In the United States owning a small business is the American dream.
The Small Business Associates has some great tips to help you achieve your dream of owning a small business.
Small business owners often do not place their business where it should be nor do they use the Internet as successfully as they could. Mostly this is due in part to resources and time limitations and because new small business owners do not have the knowledge of starting a small business with the exception of being able to build a website with guided instructions.
- Research the Competitors – Go to their website and see how it is set up – does it have a welcoming feeling? Is it as active as it could be for example they have a blog, but no blog posts? If it looks like their website is in trouble then make note of all the things that may help it and go back to your website and make sure you don’t have the same problems, if you do fix them immediately! If it is a great website, jot down some notes about what makes it great, then go back to your own website, and use the ideas you jotted down with your own special twist.
- The Brand – Without a brand you don’t have a small business. Either you can pay someone to create a brand for you or you can get creative and create your own brand. Think about why you wanted to start your small business, what keeps you from tossing in the towel, what do your customers think about your business? Ask your customers how you could improve it to make it better. Once you have a brand you are ready to give your small business all you have.
- Using the Internet to Get the Word Out About Your Business – Your social media sites, don’t spam the feed, post something about your business or product(s) three or four times a day spread out by about 3-4 hours, Facebook has the most visitors between 5-7pm, that is an ideal time to post your best message for the day. Also, people love videos, if you can incorporate a cute video with your message you could be as good as golden.
It’s no secret that the little guys have a harder time starting a small business, but don’t give up. You may not be in a dorm room creating something that will be worth billions of dollars someday, but then again Bill Gates didn’t think he was doing anything special either.
by Bruce Worrall, Sep-17-2015