Tat2guy
December 2nd, 2009, 04:45 PM
Well it's that time of year when I throw some information at you to think about to better your business. This post is impart a reply to sneeky D post and to the many others who are struggling in there business. We are a full time/seasonal business. While we are busiest during Feb/Oct, I work on other areas in our business to make money during the slow months. Like custom stencils, system repairs for others, to doing meet and greet marketing. The first year in the airbrush business was good and I was happy with the money I made the first year, but I realized that I needed help in making it grow and be successful. I went looking for help from SCORE (Counselors to America's small business) Our local paper publishes many stories thur out the year from them. And this is a reprint from a recent article. I hope you read it and think about what it is saying. In times like these we all need to look, listen and heed advice from those who know.
Have those good ideas stopped coming? Do your employees appear to be doing little more then going through the motions? Are your competitors making splashes in the media that you can't answer?
Makeovers are the rage today, and the idea of a makeover for your business is worth considering. A makeover could be just the thing to re-energize your business. It need not be a major overhaul: some minor tweaks may be enough. What's important is that you recognize the need for action and learn all you can to make informed decisions.
In order to identify where changes are most needed, you'll have to dig for details about various aspects of your business. Remember to focus not just on the individual elements, but also how they all fit together.
For example, has your customer base changed since you first started? Is it broader or narrower? Older or younger? More upscale or less? You may need a new image, revved-up branding or perhaps just a rewrite of your marketing materials to address the needs of this changing customer base.
Take a hard look at whether your products or services are performing to customer expectations. Remember that your goal should be to exceed expectations, not simply meet them. Perhaps competitors are doing the better job, or maybe they've created add-on products and services that you haven't. Your own customers can help with your makeover if you ask them for feedback.
If your marketing message has never changed, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate and devise a new one. Try revisiting your original and your latest business plan. You might be able to recapture some of the insight and enthusiasm you originally had from that document.
Think back to your most successful promotions, presentations or sales efforts. Rather then reinventing the wheel you might be able to update and expand an approach that has already worked for your business.
Don't be afraid to seek out other perspectives. After all, you may be "too close" to the issues to understand the sources and solutions. Meet and brainstorm with your trusted advisers, mentors, friends, partners, employees and outside consultants. Ask customers to give you a frank assessment of what you're doing, how you're doing it and what you can do to better serve their needs. ]
The more ideas your receive, the more options you'll have for getting your business back on the fast track.
Have those good ideas stopped coming? Do your employees appear to be doing little more then going through the motions? Are your competitors making splashes in the media that you can't answer?
Makeovers are the rage today, and the idea of a makeover for your business is worth considering. A makeover could be just the thing to re-energize your business. It need not be a major overhaul: some minor tweaks may be enough. What's important is that you recognize the need for action and learn all you can to make informed decisions.
In order to identify where changes are most needed, you'll have to dig for details about various aspects of your business. Remember to focus not just on the individual elements, but also how they all fit together.
For example, has your customer base changed since you first started? Is it broader or narrower? Older or younger? More upscale or less? You may need a new image, revved-up branding or perhaps just a rewrite of your marketing materials to address the needs of this changing customer base.
Take a hard look at whether your products or services are performing to customer expectations. Remember that your goal should be to exceed expectations, not simply meet them. Perhaps competitors are doing the better job, or maybe they've created add-on products and services that you haven't. Your own customers can help with your makeover if you ask them for feedback.
If your marketing message has never changed, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate and devise a new one. Try revisiting your original and your latest business plan. You might be able to recapture some of the insight and enthusiasm you originally had from that document.
Think back to your most successful promotions, presentations or sales efforts. Rather then reinventing the wheel you might be able to update and expand an approach that has already worked for your business.
Don't be afraid to seek out other perspectives. After all, you may be "too close" to the issues to understand the sources and solutions. Meet and brainstorm with your trusted advisers, mentors, friends, partners, employees and outside consultants. Ask customers to give you a frank assessment of what you're doing, how you're doing it and what you can do to better serve their needs. ]
The more ideas your receive, the more options you'll have for getting your business back on the fast track.