There’s no such thing as a one size fits all solution. All businesses are different, and each has different issues and needs. When seeking advice listen to someone who will come up with solutions for you. Work with people who take time to listen and learn about your business before they give you advice.
There are two key words in business to focus on.....
Awareness + Credibility. Awareness is what you do to get people to notice you and to talk with you.
Credibility is delivering, or exceeding, your promises.
Match the two and you will be successful.
Think carefully about your target audiences. Who are your targets, where are they, what do they look like? Think people, not entities. You don’t do business with companies, email addresses or buildings. Once you have an image fixed in your mind you can develop effective messages. Because you’re talking to a person, not a thing.
Benefits. An old one and we all nod our heads but a lot don’t get it right. Keep it simple. People buy because of what’s in it for them. They’re not impressed where you live or how long you’ve been trading. They are in it for what they can get out of the deal.
Measure everything. How you use your money. How you use your time. Are you getting something extra back in return? It’s called ROI, Return on Investment, and it applies to everything you do. It doesn’t have to be financial. The return could be knowledge, or contacts.
Plan for your business. Too many people drift. They’re content to buzz around like flies. They look busy, but we’re not really going very far. Would you drive from Chelmsford to Edinburgh without a map and instructions and petrol?
Business planning doesn’t have to be a daunting exercise. Keep it simple. Try using What, Why, Where, Who, When and How. You can write a business plan on one sheet of paper.
