Thursday, January 17, 2013
Are you willing to make it happen?
Don’t just think about one day starting your small business or getting started with that business plan... MAKE IT HAPPEN. We are here to help!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Sara Blakely has some suggestions about starting a small business:
“Most of the reason we don’t do things is because we’re afraid to fail. I just made a decision one day that I was not going to do things in my life because of fear.”
“With every obstacle that has happened to me in my life, my brain immediately says, ‘Where is the hidden blessing?’ In starting a business and growing a business, every day is learning how to manage obstacles.”
“My advice for an entrepreneur just starting out is to differentiate yourself. Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?”
“You’ve got to visualize where you’re headed and be very clear about it. Take a polaroid picture of where you’re going to be in a few years.”
“Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will be doing things absolutely differently from everybody else.”
“Don’t solicit feedback on your product, your idea, or your business just for validation purposes. Be really careful about that. You want to tell the people that can help move your idea forward. But if you’re just looking to your friend, coworker, husband, wife, for validation, be careful. Because out of love… a lot of people will express some concerns, and it can stop a lot of multi-million dollar ideas right in their tracks.”
—Sara Blakely, Entrepreneur, Founder of Spanx
Sara Blakely is an American entrepreneur who started her own, now multi-billion dollar, business in 2000 making her one of the youngest self-made female billionaire. She is also recognized as being one of the most influential people in the world.
This article is originally from logomaker.com. To check out this website click the following link:
logomaker.com
“With every obstacle that has happened to me in my life, my brain immediately says, ‘Where is the hidden blessing?’ In starting a business and growing a business, every day is learning how to manage obstacles.”
“My advice for an entrepreneur just starting out is to differentiate yourself. Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?”
“You’ve got to visualize where you’re headed and be very clear about it. Take a polaroid picture of where you’re going to be in a few years.”
“Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will be doing things absolutely differently from everybody else.”
“Don’t solicit feedback on your product, your idea, or your business just for validation purposes. Be really careful about that. You want to tell the people that can help move your idea forward. But if you’re just looking to your friend, coworker, husband, wife, for validation, be careful. Because out of love… a lot of people will express some concerns, and it can stop a lot of multi-million dollar ideas right in their tracks.”
—Sara Blakely, Entrepreneur, Founder of Spanx
Sara Blakely is an American entrepreneur who started her own, now multi-billion dollar, business in 2000 making her one of the youngest self-made female billionaire. She is also recognized as being one of the most influential people in the world.
This article is originally from logomaker.com. To check out this website click the following link:
logomaker.com
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Mass Production to Mass Customization.
There is a quote by Seth Godin that says “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers”. This is a very true statement that sometimes small business owners don’t consider. No matter how proud you are about your product or how much time you have spent producing it, if you do not have customers who will buy it then your product is not worth much.
Before you become an entrepreneur, really think about what the customer wants and what their needs are. Nowadays, we have shift to a new marketing concept and a new market orientation towards customers. We went from mass production to mass customization. This means that customers want customized products, they want exactly what they need and they want you to give it to them.
Companies today are focusing more on their customers and how they can cater to them, instead of mass producing products and hoping their customers will want to buy them. As mentioned in previous posts, customers are what makes your company exist, so make sure you are giving your customers customized products to meet their needs. Once you have done so, you will more than likely have a long term, loyal client.
Seth Goldin is an American author, entrepreneur and public speaker. He is also known as a Marketing Guru who has written fourteen books, which have all been bestsellers.
Before you become an entrepreneur, really think about what the customer wants and what their needs are. Nowadays, we have shift to a new marketing concept and a new market orientation towards customers. We went from mass production to mass customization. This means that customers want customized products, they want exactly what they need and they want you to give it to them.
Companies today are focusing more on their customers and how they can cater to them, instead of mass producing products and hoping their customers will want to buy them. As mentioned in previous posts, customers are what makes your company exist, so make sure you are giving your customers customized products to meet their needs. Once you have done so, you will more than likely have a long term, loyal client.
Seth Goldin is an American author, entrepreneur and public speaker. He is also known as a Marketing Guru who has written fourteen books, which have all been bestsellers.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
What is customer service?
Good customer service is the heart and the lifeblood of any small business. No matter how many discounts and promotions you offer your clients, if you do not offer excellent customer service chances are your clients will not come back.
Providing good customer service will help your business tremendously. It will make them leave happy, and help create loyal customers. When customers feel good doing business with you, they are more than likely to come back; and more importantly, they will spread the word to their friends.
If a client has a good customer service experience they may tell 1 or 2 people. On the other hand, if they have a bad experience they are likely to tell 6 or 7 people.
Because of this, it is very important to provide outstanding customer service and train your employees to treat customers the way you would treat them. Train them to be helpful, polite and to always show a good attitude.
If you give customers your phone number, make sure you always answer your phone. It can be very frustrating for clients not to be able to reach you when needed.
Also, don’t make promises to customers that you can’t keep. Always make sure you are being honest to your clients. And always listen to what your clients have to say, whether it’s a complaint or a good review. Their words can be very helpful for the future of your business.
Finally, go the extra mile for your clients. As we said at the beginning of this post “good customer service is the heart and lifeblood of your business,” so take care of it.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
It's time to start something new.
Are you tired of working for someone else? Are you ready to put your passion and expertise into something that’s yours? Maybe it’s time to think about starting your own small business and stop helping others build their dreams. It’s your turn!
Starting a small business can be challenging but the benefits can be worth a lot more. There is a lot of hard work and many hours that need to be put in and you need to be willing to commit. There are a couple of questions you should ask yourself to see if you are ready to be an entrepreneur.
1. What type of business owner do I want to be?
2. Do your skills match what your business is about?
3. What are you business goals?
4. Are you ready to take on the responsibility of owning a business?
5. Are you ready to be your own boss?
If you have answers to all these questions, then you may be ready to become a small business owner. Need help? Call our office to schedule an appointment.
Call us at (803)323-2283
Or email us at winthropregionalsbdc@gmail.com
Starting a small business can be challenging but the benefits can be worth a lot more. There is a lot of hard work and many hours that need to be put in and you need to be willing to commit. There are a couple of questions you should ask yourself to see if you are ready to be an entrepreneur.
1. What type of business owner do I want to be?
2. Do your skills match what your business is about?
3. What are you business goals?
4. Are you ready to take on the responsibility of owning a business?
5. Are you ready to be your own boss?
If you have answers to all these questions, then you may be ready to become a small business owner. Need help? Call our office to schedule an appointment.
Call us at (803)323-2283
Or email us at winthropregionalsbdc@gmail.com
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