New Year's Resolutions
Q: Steve: I enjoy your columns a lot and was wondering if you had any resolutions for the New Year that we might pilfer. Thanks
Joey, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
A: I hadn't thought about this much yet, but you are right Joey, now is the time to take stock and shift direction as needed. Here then are five resolutions that might benefit any entrepreneur:
- Revise Your Web Presence. At my website (shameless plug - www.MrAllBiz.com) visitors can get plenty of free information - everything from a free e-newsletter entitled Small Business Success Secrets! to old columns and more. But even so, we have never fully utilized the possibilities of the site. Until this upcoming year that is!
The fact is, there really has never been a better time to expand your online presence. The fallout from the crash of 2000 is over and the Web is humming with activity again. So whether yours is but a simple site telling people who you are and what you do or if it is fully e-commerce compatible, a smart resolution is to rethink the Net and expand your offerings. A world - literally - of new markets is out there, waiting.
- Go Wireless: Wireless networks are springing up all over, making it ever easier to work outside the office. Not only are more and more coffee houses and bookstores offering free wireless connections, but whole cities are on the verge of creating city-wide wireless "clouds" (see Atlanta, Austin, and Portland.) Sales for wireless gadgets have increased dramatically, and prices have correspondingly dropped.
Not only does a wireless laptop or handheld allow you to work and connect almost anywhere, but a wireless office and home allow you to work in the spare bedroom, deck, or conference room. Sure beats being chained to a desk from 9 to 5.
- Build Brand Buzz: Your brand is your promise to your customers. Not only does your small business need one to set you apart from the crowd, but you need to build some buzz around that brand of yours if you want to take things up a notch next year. Here's how:
* Tip It: In The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell explains that the way to build excitement about something is to have influential people mention it, use it, and so on. So target some key people in your industry and offer them freebies of your product or service. Even a letter from them later can be marketed effectively.
* PR: Either hire a PR agency or do it yourself, but either way, make 2006 the year that the press writes about your business.
- Know Your Customers Better: The more you know about your customers, the better you can service them and the easier it will be to find more customers just like them. Things to discover:
- Their average age, income, and location
- Why they buy from you and not someone else
- What they want from you
- What they like and dislike about your business
Where do you learn this? The usual suspects: Focus groups, questionnaires, surveys, and don't forget - chatting with them.
- Grow! There are so many ways to do this: Figure out who your ideal customer is, buy a list with those demographics, and market to them. Attend a trade show. Form strategic alliances with like-minded companies. Open a new location. Start a new profit center. Expand your product line. Advertise more.
Today's Tip: If you are looking to buy the entrepreneur in your life some hot, new technology present, be sure to surf on over to the CNet website before you buy. The site had become almost indispensable for me when looking to buy some new gadget. There you can compare prices, features, read professional and user reviews, watch video reviews, and altogether learn what you need to before buying.