After reading our little tagline on this blog “the foundation of successful businesses”, it made me stop and think “What really are some foundations to successful businesses?” So that sent my mind into a spiral trying to come up with the best ones. One really came to mind:
It is imperative for a successful business that wants to stay successful and relevant to have amazing customer service–as well as treat their employees great. It is all about how your treat people. You treat them bad, they won’t respect, and then you’re out of business. Who wants to purchase from a place that degrades not only customers, but employees?
Sometimes with larger companies and corporations, it can be difficult to make sure that problems and concerns with customers and employees is taken care of in a timely manner. Actually, it is difficult in every sized business. One great and effective way to make sure to stay on top of it is to utilize enterprise feedback management. This will give you the necessary information to fix issues before they become problems. What more could a successful business ask for? Besides more revenue, I guess.
In our ever-increasing electronic world, there are some precautions that need to be taken–especially if you want to be a successful business. The truth of the matter is, many businesses make the mistake of not backing up their data, including employee information, financial records, and other sensitive materials. Not only does this not abide by federal regulations, but if your computer crashes, you have nothing. Lesson one in any business class should be on internet backup. And it doesn’t just apply to businesses; this goes for personal use as well.
{picture courtesy of DiverseStrategies.com}
Have you ever noticed many websites with an “About Us” or “Meet the Staff” section is accompanied by pictures of employees. Word to the wise: hire a professional photographer!! You will only be perceived as professional as you look - amateur looking photos will not bring in business. When we did staff pictures, we hired a professional Utah corporate photographer and the pictures turned out polished, professional, and appropriate. Taking the time and spending the money will be well worth your while!
We’ve mentioned the value of implementing custom on hold music before as a means of business marketing - it’s ideal because customers are already on the line, giving you the opportunity to pitch a product or service in a non-chalant, non-invasive forum. But what are the other low-cost forms of marketing for your small business?
- Podcasts - A low-cost form of marketing, podcasts present the unique opportunity for an online community to reach audiences offline. Releasing a podcast once a month, that is of value and interest to your target market can really boost your marketing efforts.
- Online Advertising - While I won’t say that print advertising, such as newspapers and phone books, will soon be obsolete, the current rise of online advertising seems to be a good indicator that may one day happen. Sponsored ads in search engine results allow your ads to be visible to those searching terms relevant to your products or services, resulting in a higher conversion rate (traffic translating into sales).
- Direct Marketing - These days, lead generation companies have made it much easier to find those interested in your company’s services; their databases are more defined, sorted, and complied to ensure you reach your target audience. Furthermore, consumers are always looking for a discount or deal - offering a discount even as little as %10 may help net new customers.
Having your own business can be stressful and time consuming. Because of this, a lot of important and crucial things get left by the wayside. This is dangerous–especially if it involves federal regulations. Enterprise Risk Management is one of those things. There is so much risk involved with clients, employees, and even legal that it is important to know what you are getting yourself into and what you need to do. If you have your own business, look into it and save yourself a lot of hassle in the long run.