Why are you in business in the first place?
Although that should sound like a relatively easy question to answer, some small business owners may very well stumble a bit when trying to do just that.
Yes, some are in business simply because they like the idea of working for themselves, not having to deal with a boss and/or the corporate structure that millions of Americans find themselves under.
Others, meantime, are excited about the prospect of taking a dream they’ve had for a while now and watching it grow.
No matter what reason you had for starting a small business, the key is taking that dream and making it successful for years to come.
One of the keys to success of course is making sure consumers are happy with the product and/or service your small business offers. If they are not, you have a lot of work on your hands.
With that being said, are you in the business of being there for customers?
Give the Public What It Wants
In order for your small business to set itself apart from others, here are a few keys to never miss:
- Website – Your business may be selling products galore. Then again, you may simply be offering a service where consumers come to your site looking for information, information that will assist them in one manner or another. Either way, your website has to be in fine working order for your small business to make a go of it. Whether consumers visit your site for details regarding information to assist with home improvements, finding the best auto insurance, where to turn to for a personal injury attorney, a license plate search lookup, the list could go on and on. Be sure that your website is operating at full capacity, not limping along in bits and pieces. Always take the time to review your site for potential broken links, pages that do not load quickly, along with making sure your business contact info is always front and center;
- Promotions – How do you go about promoting your brand? From email marketing to mobile marketing, make sure your brand gets plenty of attention. Given the fact that many small businesses have tight marketing budgets, it can be difficult for many of them to spread their brand’s word. As a result, they get surpassed by those companies with the money to promote. Even if you are on a tight budget, you can market your company by utilizing proper email marketing, social media marketing, mobile marketing and more. You should also be promoting your business services within the local community. For example, attending local events like a chamber of commerce meeting, area fairs and trade shows, even sponsoring a local organization such as a Little League team or the like is a great way for you to get your brand out there in front of countless eyes;
- Customer service – Finally, never take the importance of customer service for granted. When consumers are choosing between two businesses, the one with the better customer service can oftentimes be the winner. Just going that extra mile for a customer can make or break it, so always go out of your way for them. If consumers are coming to your website looking for information about a certain product or service, having what they need on there can end up giving you the victory. When a consumer gets what they want from a business owner, they’re not only more likely going to come back for more business, they’re also more apt to recommend that brand to their family and friends.
When you are there for consumers, they tend to be there for you too.
Make sure you have a small business approach that is very friendly towards consumers, not one where you are making them jump through hoops to do business with you.
In the end, you will find that lots of time and effort on your part will more times than not be rewarded.
So, will you make it a priority moving forward to be there for consumers if you have not always been up to this point?
About the Author: Dave Thomas writes about small business topics on the web.