35 Killer Business Boosters
by Larry Dotson
- Stop procrastinating and start finishing all your business tasks. Do one at a time. Do not get caught up thinking that you can never get them all done.
- Organize your marketing and advertising into a plan. Create a list of daily, weekly, monthly and all other future promotional plans.
- End your slow sales periods by planning ahead. Plan to add extra bonuses, hold a sale or package your product with other products.
- Hire a business coach to help improve yourself and business. They could help increase your sales, motivate you, balance your workload, etc.
- Improve your negotiation skills. This’ll improve your business because you’re always negotiating ad swaps, supply prices, joint ventures, wages, etc.
- Attend trade shows and seminars that are related to your specific industry. Pass out business cards or brochures about your business.
- Speed up your internet access. You can get your online business tasks done faster which will help you stay ahead of your competition.
- Stay away from being too comfortable with your income or life. You should always be making new goals for yourself and developing new sales ideas.
- Stay away from becoming a workaholic. Your mind needs time away from your business life. This will help your brain think clearly while working.
- Create and follow short/long term goals for your business. The short goals can create early success and the long term goals can create future success.
- Look for different ways to prove your business and products to your audience. You could collect testimonials, hold surveys, do scientific tests, etc.
- Try new business ideas and strategies. Do not be afraid of changing what you’re doing. You could try out technology, advertising, marketing, etc.
- Find a strategic business partner. Look for ones that have the same objective. You can trade leads, share marketing info, sell package deals, etc.
- Create a “PR” web page for your business. List information that could be considered newsworthy for e-zines, newspapers, magazines, etc.
- Brand your name and business. You can easily do this by just writing articles and submitting them to e-zines or web sites for republishing.
- Become well known by speaking or chatting at seminars. The seminars could be held offline, in a chat room, by telephone or via e-mail.
- Remember to take a little time out of your day or week to brainstorm. New ideas are usually the difference between success and failure.
- Model other successful business or people. I’m not saying out right copy them, but practice some of the same habits that have made them succeed.
- Get free advice from successful online business owners. Participate in business chat rooms and message boards to chat with them.
- Take risks to improve your business. Sometimes businesses don’t want to advertise unless it’s free, sometimes you have to spend money to get results.
- Outsource part of your workload. You’ll save on most employee costs. You could out source your secretarial work, accounting, marketing, etc.
- Pick a good name for your business and product. Your names should be memorable and describe the kind of product your offering.
- Use logos and slogans for your business. They make it easier for people to remember and identify your business.
- Make your small business look big on the world wide web. Design your web site using professional graphics, ordering systems, organized layouts, etc.
- Advertise your online business by dressing in clothes that are imprinted with your ad. It could be a T-shirt, ball cap, coat, etc.
- Give a percentage of your profits to a cause your customers would like. It could be a charity, school, environmental improvements, etc.
- Take harsh criticism the right way and improve your online business. Don’t get down in the dumps, improve the situation so it doesn’t happen again.
- Try bartering before you buy services, supplies and equipment for your business. You can use the extra money you save on advertising your business.
- Make sure you’re always creating new products and services or improving old ones. Most products or services won’t stand the test of time online.
- Use free advertising as much as possible. Test a wide variety of free advertising options like banner and link exchanges, classifieds, newsgroups, etc.
- Split the cost of online advertising and marketing by sharing a web site with a similar, non-competing business. You would both put up half the cost.
- Compete with the highly branded businesses by practicing good customers service, strong product quality and speedy service.
- Use time saving promotional software. You can automate your search engine submissions, posting to online classified sites, etc.
- Invest a percentage of your profits right back into your business. Spend it on marketing, product improvement, customer service, advertising, etc.
- You’ll save money buying your business supplies in bulk quantities. You could get a membership at a wholesale warehouse or buy them through a mail order wholesaler. Buy the supplies you are always running out of.