I recently took a walk through my local Target store. Doing some normal shopping, I was enamored by all the products available for sale. What made it more impressive was just by briely looking at a product I knew who the company was and what they sold.
Can potential customers or even in some cases, current customers look at what you sell or offer and know it is you? More importantly, when they see your business name, do they get a good feeling or one that is not so good?
Whether you are looking to start a new business or increase a current one, if you follow these five steps, you are sure to get it going.
What does Nike, Dell, Microsoft, the NFL and Fisher Price all have in common? Regardless of what they sell, you know who they are, and what they have to offer. In other words they have embedded their brands into society`s minds.
According to S.C.O.R.E. you should "Spend a little money to create a professional logo, business card and stationery. Present a professional image." This could not be more true. The previously mentioned companies literally spend millions to embed that branding. Now you do not need to spend that much, but you need to get your name out there and let people know who you are and what your business is all about.
Whether you fix homes, sell electronics, or are a business consultant, make sure you belong to the 21st century business world. If you do not have a website make it a top priority in creating a Web site. Your web site is today’s calling card. You really shouldn’t do business without a web site. You can create one for literally pennies, and even get your local high school student to do it for almost nothing. Give customers a place to go to learn about your business in their spare time.
This next tip applies more to new businesses but for existing ones you can use this to keep your momentum going. That is, make your first sale. Even if your first sale is at a discounted rate or to a relative or friend, for peace of mind and to get the ball rolling, it is key to get that first sale out of the way.
Next you want to get some testimonials. Testimonials are customer accounts as to why they liked your product or would recommend your service. Whether you are new to business or not, you need to get testimonials. Once you make that first sale, do a follow up call, email, snail mail or whatever and ask the customer to give you some feedback. Anything positive that they respond with can be used as a customer account to further strengthen your business.
Finally, build a buzz around your business. S.C.O.R.E. says you should, "look for a special promotion, big event, email campaign or something out of the norm for your business to get people talking about you, your product or service."
Whatever your business is, whatever you sell or provide, use these 5 tips above and you can get the ball rolling for a successful business.
By: Bruce A. Tucker
About the Author:
Bruce A. Tucker is the Associate Director of http://www.Indocquent.com, an online resource that allows businesses and individuals to post their products and services for sale in 20,000 cities throughout 200 countries around the world.
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