Romancing Your Business – Making Everyday Valentine's Day for Your Small Business.
I've often heard people say that they don't celebrate Valentine's Day. It's too commercialized or they believe that when you really care about someone, there should be romance in your relationship everyday. Whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not, they do make a good point. Giving a relationship the attention it needs only one day a year won't make up for an inattentive partner the rest of the year. You need to keep it alive and exciting all the time. But that doesn't mean that you can't celebrate special times or events. Every business needs a few exciting things up their sleeve.!
Owning a business is a lot like being in a relationship with someone you care about very much about. So much in fact, that you anticipate spending many years with it. And just like a relationship, it's not showy displays of affection one day a year that help it grow. It's the tiny details, remembered everyday, that help that relationship blossom and reach its ultimate potential. Here are some simple ways you can romance your business to make everyday Valentine's Day for your small business.
Give your business the daily attention it needs.
If you have a website, spend a few minutes working on the content each day. One of the most essential elements of any successful website is its content. Regularly updated products, photos and relevant content, will keep your customers and visitors coming back over and over again to see what new and exciting things you have to offer.
Make a schedule to market your business 2-3 times each week and stick to it. As your business grows, increase the marketing to a little bit each and every day.
We often think that marketing has to cost a lot of money, or that it's hard to do. But in reality, marketing is simply telling people about how your business can help them, then telling them over and over again. We do this every day when we use social marketing tools like twitter, facebook, linked in and even blogging.
If you use these tools effectively, you should see a huge increase in interest. The best part? It's absolutely free and puts you and your business in front of millions of people.
Some of the most effective marketing techniques don't cost a penny, and they can easily be added to your daily routine. For example, if you've written an article for your website or blog, let others know by updating your status on facebook and tweeting on twitter! Let your viewers know that can reprint it so long as they give a link back to your business. Make your tweets and Facebook posts count. Give a link to your article and watch your traffic and mailing lists grow!
It's critical that you build up your mailing list with interested customers and clients. Your objective is to get their name on your list and then keep your business right in front of them by "keeping them entertained."
Marketing your business offline can be free and easy too! Hold a class at your community center to educate your market on how your services can improve their lives. Sponsor charity and community events and put on your very best "business dress". Don't volunteer to donate a product that you have in your clearance section. Donate the best of your very best. Remember, only one person wins the prize, but how many others might want to buy it? All these methods can keep help keep your your business in front of your market and are easy to do.
How many of you are members of your local Chamber of Commerce? This is also a low cost but worthwhile way to keep your community informed about your business.
Just like any relationship, your business needs your love and attention to flourish. It's hard to give the promotional side of your business the attention it needs if you are distracted by other things. Perhaps it's time to start thinking about getting some help for your business? Maybe it's time to start building your very own dream team of people that are passionate and love what you are doing.
Small business owners tend to wear too many hats. Thinking that you can do all, be all, will just dilute your effectiveness and even worse, make you cranky because you are frustrated and exhausted. There's nothing worse than a cranky business owner. As a consumer, I want to feel like a valued customer when I shop with you. If you can't make me feel that way, I know there are others that can.
Figure out what is distracting you from goals. Make a list of what you do each day for a week. At the end of the week, look at that list and see what is working and what isn't. Get rid of the things that are not benefiting your business. Goals are meant to be revised. Make new, smaller and attainable goals if this works best for you. When you start seeing more and more goals reached, it will give you the confidence you need to reach for even bigger and better goals.
Keep the romance with your business alive in 2010 and as you begin to make it a priority, you'll start to see exciting changes. And like the law of attraction.. "like attracts like" You'll see customers seeking you out because there's just something special about you and your business.
Pretty soon every day will feel like Valentine's Day. Not just for you, but for your valued and loyal customers and clients.
Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink
Comments