How To Make a Success Of a Small Business

Small businesses are in many ways more vulnerable to market fluctuations than the larger players. Sadly, it is the case today that less than 45 per cent of small businesses stay open after four years of operating, and with the current global financial situation these numbers are not likely to improve anytime soon.


Because of this, if you are thinking about establishing a small business yourself you really need to be aware of the best measures to take to give you a fighting chance. There is no reason why you can’t be one of the group who succeeds, but it takes organisation, a strong sense of the realities of the marketplace and a great deal of dedication. Here are some steps you can take to maximise your chances of staying afloat:

Don’t over-extend yourself: From the outset, many small business owners make the fundamental mistake of fondly imagining they can do everything themselves in order to cut their costs as much as possible. All I can say is: don’t! Nobody can be an expert in every area, and there are certain aspects of a business, such as sales or marketing, that need to be run by someone with experience if you are to have any chance in this competitive marketplace.

Get advice: If you really can’t afford to bring in many full-time staff to begin with, you might at least consider bringing in the temporary services of a small business consultant. It may seem like an unnecessary expense, but a consultant specialising in this area can be invaluable for setting new companies on the right path and advising on how to avoid those common early mistakes. They will also help you to set up a realistic and effective business plan – something without which no new company can function. Consider hiring a small business consultant as a necessary start-up cost, or a wise investment in your future.

Know your competition: Before you enter a certain market, take the time to thoroughly research your key competitors. Small, local businesses will often be up against a lot of similar companies in the area so you have to know what products and services they offer so you can find a way to differentiate yourself as a brand to give you the edge. Once you have identified your competition, keep a constant eye on them and be prepared to make changes and update according to the latest trends.

Offers and promotions: Small companies need to keep customers interested with promotions or special offers. You probably won’t have a large advertising budget to begin with so doing this is one way of ensuring your company name is out there. Email marketing, for example, is an effective way of getting special offers out there, or if you are a very small local business it can be something as simple as having an eye-catching billboard outside your shop.

Ways a Marketing Consultant Can Keep Your Promotional Costs Down

Whenever you are considering a marketing consultant for your business, your budget is always one of the things you have to consider. Many marketers use expansive strategies that result in a rather costly marketing budget. But there are marketers who know how to use less costly strategies and still achieve success for their clients so that clients could experience in an influx of business, providing additional revenue to take even more aggressive marketing approaches.

Many marketing specialists utilise a variety of techniques to help their clients improve their profits and gain more customers. While no successful professional campaign is free, you can find marketers who know how to achieve success without breaking your budget. Firms that have a solid grasp of online business promoting are able to help clients save money, promote their business, and get a great ROI.

Website Design and Layout
Look for a consultant who knows how to design websites. Depending on the complexity of your site, you may be able to find a consultancy firm who charges a nominal fee for a simple site design but may have higher fees for more involved designs. However once your site is active, it becomes a low- cost way to keep your business up and running 24/7.
One of the ways to save money is to work with a consultant who will look at your current website design and suggest changes. They may include a small fee into their initial consultation charge rather than charging a larger fee for total website redesign. You can then utilise the suggestions given if you think they're a good fit for your business.

Articles, Press Releases, and Newsletters
One of the most cost effective ways to promote your business is through articles, press releases, and newsletters. Online marketing firms can help you implement all of these into your strategy. Articles can be written for your website that promote your product while providing information about your field of business. These can also be done as short blog posts rather than longer articles.

A marketing firm can help you create press releases to announce new products or business structure to customers. These are often printed online, but they can also go into trade magazines or local publications. To further enhance your reputation, you can create an email newsletter that your customers can subscribe to. This way you can stay in touch with your customers on a weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly basis without having to invest too much money.

Why Use a Consultant?
You may think the above mentioned ideas would be easily implemented by your own employees. However, a specialised small business consultant can look at your business from the outside and notice any current actions that may not be helping your business prosper 100%. By using a marketing consultant, you can get professional advice and maximize your budget.

Half a Dozen Things a Small Business Consultant Could Do for Your Business

You want to succeed in business, especially online. All entrepreneurs who are paying attention to the potential that exists on the internet do. Is it worthwhile to invest in a small business consultant who will help you? Read on for five areas you might hire a consultancy firm to help you succeed in: #1 SEO Search engine optimisation is vital for any business wanting to succeed online. A consultant can help you learn what search engines are looking for when they categorise companies for highly searched terms. You could quickly move ahead of your competition in terms of search engine rankings and this equates to targeted traffic landing on your website. In many cases, that traffic is ready to make a buying decision and your position being ahead of competition could help you get that sale. #2 Process Improvements Another area many consultants are well versed in is in streamlining processes. A skilled consultant has a wealth of business experience that puts him or her in a position to help you see areas where you could reduce redundancies via process automation. Very often an outside source can see areas for improvement and you could see results in a matter of weeks. Process improvement doesn't even need to be extensive to make a difference. You might be surprised with advice given by an experienced professional. Sometimes a few minor tweaks can make a major difference. #3 Missed Opportunities Business owners who run their business like a well-oiled machine may not see potential growth opportunities. They often get caught up in the existing setup. A small business consultant may see quite a few areas that you could delve into. Whether this is in new areas, complimentary products, or getting more business from existing customers, it can all equate to more profit for you. A great part of a growth strategy is to expand on your existing customer base and strengths and a consultancy firm can show you how to do that. #4 Competitive Analyses Analysing competition is something that can help you make wise business decisions. You may not know how easy it can be to actually do this --- especially with the internet. A consultancy firm can help you do this in a way that helps you gather market intelligence that will enable you to forge ahead and win more market share as well as prevent competition from wooing your customers to their side because they do things better than you do. Competitive analysis is essential in the 21st century! #5 Lead Generation Generating new business via leads is a great way to expand. Website visitors, for example, can be turned into a lead. Every single person who visits your website is a potential customer and you can be taught how to take maximum advantage of that. #6 Customer Retention Do you know why some customers jump ship and find someone else to do business with? Your small business consultant can help you market more effectively to new customers but he or she can also help you retain loyalty of your existing customers through relationship management techniques that can help substantially. However you run your business today and however you plan to grow in the future, you can get coaching, business advice and mentoring to help you reach the next level of success. A trustworthy advisor could make a huge difference. Why do it alone when a specialist could help you achieve your goals faster without costing you more time that you don't have. The results could provide a huge return on investment.

Why do business consultant tips include blogging for maximising your online exposure? Learn why a blog is one of (if not THE) best way to market

Business Consultant Tips – Does Your Business Have a Blog? If you could ask a business consultant for a list of what is considered to be some of the best ways to capture the attention of online audiences, most would list building a business blog near the top of that list. Many would say that blogging is one of the best ways to reach your target audience --- regardless of your business type and whether or not you exist online, in a bricks and mortar business, or both. Read on to find out why blogging is such a good idea. Blogs are dynamic. Blogs, by their very nature, incite participation, feedback, and an informal atmosphere that can be business-like and casual at the same time. Companies can communicate and people can interact with the companies. This attracts people to read blogs. They often allow people to make comments and they also allow people to subscribe to receive updates automatically. Blog marketing can be an excellent sales and communication tool. Search Engines love Blogs. When you have a business website, adding a blog to it stops the site from being static. Search engines love sites that provide regular updates and will keep visiting and therefore sending new traffic to blogs. The fastest way to lose ground in search engines is to stop making new pages for your website and a blog allows a business to create pages in the background that do not interfere with the company's branding strategy. You can't change your home page daily so why not add pages in the background that work to your advantage with search engines who will send you free traffic? Make Use of Social Tools. Business consultants agree that social media optimisation is something all businesses should be considering in the current day and age. Blogs can be well integrated with social media optimisation tools so that you can kill two birds with one stone. Companies need to take their online potential audience into consideration and by blogging you can easily do that. It is a relatively low-cost way to keep fresh content on your site that talks about your company and talks directly to customers and target customers. The blog can also serve many other purposes from a marketing perspective as well. If you want help figuring out how to maximise a blog's impact on your business, a business consultant who is specialised in internet marketing can help you figure out: how to attach a blog effectively to your business, how to optimise that blog for maximum targeted traffic and maximum search engine optimisation and they can help you figure what to blog about as well.

Do You Need a Business Consultant if You’re a Solopreneur?

If you’re thinking that only large corporations need a business consultant, think again. You might be surprised to learn that even a one man or one woman business could significantly benefit from business consulting. The reasonable cost and return on investment will probably surprise you! Small business owners, sometimes referred to as solopreneurs, believe that they need to be able to do it all. If you run your business on your own, you’ll be wearing many hats as an entrepreneur and as a result, you’ll often be in react mode. You’ll motor through each day doing what needs to be done. But how will you plan for the future? How can you proactively plan for growth when you’re flying by the seat of your trousers? A business consultant can help you. Some entrepreneurs that like to work alone are not thrilled with the prospect of someone coming in and telling them what they’re doing wrong. But a business consultant doesn’t work like that. A skilled consultant can help in a non-obtrusive way that doesn’t take over your business --- this can enhance your business according to your own desires and long term goals. An expert adviser can do a lot for a small business owner, on the business owner’s terms. What do business consultants do? A business consultant can do various things for you, such as: • Analyse your existing business infrastructure to help you make positive changes to procedures for productivity and profitability. This can help you find more time and make more money. What could be better than that? • Marketing and advertising services. A business consultant could help you gain more exposure with your target audience and become your outsourced marketing department. • Internet marketing services. Want to take advantage of the vast online audience that could be buying from you? A skilled consultant can help you get found online so you can make more sales. Sure, large companies need consultants but small businesses can benefit form consulting services as well. Working one on one with someone who has accumulated business experience in many areas could help you in a vast way. A consultant will listen to your concerns, find out what’s important to you as an entrepreneur, and come up with a plan that can work for you and do it on your terms. How do you choose a consultancy firm? Finding the right people to help you succeed isn’t always easy. There are some red flags that should set off warning bells for you, such as: • Companies or consultants that promise “the moon” super fast. • Companies that you can’t find background information about. • Companies who don’t offer guarantees. Signs that you’ve found a solid resource include: • Testimonials • A background you can investigate yourself (online and perhaps locally) • A guarantee about satisfaction • Flexible services that suit your specific needs. While most entrepreneurs like to keep a tight rein on their business, the possibilities, when you have someone like a skilled business consultant to help you, can result in your achievement of your goals and dreams much sooner.

What Can a Business Consultant do For Your Online Business?

A look at why investing in a business consultant for your online business could be a great investment in your future. Whether you're new in business or are well established but just want a fresh set of sage eyes on your business, a business consultant can help. Let's take a look at what this kind of expert can do for you and your success in online business. New Online Businesses As a new online company, the expertise of an experienced business consultant could make a vast amount of difference in how quick you become successful. Navigating through both the online world and the business world at the same time can be a bit overwhelming and an expert can help you make and then execute a workable business plan. By getting the right marketing and business advice instead of flying solo in an area you're not very familiar with, you'll be able to hit the ground running and ensure that you're operating at a profit quickly. An expert knows how to help you do what you need to do to get your online company set up and getting sales quickly. A lot of new companies struggle in their early days, especially if they're a small business or run by a single entrepreneur. It might seem like there just aren't enough hours in the day to do all you want and need to do. When you meet with a specialist who's experienced enough to know what works and what does not, you can trim a considerable amount of time and effort off your learning curve and be able to accomplish more --- with less. With the right help and advice, you as a new entrepreneur could : develop a marketing and advertising strategy, do competitive analysis to help you stand head and shoulders above your competition, ensure your website gets the right sorts of traffic and that you convert that traffic into customers, establish yourself as an expert in your industry, and more. Improving an Existing Online Company Businesses need to continually evolve in order for them to increase profitability. In fact, evolution is necessary if a company wants to survive and maintain position in their market as well because your competitors are trying to court your customers and divert potential prospects to their website instead of yours. A consultancy firm stays up to date on the latest business and marketing trends and could help you ensure that your business is able to to evolve and grow despite a constantly changing business landscape. Is the expense worthwhile? You could attempt to learn how to launch an online business on your own and avoid the expense of hiring a professional. But, that could result in a longer learning curve than is necessary. You could try to save a struggling business on your own as well. But learning through trial and error could be a costly mistake. The expense of hiring a skilled business consultant firm might be off-putting at first, but when you consider the potential return on investment over time, the fees could suddenly seem well worth the investment.