The Entrepreneur
Three Biggest Business Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
So you own a small business, or are your own boss at home, huh? Congratulations! You are in very good company. According to a US Census Bureau, over 16 million people worked at home….in 2001. We can only imagine what the number is now.
So many small business owners have been happy to claim the title of being their own boss for years now. And of course, like all professionals, they haven’t always done everything right by their business. Marketing, advertising, elevator pitches, websites, blogs, the whole bit, should be a piece of cake for those who own their own business, right?
Actually no, that’s not the case at all. The fact is, marketing your business is and will be, an ever evolving project, you will always be working on something related to that. Read on for some common mistakes most small business owners make, and what you can do to avoid them.
#1. Not Letting Anyone Know You Are There
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not telling anyone about your business. Oh you can tell people that you are a seamstress, but if that’s as far as you go, you are in trouble. If you never bother to tell people that they could hire you to sew, write, build, etc. for them, or that you are available for any of their projects, you won’t get any clients.
The simple way to avoid this–tell everyone about your business. Not simply friends and family, and the obvious people. For example if you are a plumber, talk to your local home improvement store, local business owners, contractors, new businesses, etc. You never know when someone might be looking for, or know of someone who needs, someone who does what you do.
#2. Not Using Your Name
Especially if you are a freelancer, your name is your business. You might be tempted to use a nickname, or pen name as a user-name for websites that showcase your projects. Please realize that if people are going to Google, or look you up, they will probably type in your whole name.
The simple way to avoid this–Use your, or your business’ entire name. For example, don’t just advertise your daycare as the Corner Daycare Center, but Little Tykes Corner Daycare Center (if that’s the full name). Give as many details about your business as you can.
#3. Not Establishing An Online Presence
Most small business owners are perfectionists (don’t worry that’s a compliment), and want things to look exactly right, so for they are always looking for that next “better” website, blog, marketing ploy, etc… That has kept some small business owners from getting online at all. This can hurt your business, because a lot of people will look for your business online, instead of calling and speaking to you directly.
The simple way to avoid this–Get thee online! Start a blog, sign up for an inexpensive website, get on Facebook and Twitter. Put something online that says what you do, and how people can contact you. You can even list your business for free with Yahoo, so that you can be found locally.
There you have it, the top small business mistakes and how to avoid them. Now we all have no excuses for not getting our business up and running. Except for well, maybe, that whole economy thing. But even that has never stopped the entrepreneurial spirit before.
~Helen Heard~
© Copyright, 2010 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the May Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises
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