When Business Slows

Things you can do to keep focused

In one of the entrepreneur online groups I belong to, a business owner put out a request for some advice on how to grow her business. The business had been successful for a few years, but it seemed to be on a downward trend for the past six months. It was now at the point that a red flashing light was going off in her bank account. She had also stopped all of her marketing.

If you need to attract clients, becoming less visible is not a solution. If money is tight, then you have to use current assets to market your business. Here are some tips I would recommend.

Tip 1 – Are You Speaking to the Customer’s Problem?

In reviewing the woman’s website, I noticed the language was entirely focused on the business and didn’t address the customer’s problems at all. It was a biography of sorts about her experiences, what she liked about her business, and some of her favourite photos. The challenge with the photos was that they were not friendly – she wasn’t smiling, the other photos were not friendly looking and some of the photos even portrayed what I expected the customer’s problem to be!

This left me with the impression that she didn’t have an understanding of how she could help me, and when a potential customer has that impression, they’re not going to call.

Tip 2 – Keep Focused on the Business

Before I went to the website, I visited one social media page for the business. I had a hard time figuring out what her business was about. There were posts for all sorts of things and many with a personal call to action that had nothing to do with her business.

There’s nothing wrong with sharing community events and such on a business social media page, however, the focus has to be on your business. Social media is a way in which you communicate with current customers and future customers, so it needs to be primarily focused on how you can help them. When supporting community events, add a comment that connects to your business. For example, “As a daycare provider, I know how important it is for children to have good, nutritious food to eat. The same is true for adults. We’re happy to support the local food bank, and hope you will too.”

Tip 3 – Put Your Free Assets to Work

If your website and social media accounts aren’t doing the job, then you need to deploy some of your other assets. Here are some ideas that may cost you time, but they won’t cost you money:

• Speak to local groups about what you do at your business and tell them the kind of people who make great customers for you so they can refer you.
• Gather some stories of how you helped a customer and share those experiences on your social media pages and when communicating with others. You can talk about these great wins without using names (unless you have permission to do so), and use them to illustrate a point or provide a solution.
• Launch a referral program. This allows you to reach out to past customers and provide them with an incentive to refer someone new to your business. If a new customer comes in and says they were referred by Jane Smith, then you can let Jane Smith know that she receives 25% off her next purchase with you (or some similar incentive.) That way, you aren’t spending any money upfront to gain the business.
• Find a mentor you can talk things over with and who can provide some perspective. It might be someone you know who has a solid business, or there could be an association in your area (i.e. chamber of commerce) that could ask its membership for someone willing to offer mentorship.

Prioritize Your Finances

I know that finances can be difficult for small businesses – I have lived that experience in the course of building my business and I’m sure every other small business owner has a similar story. Take a hard look at where you’re spending your money, and find ways to continue marketing. If you are not marketing, you are hoping for business, and hope is not a good strategy.

You can pick up more marketing tips when you pick up a copy of Forward Thinking for Your Business. You can order today at Amazon US, Amazon Canada, and other retailers, or you can contact Jennifer directly at [email protected].