3 Pillars Of A Healthy Business
We all need to focus on three key pillars for success: marketing our businesses to build clients and income; management practices and procedures to establish the framework for our business as it grows; and mentoring support to keep us on the right track, and provide different levels of support as our business grows.
1. Marketing To Build Your Business
The following table provides a checklist of fundamental activities you can either do yourself, or outsource to a specialist provider. If you work with other small businesses, these services need not cost you a lot. Get creative and look at providing your services in exchange for their services, or even payment terms in instalments over a period of time. Remember to do what you’re good at, let other people focus on what they do best, and if you can’t afford them, wait until you can. Always have an objective or an intended outcome for your marketing, otherwise it will have no focus and minimal results.
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Marketing Options
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Doing It / Plan To Do
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Objective
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Speaking Engagements: conferences, special interest groups, radio, business groups)
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The more 'doing it' the better! If not, then plan quickly and do it!
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- Raise your profile in target market
- Establish your expertise
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| Direct Marketing |
- Present an offer and call to action
- Raise awareness of your product / service
- Educate / inform
- Generate leads
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| PR |
- Raise profile
- Create awareness
- Establish expertise and credibility
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| Exhibitions and Conferences |
- Establish positioning in market
- Educate
- Network - identify opportunities
- Showcase products to captive target market
- Establsih credibility if speaking at conference
- Generate sales leads
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Industry and business publications
submit articles |
- Establish credibility and expertise within target market
- Position yourself as a specialist
- Raise profile
- Generate enquiries
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| Telesales / telemarketing |
- Prospecting for new business
- Build leads
- Customer service
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Marketing Tools:
- Case studies – explains the client problem or need, and your solution
- Testimonials – statements of endorsement from satisfied clients
- Press releases – use them to send to media, or to customers or placed on web site
- Award entries/winning awards – winning awards sets you apart
- Newsletters – printed or electronic; write them yourself or ask for contributions
- Company profile – also a ‘credentials’ document to establish your credibility
- Website – make it work for you
- Brochures – try not to change these too often (requires time and $$), but don’t let them date
- Video/CD presentations – particularly if you are in the creative field
Start marketing now and don’t stop!
Author Credits
Jenny Stilwell is the creator of BOSSMENTOR® Business, a FREE ezine for professional, lifestyle oriented business owners wanting to confidently increase the value of their business, ultimately spending less time in it. You'll get proven strategies, tips and resources designed to help you achieve success. To receive your free e-book information, and sign up for how-to articles on creating and managing business growth, visit www.bossgroup.com.au