Mind Your Business

Romancing Your Business – Making Everyday Valentine's Day for Your Small Business

People frequently say they don't celebrate Valentine's Day because they believe, when you really care about someone, there should be romance in your relationship everyday.  Whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not, those naysayers do make a good point. Giving a relationship the attention it needs only one day a year won't make up for any neglect from the rest of the year.

Owning a business is a lot like being in a relationship with someone you care about. 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 it blossom and reach its potential. Here are some simple ways you can romance your website, your customers, and your goals, to make everyday Valentine's Day for your small business. 

Give your website the daily attention it craves. One of the most essential elements of any successful website is its content. Regularly updated and relevant content will keep your customers and visitors coming back to see you again and again.

Creating new content doesn't have to take a lot of time. If you don't have time to write or skill to write your own articles or blog posts, you may want to look for a ghostwriter, or use reprint articles. Reprint articles can be personalized by adding a few thoughts of your own as an introduction.

Market your business a little bit every day. We often think that marketing has to cost a lot of money, or is hard to do. In reality, marketing is simply telling people about how your business can help them, then telling them over and over and over again.

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, let others know they can reprint it so long as they give a link back to your website. Writing and submitting press releases is free too, and can land your business on the front page of your newspaper-the best advertising there is!

You can market your business for free offline, too. Hold a class at your community center to educate your market on how your services can improve their lives. Volunteer to speak at a local networking event. Find out if you could write a weekly column for your local newspaper. All these methods can keep your business in front of your market, are easy to do and don't cost a thing except your time.

Maintain your focus.  Just like any relationship, your business needs your devout attention to flourish.  But it's hard to give the revenue-producing side of your business the attention it needs when you're distracted by other things – maintaining a website, sending out invoices, following up on customer complaints.

What is distracting you from your main goals? Make a list of everything you do in a day... which tasks are helping you reach your goals? Which could you drop right now, without seeing any difference in your results? Is there anything you could outsource to help you maintain focus on the things that really matter?

When you make a point of giving your small business the attention it needs daily, you'll create a lasting romance, and soon everyday will feel like Valentine's Day. 

Marketing Wednesday has come and gone..

But the need to market has not!
Good Morning ladies. By now you know that marketing Wednesday was just a ploy to get you thinking about and taking responsibility for marketing you business. Because I am fortunate enough to have continuous contact with so many women that have their own small business, I'm able to see how the effect of marketing or not marketing make on a small business. It's pretty clear. If you don't market your business, you can't make it a success. The good news is, you don't have to do it alone. You don't have to think of new ways to market and cold call with other businesses to to see if they are willing to network. Through sites like Make Mine Pink.. you have a wealth of ideas and information at your fingertips along with hundreds of women that are not only willing, but eager to network and cross-promote. So step up your marketing and increase your sales by joining Make Mine Pink!

Marketing..it's all about reaching out.

It's Wednesday and that means it's Marketing Day at Make Mine Pink! Of course everyday is marketing day at Make Mine Pink, but this day is supposed to be used for stepping up our marketing and networking and reaching out to new people. I have to say that Marketing Wednesday is almost anti-climactic for me this week. I have been reaching out and networking for the past two weeks "Like I really mean it" and have made some wonderful friends and contacts.
This week we ventured on to twitter.com - I KNOW... What the heck is twitter?? I said the same thing! I'm still not sure I completely get it but I am building my network and having some fun figuring it out! I am following all sorts of interesting people!
Reach out this week.. visit a few new blogs.. expand your group of friends. Sometimes we get too comfortable where we when we really need to be ever changing. Take today to make those new contacts. You'll be glad that you did.
Don't forget to invite your new friends to meet you at the Make Mine Pink Retreat in September!