Defend your business and stay ahead of those who would take your market share with these 10 business and marketing ideas.
Know Your Enemy
Ok, not really your “enemy”, but know your competition, what they offer, their pricing, and the customers that choose them.
Know Your Market
Spend some time getting to know your current customer base. Who are they? Why do they choose you? What appeals to them? Be very specific about getting to know those who buy from you.
Specialize
Be different from everybody in some way. If you can’t be first, be the best. Just make sure you are different than your main competition.
Market Yourself
If you haven’t gotten a marketing budget in place, you could be losing out. It’s not just about gaining new customers, but also keeping your brand awareness in the face of your customers. It’s an important step that many businesses tend to ignore.
Refine Your Brand
Maybe your brand could do with a facelift. Revive your brand with a new look and a new focus, something that makes it clearer what you stand for and who should buy from you.
Love Your Customers
Customer retention is more important than customer acquisition. That means that you have to take care of the customers you have because they end up telling others about you and buying from you again. Extend them more rewards such as discounts, advanced notice, or special terms.
Branch Out To New Markets
Is there a niche somewhere you should be that you currently aren’t? Identify new markets that might also appreciate your business and be in that space as well.
Diversify Your Offer
Expand what you currently offer with added bonuses and upselling items that go with your original product or service. If you sell golf tees, offer golf balls. If you clean homes, offer to add outside windows to your offer.
Be A Better Boss
Your best assets are often employees you have working for you. Being a better employer encourages them to look after you. Skilled and motivated staff are underappreciated, so look for ways to improve your working environment to retain those staff members.
Plan Your Future
It can be too easy to get lost in the day-to-day affairs of the business. Spend some time to take a step back and plan big goals for the future. Look for ways to take steps to get there, being proactive rather than reactive to the market.