Having success with your small business

Small business success comes with a lot of time and patience. Hard work will get your company off the ground and you need even more hard work to keep it going. Small business success is a hard thing to achieve as several people have actually failed while trying to achieve it. If you are a small business owner, there are some rules you need to follow if you want to remain in business for a long time:

Rule # 1 - Customers
Your customers are the life-blood of your organization. Never, ever neglect your customers. Make sure you thank your existing customers for their continued support and make sure you are doing things to find new customers. Participate in target research studies to look for new customers. Try using surveys to find out what type of products you offer to people that are attracting and may cause them to start purchasing from your company over your competitors. Remember that you cannot please everyone so you shouldn't try too hard to be everything to everyone. If you don't want to broaden your target market, stay with your niche and continue pleasing the customers you already have.

Rule # 2 - Stand Out
Another important thing you need to do is stand out from the crowd. If your company is just like your competitors, you aren't going to go too far. People want to look for something new and exciting. Don't just sit back and let your competitors steal all the customers. Change the look of your products, even if they are similar to your competitor's products. Not only do you need to change-up your products, you also need to change your marketing strategies. Try different mailing pieces and slogans that will attract new customers to your web site. Using the same thing over and over can be successful, but it can also cause some people to get tired of your slogan.

Rule # 3 - Employees
A good company is only as good as the people that make it. Don't just find employees to fill positions, find people that really want to work for you. Hire people that bring something to the table and have a lot of room for growth. Make it known that your staff members are to work as a team. When everyone on-board works well together, the company will be successful. Find employees that can fill multiple positions, this way they can help out if you are just starting out or during times of expansion.

Rule # 4 - Loyalty
Your customers are counting on you to be loyal to them if you expect the same in return. Simple ways to express loyalty to your customers include the following:

• Prompt reply to emails and phone calls


• Fast delivery of products


• Thank-you notes


• Consistency


• Optimism

Your customers deserve to hear from you promptly if they have a question. You can impress them by shipping your products out within 24 hours of their order so they receive it within a few days, not a week or two. Thank-you notes are an easy way to let your customers know how much you care about their business. Take the time to write a note instead of just printing the same thank-you note for each of your customers. You can even send them a thank-you email if you want to save money on postage. Customers also appreciate it when a company remains consistent. Your products and your company need to have a consistent look and feel; customers should be able to recognize everything you put your name on. Not only should they receive this from the products, the employees that work at your organization must also provide them with consistency. Finally, a company must have optimism if they want to stay around for a long time. Everyone at your company must have a positive attitude in order for you to remain in business.