people can put a name and face to a brand.
Your participation in FB and LinkedIn groups can create greater visibility, especially when you provide meaningful feedback. Focus on providing practical answers and tips that spark interest.
People will want to connect with you for an in-depth conversation. Paying close attention to the group rules will prevent you from being banned. Self-promotion is typically prohibited.
If you have invaluable information that your target market hunts down daily, then become familiar with SlideShare. If you are new to SlideShare, there are many helpful videos on LinkedIn and Youtube.
Many of our clients have stated to us that SlideShare provides a wealth of information and gets more traffic than Facebook. You can also embed your SlideShare presentations on your website to maintain traffic on your website. This, in turn, may lead to conversions and sales.
Become familiar with video and infographics
Another helpful tip for small business owners is to allocate time to learn how to create basic video and infographics. These resources add variety to your content and boost the chances of your content being read.
Piktochart is a recommended user-friendly source that allows users to create infographics using themed templates. There is a learning curve, but most people enjoy using this trusted application to reach their target audience. You cannot go wrong with a well-thought tool like Piktochart.
Listen to a trusted podcast
The United States Census Bureau has reported that the population of the United States of America is estimated at 330,083,081. According to Edison Research, 144 million Americans have listened to podcasts and that number is growing.
Edison’s research has indicated that “54% of podcast consumers say that they are more likely to consider the brands they hear advertised on podcasts, compared to 7% who say they are less likely.” You can read their 2019 Podcast Consumer Report here
Podcastinsights.com highlighted that there are approximately 750,000 podcasts and that more men listen to podcasts than women. Podcasts are becoming more popular and are also a great and proactive way to stay abreast of developments and trends. It is important to “stay in the know”.
You can use information from podcasts to create new packages if there is a demand for specific products or services. Always do your due diligence to make an educated decision and aim to gain insight from seasoned entrepreneurs. You can read more on this in Part 2 and Part 3 of this series.
Additionally, podcasts are a great tool for learning. Get on board and start listening to podcasts, especially podcasts geared towards entrepreneurship.
Keep up with niche related news
You can easily fall out of the loop when you embark on your entrepreneurial journey. As a small business owner, it is imperative that you are aware of changes. Change is inevitable.
Awareness of impending changes will help you put in place mitigants that help your business to capitalize on opportunities or rebound quickly from loss. That also includes Acts that legally impact the industry you operate in and the way you share and collect information.
Enabling google alerts for keywords and hashtags closely related to your niche is also helpful. Lack of knowledge is one of the primary reasons why many small businesses hit roadblocks or become stagnant.
You cannot grow or change without appropriate information to make the decisions that are necessary for your small business to grow.
Allocate at least 30 mins per day to read reputable and reliable news. You need facts and only facts.
We wish you all the best in your small business endeavors. We hope that these awesome tips we shared in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of our series will empower you to be proactive, plan strategically, increase your networking efforts, read more meaningful materials to jumpstart your entrepreneurial efforts or improve your business.
Believe it and you can achieve it!
