Starting a business naturally involves planning and lengthy to-do lists, and since you are reading this, you are obviously doing your homework. There comes a time when you have to stop reading, get off the sofa and get into action to avoid feeling overwhelmed and losing your confidence and momentum. When that time comes, and you open your actual or virtual door for business, a few guiding principles will save you years of floundering. After more than 20 years as an entrepreneur, here are the ones I think are most important for a new business owner:
Customers are the heart and soul of your business — every day should be about finding, keeping and serving customers.
There will be lots of other things to do, whether you are setting up a physical space or working off your laptop at the dining room table, but it’s a mistake to think that when you are ordering office supplies or building shelves or designing your logo that you are “taking care of business.” The best advice I got when I was starting out was from someone who was in a deadline-oriented media business similar to mine. He told me: “No matter how busy you get, take time every day to sell. Make phone calls to prospects, go to networking meetings, ask for referrals from your existing customers. Because when the job you are working on is done you need another one to start on. You should always be working on the pipeline at the same time as you are working on your current project.” You may not have a project-based business like mine, but think about how you would apply this high-value advice to your business.
It is natural at the beginning to focus on operations, setting up systems for production, delivery, your financial management, etc. Once focused there, many businesses stay there. But without customers you don’t have a business, so focusing on the customer is the #1 job for everyone. Look at every point where prospects or customers come in contact with your company, and ask “what does my customer really want?” and then give it to them. If you can follow this simple principle, it can give you a huge edge over your competition. Especially now, when a large percentage of buyers shop on-line first, your satisfied customers become your most important viral sales agents — consumers want to know how many “stars” you get from your existing customers before they decide to buy from you.
Okay, that’s enough for one day. Go out and get some customers and check back for Part 2 coming soon
Maggie Anderson
Maggie,
Very nice article. It’s funny, when I was a boy, my Pop had a plaque in his office that said “It’s difficult to remember that your objective is to drain the swamp when you’re up to your a** in alligators.”
Starting and running a business today it’s difficult to remember that we are in the business to solve problems for our customers and that it’s our job to assist them in draining their swamp.
I’m looking forward to part 2…
Tell us more about what you do in your business at http://maggieanderson.com
Thanks Terry! Yeah I love being an entrepreneur — except for those alligators! What I do is come up with words that work to make executives, coaches and consultants get out of the swamp and stand out so they can attract business and opportunities and so their ideal clients can find them! Love what you are doing with bizomundo. Don’t totally understand it but I like what I’ve heard so far and wish you the best!