Staying In Business!
Staying In Business
This is a welcome sign among all the “Going Out Of Business” signs that are cropping up on Pearl Street here in Boulder. Walking through my neighborhood shopping area brings home the fact that many small businesses are struggling.
Here are five tips for “Staying In Business!” during the recession:
- Upgrade your customer service: Now is a good time to look over the list of your past customers or clients and make a “Hi, how are you?” call. Be sure that your order fulfillment process is streamlined – if you can deliver more quickly or with better quality, DO IT! Make sure your current customers or clients are happy. Whatever “going the extra mile” looks like for your business, do that too!
- Diversify: Take a look at your products and services and see if there is some way you can repackage, sell separately, or redesign them and then sell to another set of target clients. Be sure that your products link naturally to other of your products so that you can cross-sell or up-sell.
- Get out more: Smile and shake more hands! Set a new target goal for the number of brand new people you want to hear about your product or service each month. If fewer people are buying then you need to get in front of “more.”
- Partner with Other Businesses: This is a good time to connect with strategic partners who sell different services to the same target clients that you do. Market with them! We provide services to home owners. We provide products to small business owners. We take care of the health and well-being of women and children. Find your target client niche and start marketing together.
- Try new marketing strategies: You should have three to five ongoing marketing strategies that get you consistently in front of your target clients of people who can refer them to you. If you haven’t tried a new marketing activity in awhile, get something new going. And whatever you do, don’t cut back on doing the things that have worked for you in the past.
