Eleven Simple Activities For Your Business Success

Each small business owner already knows that there are a lot of activities that demand time and attention. In order to be successful, you need to engage in business activities that can provide the biggest value for your time.  Still, one size fits all does not apply and each business defers. The specific business activity for your venture  maybe completely different but for a majority of business owners some of the items on this list applies. 

Here you can see some of the possibilities and advices you might want to consider.

1. Form your circle of influence – This is your team of supportive contacts with whom you can share ideas and receive constructive feedback. These individuals will be priceless to you.
2. Develop strategic alliances – As a small business owner, you are strongly encouraged to work with others who complement your services and have a desire to work with you – you will become more profitable and experienced quicker than when working alone. Your customers will also experience great benefits derived from forming alliances.
3. Establish an exchange system – It could be a referral or bartering system. All parties agree upfront what will be exchanged. This system should be a win-win for all participants. Fairness and trust will ensure its success.
4. Develop a database for contact information – All contact information for customers, prospects, associates, vendors and others should be maintained in one database for quick access and updating.
5. A solid brand position is rooted in a passionate commitment to the customer.  What do you believe about your industry, product or service? What possibilities are you creating for your customer? What’s your customer’s burning issue and in which ways your company solves it. Speak and write passionately about it and your ideal customer will be drawn to the message.
6. Create a social media policy: It’s time to stop experimenting and start managing your social media strategy. Create a policy around social media, even if you’re only a one-person operation. Your social media policy should include your objectives for each site and any rules you have around posts, articles, pictures, etc. Creating this policy will eliminate employee confusion, problems and PR and potential digital reputation management nightmares.
7. Do Videos: If you have a product or service that shines in demo mode, then videos are an ideal and cost-effective marketing tool for you. Open a corporate YouTube account and upload demos and live presentations for your prospects to find and customers to access.
8. Productize Your Services: It’s much easier to understand and purchase something that looks like a product. Notice that even software downloads or e-books actually look like a tangible product so that people can have a sense of what they are purchasing. Turn your service into a product by giving it a name, describing your process as a specification and then charging a flat rate instead of by the hour.  You’ll find that it’s easier to sell, easier to buy and more profitable for your business.
9. Mobile Marketing: Globally twice as many people use text messaging than e-mail. Chances are your customers interact more with their PDA than they do with their computer. Mobile Marketing Programs allow your customer to contact you this way and request certain kinds of messages and updates from you. If you’re a restaurant, use mobile marketing to update customers on specials. Mobile marketing is currently a wide open space. Use it to market to hard-to-reach customers.
10. Referral system: Stop treating referrals like a happy accident. Run a referral program that includes regular meetings with people who agree to enthusiastically refer you. Start by creating a referral guideline that outlines what sets your business apart, profiles your ideal customer and describes what they might say that should trigger a referral to you. Put your focus on attracting “Centers of Influence” and “trusted advisers” who will refer you to their clients and customers. It’s like having a free salesforce!
11. Start a blog – it is a simple website technology to start and master, and there are cheap and free platforms available. Why a blog? Because they’re easy to create, because they’re easy to update, because they encourage repeat visits, and because you can use them in many flexible ways.