Small Business Saturday Blog

9 tips for Business Success - it's all about love.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018 at 09:35

This Valentine's day we are giving some top tips and advice for small businesses. 
Often you can overlook yourself in the process of starting or running your business and without this self-care you can quickly run yourself into the ground and impact your success. 
Check out our top tips for taking care of your business, yourself and how looking after others can also benefit you. Share the love! 
#loveyourbiz
Make a Plan
It’ssaid that if you fail to plan you plan to fail and this is certainly the casewith a small business. If you are just starting out then you need to make anexhaustive business plan and factor in every eventuality and cost you can.
Ifyou are already an established business it’s good to make a plan on a monthlyor seasonal basis with some key goals and keep revisiting and updating it.
Know your Product or Service.
Makesure that whatever you have decided upon for your business format, you arepassionate about it and have a good knowledge in the subject or area. Keep aneye on trends and read around the subject to stay ahead of what customers wantto see and changes in buying climate.
Tell your Story
Peoplelove to make connections and sharing your story, your inspirations and yourprocess through your website, blog or social media is key to engaging withcustomers and creating a connection that people trust and will buy from. Otherentrepreneurs may also be inspired by your journey and learn from yourexperiences.
#loveyourself
4.  Invest in Yourself
You are your business’best asset. If you need to take some extra training to ensure that you are upto date with the skills needed to run your business then don’t put it off! Ifyou need to take a break to recharge and refresh with new ideas, then maybedelegate (more on that later) or engage in a relaxing hobby to change gears andinvigorate you
5.  Be Yourself
Don’t waste valuabletime analysing other similar businesses and trying to be exactly like them. Itis good to learn from others but copycat businesses rarely succeed because theylack the personal passion that is needed. Share your quirks and express yourpersonality and you will attract the right customers.
6.  Find your Tribe
Entrepreneurship can be lonely andeven if you employ staff it is often hard to discuss business and growth withthem. Find a local meet-up or networking group and connect with others, you maybe surprised to find others who can provide help and advice throughpeer-to-peer support. Social media is also a great resource for like-mindedgroups and motivation.
#sharethelove
7.  Get the right people
A strong support team is crucialin a successful business, whether this is employees or family and friends.Recruiting wisely can save you both time and money and someone with a passionfor your business or cause is a huge asset. Take your time when recruiting anddon’t be afraid to have a trial period to see if you are a good match for eachother.
8.  Delegate
Giving a team member anew responsibility doesn’t only free up your time and energy to focus on adifferent area of your business but it also can provide a learning anddevelopment opportunity for them. It’s a win win!
9.  A Random Act of Kindness
Showing and sharing kindness withothers goes a long way and needn’t cost you a penny. You could skill share orswap with another business who may need your help in return for some of theirproduct, or you could include a nice handwritten note inside a customer orderto brighten their day. You might make a new friend in the process and it’salways nice to be nice.
Aster Sadler is Head of Digital Marketing for Small Business Saturday.Small Business Saturdayprovides help and support for all Small Businesses throughout the year byproviding workshops, webinars and informative content.
Small Business SaturdayUK also highlights small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shoplocal’ and support small businesses in their communities.

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